Ribollita
Ribollita
The Tuscan bread and bean soup: Unico dry cannellini simmered until creamy, cooked with vegetables, cavolo nero and Unico diced tomatoes, thickened with day-old bread and finished with Gallo extra virgin olive oil.
Prep: 30 minutes (plus soaking) · Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes
What Is Ribollita?
Ribollita is the bread and bean soup of Tuscany. Its name means "reboiled": it was made from the week's leftover beans, vegetables and stale bread, then heated up again the next day, when it had turned thick enough to eat with a fork. Cannellini beans simmered until creamy give it body, cavolo nero gives it its dark, earthy greens, and a last drizzle of good olive oil ties it together.
Why Make Ribollita?
- A complete meatless meal in one pot
- Tastes even better the next day, so it is ideal to make ahead
- Uses up day-old bread
- Dry cannellini cooked from scratch give a creamier broth than canned
- Serves six generously
Unico Products Used in This Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups white kidney beans (cannellini) (dried (400 g), soaked overnight)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (80 ml, plus more for drizzling)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 carrot (medium, diced)
- 2 stalks celery (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 796 mL diced tomatoes (with their juice)
- 1 bunch cavolo nero (or lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves sliced)
- 2 cups savoy cabbage (shredded)
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 parmesan (rind (optional), plus grated parmesan to serve)
- 10 cups water (2.5 L, for cooking the beans)
- 6 slices bread (day-old crusty country bread, about 1 cm thick)
- salt and pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
Instructions
- Drain the soaked beans and put them in a large pot with the water, the rosemary sprig and the parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are tender and creamy. Add 1 tsp salt for the last 15 minutes. Remove the rosemary and keep the beans in their cooking liquid.
- Lift out about half the beans with a little of their liquid and mash or blend them to a coarse purée. Set the purée and the whole beans aside separately.
- In a large heavy pot, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 10 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Add the cavolo nero and cabbage a handful at a time, stirring until they wilt.
- Add the bean purée, the whole beans, the parmesan rind and enough bean cooking liquid to cover everything well, about 6 cups. Simmer gently, partly covered, for 30 minutes, until the greens are very tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Tear the bread into large pieces and stir it into the soup, or layer the slices in the pot and ladle the soup over them. Leave off the heat for 20 minutes so the bread soaks up the broth. For the classic version, cool the soup and refrigerate it overnight.
- To serve, bring the soup back to a gentle boil, stirring to break up the bread, until thick enough for a spoon to stand in it. Add a splash of water if it is too stiff. Remove the parmesan rind.
- Ladle into bowls and finish each one with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and grated parmesan.
Cooking Tips
- Keep the bean cooking liquid; it is the soup's broth
- Purée half the beans for a creamy body without any cream
- Use bread that is truly stale and dense; soft sandwich bread turns to paste
- Rest the soup overnight and reheat it gently for the classic thick texture
- Finish with your best extra virgin olive oil at the table
Frequently Asked Questions About Ribollita
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1. Can I use canned beans?
Yes. Use two 540 mL cans of Unico White Kidney Beans (Cannellini), drained and rinsed, and skip the soaking and simmering. Replace the bean cooking liquid with about 6 cups of vegetable broth or water.
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2. Does ribollita contain allergens?
The bread contains wheat and the parmesan contains milk. Unico Dry White Kidney Beans (Cannellini) carry a "may contain soy" precaution. For a dairy-free soup, leave out the parmesan. Always check the current labels.
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3. Why is it called ribollita?
Ribollita means "reboiled". The soup was traditionally made one day and heated up again the next, once the bread had soaked up the broth and it had turned thick.
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4. What can I use instead of cavolo nero?
Curly kale, Swiss chard or extra savoy cabbage all work. Remove any tough stems and slice the leaves before adding them.
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5. How should I store the leftovers?
Keep ribollita covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; it thickens as it sits, so add a little water when reheating. To freeze, freeze the soup before the bread goes in and add the bread after thawing.
Cooking Guides & Tips
- How to Cook Dried Beans from Scratch How to soak and simmer dried beans for the best texture and flavour — plus a no-soak option for lentils.
- A Guide to Italian Beans: Cannellini, Romano, Chick Peas and Kidney A guide to the beans Italian cooking leans on — cannellini, romano, chick peas and kidney beans — and how to use them, canned or dried.
- The Base: Beans, Olive Oil and Vegetables The simplest building block of all — beans, olive oil and vegetables — for salads, sides, spreads and light mains.
Ribollita Made Simple
Ribollita turns a few pantry staples into a pot that feeds a crowd. Unico Dry White Kidney Beans (Cannellini) cook down to a creamy base, Unico Diced Tomatoes add brightness to the greens, and Gallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil goes in at the start and again at the table. Make it a day ahead, reheat it slowly, and serve it thick.