Ribollita – Italian Vegetarian Soup
When we travelled to Italy, I found so much difference in food compared what we get here. Every region and part had their special foods and it was amazing to see simple ingredients but of such great quality that it made the dish so delicious. Like best olive oil, best tomatoes can make so much difference in a dish. I felt so transformed.
Ribollita is a soup that’s very famous Tuscan soup found throughout Tuscany and someone told me it refers to re-boiled.
After 20 or so minutes, turn up the heat until you hear sofrito sizzling, sign for us to understand that it was well caramelizing, which creates so much flavor.
The best advice I can provide you while making this soup is to let the vegetables sweat in the olive oil and slowly cook the mixture, stirring the pot occasionally.
These flavors build a solid base for any flavorful soups or stews. You should always follow this step and take time. My favorite method in cooking is deglazing the pan and this method makes sure we have those flavorful bits on the bottom of the pan mixing up with tomato juices creating a flavor packed delicious vegetarian dish.
The addition of bread is also very classic to Ribollita , that’s what I love about any traditional recipes that there is so much to learn from it even though its simple thing like adding stale leftover crusty bread and repurposing its use.
The soup is very hearty because there are cooked beans also added into it.
If you want, you can mush some of the beans to thicken it up. I avoid that step.
The thing with this soup is that it requires simple ingredients but of course if you use some classic ones it will only make it great tasting dish like good beans and good tomatoes.
Some people add pancetta but being a vegetarian, I have always made it without meat. If you leave out the cheese it can be vegan.
I serve it with either crusty bread or focaccia may be not traditional. But we love dipping homemade focaccia in this soup. This soup also has stale old crusty bread as one of the ingredients. If you are adding the bread in the soup, I would recommend do it closer to serving. Ideally, you can add it before too. Just my preference.
The olive oil drizzle just before serving makes it so delicious and elevates the soup.
Feel free to make the soup your own way. I added boiled chickpeas once when I realized I was out of cannellini beans. This soup recipe is very forgiving. You can add more vegetables or less, you can keep it thick or thin. You can add more tomatoes etc. Make it the way you like, your own. Make sure to drizzle that olive oil while serving. So so good.
Ribollita Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion approx. 1 cup, chopped
- 1-2 medium carrots approx. 1/2 cup, chopped
- 1 zucchini approx. 1 cup, chopped
- 1 small fennel approx. 1 cup chopped
- 2 celery stalks approx. ½ cup chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red chili flakes
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning or oregano dried parsley, etc.
- 1 bay leaf optional
- Pinch sugar
- 3 cups Tuscan kale or Spinach roughly chopped
- 1 small wedge of Parmesan with rind optional but adds flavor
- ½ cup paste of tomatoes or 14 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes/diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 14- oz. can cannellini beans or 15-oz. garbanzo beans
- Few pieces of crusty bread
- Parmesan cheese grated
- Basil, Parsley or Fennel Fronds
Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium heat.
- Add onions, and sauté them for 5-6 minutes.
- Add chopped zucchini, carrots, fennel and celery and cook it for another 5-6 minutes. Take time to cook down the vegetables. Keep stirring in between. I like when vegetables caramelize a little bit. It adds more flavor.
- Add the bay leaf, grated garlic, Italian seasonings, red chili flakes, black pepper and salt. Stir everything.
- Add the tomato paste or diced tomatoes what ever you are using. If you are using whole peeled tomatoes, please crush them with your hands and then add them.
- Add the boiled beans and 3 cups of water. Keep stirring in between.
- Add a pinch of sugar to balance out the acidity of tomatoes. At this point, you can also add the parmesan rind to the soup. You can remove it once the soup is done.
- Add chopped greens, whatever you are using.
- Bring the soup to boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Taste and if needed add more seasonings. Adjust the consistency to your preference.
- Stir in the fresh herbs like chopped basil, parsley or fennel fronds.
- Serve it in bowls topped with crusty bread, drizzle of good olive oil and grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- You can use any type of greens- Tuscan kale, spinach, chard etc
- You can also increase or decrease any vegetables to your preference. Its really a no perfect recipe kind of soup.
- I add a pinch of sugar to balance out the acidity of tomatoes, you can skip it.
- Remove the bay leaf and parmesan rind before serving.
- Authentic recipes call for cannellini beans, but you can easily sub garbanzos.
XO, Devangi