Ribollita Recipe

Prep vegetables

Peel and finely dice the onion and carrots. Thinly slice the celery. Mince the garlic. Remove and discard tough kale stems, then chop the leaves into bite-size pieces. Shred the cabbage and dice the zucchini. If using canned beans, drain and reserve 1 cup of the liquid.

Sauté aromatics

Heat 4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8–10 minutes until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent but not browned.

Add garlic and tomato

Stir in the minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes) and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, to incorporate and slightly reduce.

Deglaze (optional)

If using, pour in 1 tablespoon red wine and scrape up any browned bits on the pot bottom. Let alcohol evaporate for 1–2 minutes.

Add greens and zucchini

Add chopped kale, shredded cabbage, and diced zucchini to the pot. Stir to combine and cook 3–4 minutes until the greens begin to wilt.

Pour in 6 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups water. Add the reserved cup of bean liquid (or an additional cup of water) if using. Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste (if not already added), the bay leaf, dried rosemary or thyme, red pepper flakes (if using), 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp of the salt (reserve the rest to adjust later). Bring the pot to a boil over high heat.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 25–30 minutes. Stir occasionally. The vegetables should be very tender and flavors well blended.

Add beans

Add the cooked cannellini beans to the pot. Using a potato masher or the back of a ladle, mash roughly one-third to one-half of the beans in the pot to thicken the broth while leaving the rest whole for texture. Stir and simmer 5 minutes to allow the beans to integrate.

Add bread and finish cooking

Add the 6 cups of cubed stale bread to the soup in batches, stirring so the bread soaks up liquid. Continue to simmer gently 8–10 minutes until the bread has softened and the soup is thick and stew-like. If the mixture becomes too thick, add up to 1 cup additional hot vegetable broth or water to reach desired consistency.

Taste and adjust seasoning: add the remaining 0.5 tsp sea salt (or more to taste) and additional black pepper if needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Stir in 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley and 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil for sheen and flavor. If desired, stir in up to 1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmesan or sprinkle on each serving.

Let the ribollita rest off heat for 10–15 minutes to allow the bread to continue absorbing flavors (a traditional ribollita is often better a day after reheating). Reheat gently before serving if made ahead.

Serve hot in bowls with an extra drizzle of olive oil and an additional sprinkle of grated cheese and parsley.