Ribollita Toscana

 

Ribollita Toscana aka Zuppa di Ribollita is tasty hearty, comforting Tuscan soup, loaded with vegetables and beans. Roasted stale bread on the top thickens the soup and makes it irresistible!

 

What does ribollita mean in english?

The word “ribollita” translates from the Italian to “reboiled,” as this soup was typically made by reboiling leftover bean and vegetable soups the next day, adding bits of stale bread for a thicker and more filling stew. Low budget, hearty and comforting, it was Tuscan peasants soup and during several centuries it lived to have many variations since you literary add vegetables growing in your garden or you have at hand. Ages  ago, it was boiled in clay pot and it gave special flavours together with parmesan rind added to soup during boiling.

How do you cook Ribolitta Toscana?

Ribolitta starts with soffritto (extra virgin olive oil fried root vegetables: carrots, onion, celery, and red pepper flakes). Once you get them softened over medium heat, you may continue with slices of leek, chard, kale, cabbage, potato, even diced squash! If you look closer to our photo, you’ll find I added whole parsley with leaves. It was so fresh and vibrant that it had to have its place in the pot.

Now, the highlight of the soup is parmesan rind! If you intend to make this beautiful ribollita soup, keep your parmesan rinds in the freezer for this beauty. Don’t throw them away once you enjoy your whole slice of parmesan cheese; since I don’t add any meat to the pot (you may decide to do otherwise), parmesan rinds are heavenly good and bring this simple Tuscan peasant soup to a higher ground! While soup simmers your rinds dissolve releasing hard cheese flavours amazingly!

To make it thick, I suggest you use cannellini beans (white beans) and preboiled chickpeas. It is good to have some starch in meatless soup like this.

Tuscan ribollita is usually made when the days are colder, and you have the soup to warm you but I make lighter version during warm days as well. Doing so, I use fresh herbs and spices and fresh tomatoes and bell peppers, fresh bay leaves, spinach, and zucchinis, quartered.

For winter version, tomato puree works just fine as the replacement for fresh potatoes. Both winter and summer versions need to be thick. The best way to make it so, I add some heavy cream at the end of boiling. That way you have creamy, rich, and irresistible bowl of goodness to enjoy.

In the old days, Tuscan Ribollita was prepared in claypot. Once boiled, you slice your stale bread and arrange on the top before you transfer it all into the oven to bake for a while so your bread becomes crusty on the top while the other side is soaked in thick soup. By saying stale bread, it should be day or two old.

For all of you that tend not to turn the oven on, you may lay a slice of bread to the bottom of the soup bowl so your hot soup melt it up and you enjoy it the same.

If you love adding herbs and spices to your soups, thyme, rosemary, dry bay leaves, oregano, and chopped parsley leaves are great choice.

For more homemade comforting soups,take a closer look below:

Creamy Horseradish Soup

Greek Chicken Soup with Semolina and Vegetables

Cheesy Broccoli Soup in Bread Bowl from Scratch

Beef Bouilon Soup from Scratch

Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage