A hearty Italian soup with humble origins, my Tuscan Ribollita Soup is a classic dish made with inexpensive vegetables and canned beans, and thickened with stale bread. This brothy soup is a great way to use up leftover bread, creating a rich and satisfying dish that gets even better the next day.

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What is Ribollita?
Ribollita is a centuries-old Tuscan bread soup with roots in cucina povera—the Italian concept of peasant cooking that emphasizes creative ways to turn simple ingredients into something extraordinary.
The dish dates back to the Middle Ages, when servants were given leftover scraps of bread. To make a substantial meal from it, they would boil it in water with whatever inexpensive ingredients they had, like vegetables and dried beans. Hence the name "ribollita," meaning "reboiled."
The process of reboiling the soup thickens it and makes it heartier. It also concentrates the flavors. It is commonly said that ribollita tastes even better the next day.
Many Italian cooks have their own version of ribollita. Almost all of them contain a mixture of inexpensive vegetables, cannellini beans, and bread. While many versions contain savoy cabbage and/or potatoes, the hallmark of ribollita is cavolo negro or “black cabbage,” also known as Tuscan kale.
The combination of basic aromatics, leafy green vegetables, and meaty beans creates a chunky soup that’s both hearty and comforting.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
- Authentic Italian Soup – Just like my Pasta e Fagioli, this Tuscan ribollita soup is inspired by traditional Italian recipes.
- Budget-friendly – Uses inexpensive vegetables, dried beans, and day-old bread.
- Thick and hearty soup – The addition of bread gives it a thick consistency that's rich and satisfying.
- Meal prep friendly – Leftover soup tastes even better the next day!
- Vegetarian comfort food – A meat-free main course that’s filling and nutritious.
Doctor's Tips
- This vegetarian soup is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs dish that’s filling and satisfying. It's low in calories and fat and gets a nice boost of protein and fiber from the beans and vegetables.
- Tuscan kale, with its deeply wrinkled, dark green leaves, is the hallmark of authentic Tuscan ribollita. It has a mild flavor and sturdy texture which stands up well in this soup. It's also packed with nutrients! You can read my post all about the nutritional benefits of kale.
Ingredients

Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredient list.
- Mirepoix- a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery that forms the foundation of the soup
- Tuscan kale- the hallmark of this dish, also known as cavolo negro or black cabbage. Can substitute curly kale or other sturdy greens like Swiss chard or collard greens.
- Cannelini beans- creamy white beans with a mild flavor. Can substitute other types of canned beans like great northern beans, navy beans or pinto beans.
- Tomatoes- I use a combination of diced tomatoes and tomato paste for depth of flavor.
- Herbs- I use fresh thyme (you can substitute dried), bay leaf, fresh garlic, chili flakes (optional), salt, and pepper.
- Parmesan cheese- I use the rind from a block of parmesan to add flavor to the soup (see "Chef's Tips" section below) and also grate more cheese on top of the soup before serving.
- Broth- to keep this soup vegetarian, use vegetable broth. Otherwise, you can use chicken broth. I like to use low-sodium broth to control the amount of salt in the dish.
- Bread- Tuscan bread is classic but you can use any loaf of crusty bread or stale bread.
How to Make Tuscan Ribollita Step-By Step

See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.
- Step 1- Sauté diced onions, carrots, celery, garlic and chili flakes in olive oil until softened.
- Step 2- Add tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes.
- Step 3- Stir in the Tuscan kale and cook until it starts to wilt.
- Step 4- Add the diced tomatoes, broth, thyme, bay leaf, and parmesan rind. Bring to a simmer.

- Step 5- Mash some of the cannelini beans to form a paste. Add the paste to the soup along with the remaining whole beans. Simmer about 25 minutes until vegetables are cooked.
- Step 6- Stir in the bread cubes and simmer another 4-5 minutes until the bread starts to dissolve into the soup and thicken it. Cook longer for a thicker soup. Spoon the ribollita into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese.
Chef’s Tips
- Don't skip the parmesan rind. Adding the rind from a block of parmesan cheese is a traditional Italian method of adding flavor to soup. It infuses the soup with deep, umami flavor and takes it to the next level! Remove the rind before serving.
- The next time you buy fresh parmesan cheese, save the rind, which is normally discarded. Wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer to use in dishes like this soup.
- Traditional Tuscan bread is classic in this dish but you can use any crusty bread or stale bread. Best results come from using stale bread rather than fresh.
- Adding some mashed white beans to the soup adds creaminess and helps thicken the soup.
- You can simmer the bread until it is mostly dissolved and the soup has a porridge-like consistency or simmer it for just a few minutes to leave some chunks for texture.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Ribollita is even better the next day!

Recipe FAQs
Ribollita is a Tuscan bread soup made with white beans, cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), and stale bread.
For best results, use day-old bread or toast fresh bread until dry before adding it to the soup.
Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Add a little water when reheating to refresh the consistency.
Looking for more tasty soups and stews? Check out my collection of the best Fall Soup Recipes to get more ideas.
More Favorite Soups and Stews

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Recipe
Tuscan Ribollita
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for drizzling on top
- 1 large onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (¾ cup)
- 2 celery stalks, chopped (¾ cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bunch (about 10 oz) Tuscan kale, chopped (stems and ribs removed)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 parmesan rind*
- 1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cubed, firm bread such as Tuscan bread, ciabatta, whole wheat or multigrain loaf
- Optional: grated parmesan cheese and olive oil for topping the soup
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a wide based pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and chili flakes and cook 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until partially softened. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
- Add the tomato paste and cook another 1-2 minutes until darkened. Stir in the kale and cook until it starts to wilt, 3-4 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, stock (or water), thyme, bay leaf and parmesan rind and raise the heat to bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, pour a few tablespoons of the cannellini beans into a small bowl along with a little of the cooking liquid, and mash them together with a fork to form a paste. Pour the paste into the soup along with the remaining whole beans. Stir to combine. The mashed beans will help to thicken the soup as it cooks.
- Simmer the soup with the lid slightly ajar, about 25 minutes until the vegetables are softened but still al dente. Stir in the bread and simmer another 4-5 minutes. The bread will start to dissolve into the soup and thicken it further. For a thicker porridge-like consistency, simmer the soup even longer until the bread breaks down almost completely.
- Before serving, remove the thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parmesan rind. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon the ribollita into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Notes
- *Don't skip the parmesan rind. Adding the rind from a block of parmesan cheese is a traditional Italian method of adding flavor to soup. It infuses the soup with deep, umami flavor and takes it to the next level! Remove the rind before serving.
- The next time you buy fresh parmesan cheese, save the rind, which is normally discarded. Wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer to use in dishes like this.
- Traditional Tuscan bread is classic in this dish but you can use any crusty bread or stale bread. Best results come from using stale bread rather than fresh.
- Adding some mashed white beans to the soup adds creaminess and helps thicken the soup.
- You can simmer the bread until it is mostly dissolved and the soup has a porridge-like consistency or simmer it for just a few minutes to leave some chunks for texture.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Ribollita is even better the next day!
KellyRae | Healthy.Happy.Smart. says
Interesting - never knew the meaning of ribollita! Looks delicious! I discovered you through pinterest. 🙂
Anonymous says
Made this for supper tonight. Delicious! My husband couldn't get enough of it! Didn't have any fresh thyme so replaced with oregano which seemed to work fine. Will definitely make again.
sonaliruder says
That's great, I'm so glad you both liked it! Thanks for letting me know!
CLCZ says
This is one of my favorite recipes. I use extra veggies if they're on hand (a savoy cabbage head was excellent), extra garlic (because I always do), and an extra Parmesan cheese rind (and then there's no need for cheese on top). But those are just my extra touches. The recipe is incredible as is.
Anonymous says
Amazing soup!
sonaliruder says
Thank you for your comments!
Laura Janelli| Chef Laura at Home says
Love this hearty vegetarian recipe!
Lisa @ Lisa's Dinnertime Dish says
This sounds fantastic! It would be a great hearty meal on a cold day!
The Foodie Physician says
I'm so happy to hear you liked the recipe (and the kale)!!! It's cold here In NYC too- perfect weather for a bowl of Ribollita!
JennSFO says
Just made it tonight and it was delish! it's been really chilly here in SF and while it was so tasty tonight, I cant wait to eat it tomorrow! it was my first time using kale and it was great. Thanks Sonali - love the recipe!!!
The Foodie Physician says
Congratulations, May!!! Yes, this would freeze really well but you're right- I would freeze it without the bread pieces and add the bread to the soup when you're reheating it. By the way, loaves of bread freeze very well so if you have a lot of bread, you can freeze that too! Let me know how it goes if you try it!
may says
This looks delicious! Am trying to "nest" in preparation for the winter arrival of our first and want to make lots of stuff to freeze...Sonali, does this freeze well? I imagine you can do it but without the cubes of bread?
Angela says
Looks beautiful! I Stumbled this post.
The Foodie Physician says
That sounds great- I think a little pancetta would be a good choice too!
Anonymous says
looks delicious! maybe add a little turkey sausage for the non-veg days?
marianne
Anonymous says
Great hearty meal, especially for the colder weather. Vegetarian friendly.
Anonymous says
This looks great! I'm definitely going to try it.