The Best Authentic Tuscan Ribollita Soup Recipe

This recipe for Ribollita is a little bit different than what you’ll typically find in Tuscany, but I think it’s better, and I think you will too!

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As a trained chef with decades of experience in the kitchen, I sometimes find areas for improvement, even with the classics.

What sets my recipe apart is that I choose to serve the soup over toasted bread, rather than mixing the bread into the soup first.

Why? It tastes better! The crunchy, garlicky bread provides the best textural contrast to the creamy beans, hearty kale and rich broth.

By adding it right before serving, the bread retains its delightful crispness and soaks up the rich, savory broth when ladled over the top, similar to French onion soup.

With just a few humble ingredients and a few hours on the stove, you can have this classic Tuscan soup on your table!

Why This Recipe Works

• Perfect for meal prepping –  it tastes even better the next day!
• Budget-friendly way to use up leftover meats, beans, and vegetables. 
• Can be made with canned beans for an easy 30-minute meal. 
• Nourishing with plenty of protein, fiber, and greens!

Tuscan Ribollita Ingredients

• Chicken stock - Homemade stock adds the best flavor for this recipe. You can always use boxed, or substitute vegetable stock if you want to make this vegetarian (just leave out the pancetta as well). 
• Cranberry (borlotti) beans - These beans are similar to pinto beans, but have thicker skins and are incredibly flavorful and creamy. You can use fresh cranberry beans or dried (just be sure to soak them overnight). If you can’t find cranberry beans, feel free to use a white bean like cannelli, great northern, or navy beans. If using canned beans, see the note below. 
• Kale - Using a hearty green like kale is perfect for this soup. I use Black Tuscan kale, known as Cavolo Nero in Italian or Lacinato kale, but feel free to use curly kale, cabbage, chard or even collard greens if that’s what you can find or prefer. 
• Canned Tomatoes - I prefer whole peeled tomatoes, as they’re the least processed canned tomatoes and often have the best flavor, but any type of canned tomato can work - crushed, diced, etc. You could even use Marinara sauce in a pinch.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil sautéing the vegetables, brushing the garlic toast and for drizzling on top before serving.

NOTE: If using canned beans, make sure to drain and rinse them, then reduce the amount of chicken stock you use by half. 

How to make Ribollita Soup

1. Pour the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot and set it over medium heat. 
2. Add the pancetta and saute it until the fat starts to render out, about 4-5 minutes. 
3. Add the onions, celery and carrots, season with a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes. 
4. Add the minced garlic and crushed red chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
5. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock, then use the back of a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes a bit.
6. Drain the beans and add to the pot along with the bay leaf and rosemary sprig. 
7. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the beans have softened, about 2 hours, supplementing with water if it starts to become too thick.
8. Add the kale, stir, then simmer for about 10 minutes more, or until the kale has fully softened. 
9. Taste, then adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then stir in the parsley.
10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
11. Drizzle the sliced bread with olive oil, then arrange it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
12. Remove the bread form the oven and immediately rub the remaining raw clove of garlic on all sides while the bread is still warm. 
13. Place a piece of toasted bread in each bowl, then ladle the ribollita on top.
14. Drizzle with olive oil and top with grated parmesan or pecorino Romano. 
15. Serve extra garlic toasts on the side. 

Tips for Success

• If using dried beans, make sure to let them soak overnight. If you don't have time, you can use the "quick soak" method by pouring boiling water over them and letting them sit for one hour before padding them to the recipe.
• You can use any beans you’d like for this recipe, but white beans are traditional to Italian-style soups, so cannelli, navy, great northern, or cranberry beans are ideal.  
• If substituting canned beans for dry, substitute with four 15-ounce cans of beans. Be sure to drain and rinse the canned beans and reduce the chicken stock by half (one quart).
• RIbollita is even better the next day, but the beans will continue to absorb liquid as it sits. Add water when reheating and adjust the seasoning to keep it at a soupy consistency.

How to store Tuscan Ribollita Soup

This recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for 3 months in an airtight container. 

To reheat, just place the soup back into a small pot and warm over the stove. Add more stock or water if the mixture seems too thick (the beans will continue to absorb liquid as it’s stored). 

To reheat from frozen, let the soup thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm in a pot on the stove. 

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Tuscan Ribollita

This classic Tuscan recipe for Ribollita is a simple, yet flavorful and filling kale and bean soup. It makes a hearty and delicious winter meal.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 784kcal

Author: Nicole Gaffney

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 4 ounces (¼ lb) pancetta diced (optional)
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup finely diced carrots
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cloves garlic minced, plus 1 whole clove
• ½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes optional
• 28 oz (1 can) whole peeled tomatoes with juice
• 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock homemade or low sodium if possible (substitute vegetable stock)*
• 1 lb dried cranberry borlotti beans, cannelini beans or other white beans soaked overnight*
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 parmesan cheese rind optional
• 1 large bunch Tuscan kale ribs removed and roughly copped
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 loaf crusty Italian bread sliced
• grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese for serving

Instructions

1. Pour the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot and set it over medium heat.
2. Add the pancetta and saute until it starts to give up its fat, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the onions, celery and carrots, season with a generous pinch of salt and cook, while stirring, until translucent, about 8 minutes.
4. Add the minced garlic and crushed red chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock, then use the back of a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes a bit.
6. Drain the beans and add to the pot along with the bay leaf and rosemary sprig.
7. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the beans have softened, about 2 hours, supplementing with water if it starts to become too thick.
8. Add the kale, stir, then simmer for about 10 minutes more, or until the kale has fully softened.
9. Taste, then adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then stir in the parsley.
10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
11. Drizzle the sliced bread with olive oil, then arrange it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
12. Remove the bread form the oven and immediately rub the remaining raw clove of garlic on all sides while the bread is still warm. 
13. Place a piece of toasted bread in each bowl, then ladle the soup on top.
14. Drizzle with olive oil and top with grated parmesan or pecorino Romano.
15. Serve extra garlic toasts on the side. 

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Notes

• *Substitute 4 15-ounce cans of beans for dried. Make sure to drain and rinse them before adding to the pot, and reduce the chicken stock by half (one quart).
• This soup is even better the next day, but the beans will continue to absorb liquid as it sits. Add water when reheating and adjust the seasoning to keep it at a soupy consistency.

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Nutrition

Calories: 784kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 1081mg | Potassium: 1252mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 4761IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 6mg

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