Easy Tuscan Ribollita Soup

I was an extremely picky eater as a child. Most vegetables were a no-go. My main food groups were cereal, bread, potatoes, and chicken, but I made an exception: a bowl of ribollita from my favorite Italian restaurant. 

What sold me on this soup? The bread, of course! Looking back, the ribollita, or “bread soup,” as I called it, was likely yesterday’s minestrone. The vegetables and beans were soft enough to barely register and it was fortified with a slice of bread submerged like a treasure. Topped with plenty of Parmesan cheese, I remember it tasting like canned tomato soup, something I adored.

The ribollita I enjoyed as a picky child was nothing like the ribollita I know today, which has more texture and flavor. It’s incredibly easy to make this rustic, comforting soup at home—I make it on repeat all winter long.

What Is Ribollita?

Ribollita is an Italian soup from the central region of Tuscany. It translates to “reboiled.” Ribollita’s history is commonly associated with the less well-off as it traditionally utilizes leftovers to make a new meal; the bread used to add heft and thicken the soup is often leftover or stale.

That being said, it’s clear to see why ribollita is one of those traditional dishes that’s more of an outline than a strict blueprint, with many variations and no one true recipe. Most versions include bread, beans, and a mix of vegetables—whether leftovers or in the form of a different vegetable soup, like minestrone.

An Incredibly Versatile Tuscan Soup

My recipe is called “easy” to highlight ease—it comes together in just over 30 minutes and is super versatile. It serves as a loose guide that allows you to use what you have in your pantry. Here are some ways you can change up this recipe:

Vegetables:

• Use cabbage or Swiss chard instead of kale
• Add chopped roasted or steamed squash or pumpkin
• Mix in leftover hunks of baked potato 
• Swap red onion or shallot for the yellow onion
• Add leeks or scallions
• Use fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce instead of whole canned plum tomatoes

Aromatics:

• Add fennel seeds or chili flakes
• Swap fresh oregano, thyme, or marjoram for rosemary, or use a mix of all four
• Add a teaspoon of your favorite dried Italian seasoning
• Toss in a Parmesan rind
• Add half a lemon or a strip of lemon zest

Proteins or starches:

• Use chickpeas, navy beans, or butter beans instead of cannellini
• Mix in leftover shredded or cubed chicken
• Add crisped-up bacon, guanciale, or Italian sausage
• Add your favorite small pasta 
• Toss in leftover brown rice
• Serve topped with a poached or fried egg
• Enjoy with garlic toast on the side for dipping or crispy croutons on top for texture

What To Do With Leftover Ribollita

• Simply reheat it: Bring it to a simmer over medium heat until steaming. If the soup is too thick, add more broth or water to loosen it up. Serve over garlic-rubbed toast with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Pancake it: Daniel Gritzer over on Serious Eats suggests you let your ribollita simmer away from soup to porridge to pancake and eat it with a fork and knife!
• Add to it: Turn it into a brand-new soup. Proteins are a quick win, like crispy sausages or a perfectly poached egg. I’ve also eaten it reheated and reduced, then tossed it with cooked rigatoni and a little butter for a thick and saucy pasta.
• Blend it: Blend the leftovers before reheating and enjoy a smooth, veggie-packed soup. You may need to add more broth or water to thin the soup to the desired texture.

More Italian Soups to Try

• Italian Wedding Soup
• Stracciatella alla Romana
• Classic Minestrone Soup
• Pappa al Pomodoro
• Pasta e Fagioli