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elaine's tuscan ribollita

BreadandSoupLady avatar
Recipe by
Elaine Douglas
@BreadandSoupLady
Vancouver, BC

I learned to make this soup in a cooking course in Florence, Italy. There are as many versions of this recipe as there are Italian families. As you can see in the instructions the soup has as many variations as you want to use - make it your own. Sometimes I use a 24 oz can of tomatoes and leave out the tomato paste. I serve this frequently at home. It freezes very well. Make it vegetarian by leaving out the bacon or pancetta. I have kidney disease so I reduce the tomato content by half. Enjoy.

yield 6 -8
prep time 20 Min
cook time 40 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For elaine's tuscan ribollita

  • 1/4 c
    extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
  • 1 lg
    onion, chopped
  • 1
    leek, sliced lengthwise to rinse and then into ¼-inch crosswise slices
  • 1
    carrot, chopped
  • 4 oz
    pancetta or streaky bacon, chopped
  • 2 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1 tsp
    freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 can
    tomato paste
  • 1 can
    diced tomatoes (19 oz) or 1 ½ lb frozen tomatoes
  • 1 lb
    frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or beet greens or kale)
  • 1 can
    cannelloni beans, drained (15 oz - may use red kidney beans, chickpeas or your favourite beans)
  • 1 Tbsp
    herbs de provence
  • 1 pinch
    peperoncino (pepper flakes), optional
  • 1
    bay leaf
  • 3 c
    chicken stock
  • 1
    3-inch piece Parmesan rind, optional
  • 3 c
    cubed day-old (preferably Italian) bread or rolls
  • grated Parmesan, for serving

How To Make elaine's tuscan ribollita

  • 1
    Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Watch pot and stir frequently. If you use streaky bacon, melt the bacon first a bit before adding the other ingredients.
  • 2
    Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the spinach, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind.
  • Made with Swiss Chard this time.
    3
    Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. If soup is too thick add 1 cup of water or stock. Add the beans and bring to a boil. Add the bread cubes and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
  • 4
    Serve in a soup bowl, drizzle with small amount of olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.
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