The Tuscan Ribollita is a recovery recipe, not just a recipe, it’s a piece of history and rural wisdom, one of those wonders born out of necessity but that then capture the heart and stomach.
Imagine our grandparents, with their art of not wasting anything: They had this unsalted Tuscan bread (perfect because it doesn’t overshadow the taste of the vegetables!) that often was left over and became hard as a rock.
Well, instead of discarding it, they turned it into the beating heart of this soup.
The name itself, Ribollita, says it all: A soup made the day before, left to rest to absorb all the flavors, and then, the next day, it is “reboiled” in the pot.
And it’s this step that makes it so thick, creamy, and incredibly flavorful! It’s the triumph of humble vegetables, especially the black cabbage (which is a must!) and cannellini beans, that with the help of stale bread create a unique, comforting, and robust dish.
In short, it’s proof that the simplest things are often the best.
Below I’ll leave you other typical recipes of Tuscan poor cuisine, and then we go right below the photo as usual to discover how to prepare the Tuscan Ribollita!
See you soon with the next recipe 💗
Ana Amalia
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Tuscany
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients for Tuscan Ribollita Recipe
- 8.8 oz dried cannellini beans
- 10.6 oz black cabbage
- 10.6 oz savoy cabbage
- 10.6 oz Swiss chard
- 10.6 oz potatoes
- 3.5 oz carrots
- 1.8 oz celery
- 1 onion
- 7 oz canned tomatoes
- 8.8 oz Tuscan bread (stale)
- to taste salt
- 1 sprig thyme
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation of Tuscan Ribollita Recipe
To prepare the Tuscan ribollita, start the evening before by soaking the cannellini beans in plenty of cold water.
The next morning, drain them, rinse them, and place them in a pot, covering them generously with unsalted water.
Bring to a boil for at least 1 hour, they should be cooked but not falling apart, so still intact. Drain them, reserving the cooking water, and set aside.
In the meantime, focus on the savory Tuscan ribollita recipe, finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery together with the garlic clove after cleaning them.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pot, preferably earthenware, and sauté the chopped mixture for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the potato into chunks and the savoy cabbage, black cabbage, and Swiss chard into strips, removing the hard central rib.
After a few minutes, you can add the potato cubes to the sauté, continue cooking for a few minutes, and in the meantime, crush the peeled tomatoes with a wooden spoon to break them down before adding them to the pot.
Now you can add the leafy vegetables you cut earlier, stir to season everything, cover flush with the bean cooking water and add the beans as well.
Cover with a lid and bring the Tuscan ribollita recipe to a boil. As soon as it starts boiling, remove the lid and lower the heat, leaving it to cook for at least 50 minutes.
Salt and pepper at the end of cooking.
Once the Tuscan ribollita is ready, cut the Tuscan bread into slices, then submerge the slices into the soup, helping them sink with a ladle until all the slices are submerged.
Cover everything with a lid, bring to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, stir the Ribollita and place it on the stove, letting it simmer for at least 15/20 minutes, adding a little hot water as needed to adjust the creaminess.
Serve it with a generous drizzle of raw olive oil.
How to Store the Soup with Black Cabbage
The Tuscan ribollita can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days in an airtight container. You can freeze the ribollita once it is cool.
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