Ribollita

This meatless Monday soup begins as a typical Tuscan vegetable soup, which you can eat as such on the first day. It becomes ribollita on the second day, when, as its name implies, it is reboiled with toasted bread added to thicken the soup. Because it’s denser than most soups, some even serve it with a fork.

Ribollita

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 zucchini, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup (6 oz./185 g) canned diced tomatoes
• 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stems removed and leaves cut into thick strips
• 1/2 head savoy cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cans (21 oz./655 g) cannellini or other white beans, drained
• Leaves from 3 thyme sprigs
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 5 slices day-old country-style bread, toasted

Directions

1. In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, warm the 1/2 cup olive oil. Add the carrots, celery, onions, potatoes and zucchini and sauté until the vegetables are softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices and 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) water, then add the kale, cabbage and spinach. Raise the heat to high, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and let cook until the greens are tender, about 45 minutes.

2. Stir in the beans and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. The following day, preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 2-qt (2-l) baking dish with the toasted bread slices and ladle the soup over the top. Bake, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon so that the bread slices break apart and blend with the soup, 20 to 25 minutes. Continue baking without stirring until a lightly browned crust forms on top of the soup, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

4. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with pepper and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

Find more soup recipes for every season and occasion in our cookbook
Williams Sonoma Soup of the Day, by Kate McMillan.

Summary

Recipe Name

Ribollita

Published On

2017-09-11

Preparation Time

30M

Cook Time

1H45M

Total Time

2H15M

Average Rating

2.5 Based on 3 Review(s)