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    The Bossy Kitchen > Recipes > Savory Recipes > Soups

    Italian Ribollita Soup (Tuscan White Bean Soup)

    Published by: Gabriela September 10, 2018 · Last modified: March 10, 2023 1 Comment
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    Ribollita is a famous Tuscan hearty soup made with bread, vegetables, and sometimes meat. This version of Italian Ribollita Soup is made with ground pork and lots of vegetables.

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    Ribollita Soup

    What is Ribollita soup?

    I always believed that soups heal the body and also the spirit. I find them essential in any diet and great for keeping you full and satisfied.

    I love them in any form, cold, hot, simple, or more complicated. I make soup almost every week, year-round.

    Soup is a great meal for children as an excellent way to experience lots of vegetables and flavors at the same time.

    The traditional Ribollita is a famous Tuscan hearty soup made with bread, vegetables, and sometimes meat. The leftover bread is used to add body and thicken the soup. Zuppa di ribollita is the Italian name.

    This soup is like a minestrone but includes beans instead of pasta. In Italy, this is traditionally served ladled over bread and a rich green vegetable, although you can omit this for a lighter version.

    It uses inexpensive vegetables, like carrots, spinach, cannellini beans, garlic, zucchini, and potatoes.

    It is actually made with available vegetables, so feel free to make this recipe your own by adding or removing vegetables as you like.

    There are many, many versions of this Ribollita soup out there. Some have only vegetables, but some use mild Italian sausage, ground beef, or pork.

    I even saw some versions with bacon. However, my version of this recipe has ground pork for a heartier version of this fantastic soup.

    As I said before, use whatever meat you have and play with the flavors you like.

    Serve the soup with shaved parmesan on top and a glass of white wine next to it. It is an excellent soup for cold days, very fulfilling and delicious.

    What ingredients go into this soup?

    • Olive oil

    It would not be Italian soup if we used some random vegetable oil. Use good-quality olive oil to start the soup.

    • Onions

    I used red onions here because I like their mildness. You can also use regular onion.

    • Carrots, parsley root, and green celery

    These three vegetables are the base for most soups, making a tasty sofrito together with the onions. They add flavor and nutritional value to any recipe.

    • Garlic cloves

    I like garlic in the soups, but you can skip it if you don't like it. I think it also adds another layer of flavor. Garlic is also good for your immune system, so why not use it?

    • Ground Pork

    Ground pork is an ingredient that I absolutely love in recipes. If you do not believe me, here is a collection of recipes that use pork and beef ground meat.

    • Spinach/Kale or any other greens you like

    I used frozen spinach for convenience, but you can also use fresh. Fresh is better. Frozen is easier. I made this soup with kale many times or a combination of spinach and kale. Feel free to use other greens you like.

    • Potatoes

    Use a red skin potato or new potatoes. They hold their shape well and give the soup some texture.

    • Zucchini

    A small to medium size zucchini would be enough for this soup.

    • Cannellini beans

    A can of beans is all we need for the soup. Cannellini beans are the preferred beans in the recipe, but you can also use navy beans or pinto beans.

    • Chopped tomatoes

    You need a can of chopped or diced tomatoes. If you have tomato puree, that works too.

    • Dry white wine

    Any dry wine would work. Think Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, etc. If you want to skip the wine, replace it with chicken stock/broth or water.

    • Wine vinegar 

    We use two tablespoons of vinegar in the soup to balance the taste and give it a little kick. You will be surprised how delicious the soup will be with the addition of vinegar.

    How to make the Italian Ribollita Soup with Ground Pork

    For this soup, I put together a few ingredients: white wine, already cooked beans ( you can use cans of beans to make your life easier), frozen spinach and kale, potatoes, red onion, garlic, celery, parsley root, and carrot, zucchini, chopped tomatoes, ground pork.

    Ingredients for Ribollita Soup0

    I cleaned and chopped the root vegetables, celery, garlic, and onion.

    Diced vegetables for Ribollita Soup0

    I also mixed the ground pork with the white wine. Yes, with the white wine.

    I heated up some olive oil in a soup pot and placed the meat inside.

    Ground pork cooking in the pot for Ribollita Soup0

    I cooked the meat, stirring once in a while until the liquid evaporated. I added the chopped vegetables.

    Diced vegetables for Ribollita Soup sauteing0

    I continued to stir and cook the vegetables together with the meat.  When the vegetables became translucent, I added frozen spinach and some kale.

    Diced vegetables with greens cooking in the pot0

    I added the chopped zucchini and the potatoes.

    Diced vegetables with greens and potatoes cooking in the pot0

    The tomatoes also went in the "pool " together with the cubed potatoes. I seasoned it with salt.

    Vegetables with tomato sauce for Ribollita Soup0

    I stirred and added chicken broth.

    Ribollita Soup cooking in the pot0

    While the soup was simmering, I prepared the bread croutons. Leftover good bread is excellent for this recipe.

    The bread in the picture is the bread I make at home very often. If interested, here is the recipe for the easiest no-kneading bread you will ever need.

    So, I cut the bread into cubes and placed them on a baking sheet.

    Cubed bread for Ribollita Soup0

    I drizzled extra virgin olive oil over the bread, salt, oregano, and rosemary.

    I toasted the bread at 350F/180C, occasionally stirring, until the bread cubes became golden brown and crunchy, for about 15–18 minutes.

    Keep an eye on it so the bread doesn't burn.

    Cubed bread drizzled with oil for Ribollita Soup vertical photo0

    While the bread was in the oven, I continued working on the soup. Because the vegetables were already cooked, especially the potatoes, I added the beans and a little vinegar and corrected the taste with salt and pepper.

    Ribollita Soup cooking in the pot with beans0

    The original soup recipe is made with bread added during the cooking process, so the soup thickens slightly. I disliked the idea, so my version had added bread croutons when I served it.

    Ribollita soup Bread Croutons

    You can also skip the bread croutons and use regular toasted bread instead.

    I kind of like the texture and the crunchiness of the croutons in the soup.

    Ribollita Soup0

    If you want to go really fancy, shave some Parmesan cheese on top of each bowl of soup when you serve it. It definitely adds flavor and texture, and it is delicious.

    How to store the leftovers

    Any leftover soup should be refrigerated in airtight containers. Heat it in the microwave or on the stove. The leftover soup is good for up to a week if you properly store it in the refrigerator.

    It makes a great lunch, but could definitely be a hearty dinner.

    You can also freeze it for later use. It is good for up to three months.

    Ribollita Soup

     Stay warm, my friends, and don't forget: Cooking is love made visible!

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    Traditional Romanian Sour Soup with Pork and Vegetables

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    Instant Pot Beef Vegetable Soup

    Check out the web story for this recipe: How to make Italian Ribollita Soup (Tuscan White Bean Soup)

    Ribollita Soup Featured photo0

    Italian Ribollita Soup

    Italian Ribollita Soup with Ground Pork- Ribollita soup is a famous Tuscan hearty soup made with bread, vegetables and sometimes meat.
    4.67 from 6 votes
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    Course: Soups
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Italian cuisine, Italian Ribollita Soup, soups
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 443kcal
    Author: Gabriela

    Equipment

    • Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Classic Red Enamel Dutch Oven with Self Basting Lid . (Island Spice Red)
    • 8 Inch Chef Knife 
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 red onion chopped
    • 2 medium carrots chopped
    • 1 parsley root chopped
    • 3 celery stalks chopped
    • 4-5 cloves garlic sliced
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 1 cup dry white wine
    • 4 ounces frozen spinach/kale or any other greens you like
    • 8 cups water or chicken stock
    • 1 small zucchini cubed
    • 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
    • 15 ounces chopped tomatoes canned
    • 15 ounces cannellini beans canned, or navy beans or pinto beans
    • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 4 ounces parmesan cheese shaved
    • salt and pepper to taste

    For the bread croutons:

    • 2 cups coarsely cubed leftover sourdough or crusty bread
    • 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon oregano
    • ½ teaspoon rosemary or basil
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • Clean and chop the carrots, celery, garlic, onion and parsley root.
    • Mix ground pork with the white wine.
    • In a soup pot, pour olive oil and place the pot on medium heat on the stove.
    • Add the meat with the wine and cook until the liquid evaporates. Stir often.
    • Add the chopped carrots, garlic, celery, onion and parsley root.
    • Stir to combine all ingredients. Cook until vegetables are translucent.
    • Add the greens and stir.
    • Add chicken stock, cubed zucchini and potatoes.
    • Add tomatoes. Stir.
    • Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until zucchini and potatoes are soft, for about 30 minutes.
    • Add the beans.
    • Add the vinegar and correct the taste with salt and pepper.
    • Serve with bread croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese.

    How to make the bread croutons:

    • Choose leftover bread.
    • Preheat oven to 350°.
    • Toss bread with 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, salt, oregano, rosemary or basil, on a rimmed baking sheet, squeezing to moisten.
    • Toast in the oven, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crunchy, 15–18 minutes. Let croutons cool then use.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1097mg | Potassium: 802mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3660IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 3mg
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    Comments

    1. Tara Choate says

      December 16, 2018 at 8:25 pm

      I had some ground pork and wanted to make a soup. It was a hit. It was hard to get the spices just right. One friend said it was bland, another too salty. I wish it was a little more exact with that. Also, I used it as a crock pot recipe and it was good that way.

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