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This recipe for Ribollita Italian Soup is a delicious hearty soup that’s healthy and comforting. Very similar to Pasta Fagioli, it’s a cross between a soup and a pasta dish.
What Is Ribollita?
Ribollita is a Tuscan soup traditionally made with bread and vegetables. There are many variations, but the main ingredients usually include leftover bread, cannellini beans, and inexpensive vegetables such as carrots, onions, and celery.
My Family’s Ribollita
Growing up, my Italian grandmother always made this dish for me. It’s real family comfort food that just warms the soul.
I know traditionally, it’s made with day-old bread instead of pasta, but this is how my grandmother made and how I want to share it with you.
How To Make Ribollita
- In a large pot cooked chopped onion, carrots and celery, until the onion is soft.
- Add garlic and cook another minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, and Parmesan rind.
- Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add broken up spaghetti and cook until tender.
- Discard the cheese rind.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.
Erren’s Top Tip
For an extra depth of flavor, brown 4oz of pancetta or chopped bacon in the pan before adding the vegetables. Be sure to remove any excess fat before adding the onions, carrots, and celery.
Other Italian Soups
Recipe Tips
- Use escarole or kale in place of the spinach
- Don’t have spaghetti? Any pasta you like will do just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- This can easily be a vegetarian dish by using vegetable stock.
- If you plan to freeze this soup, do not add the pasta until it’s thawed and reheated.
Did you make this?
Recipe
Ribollita Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 carrots (chopped)
- 3 celery stalks (chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced or finely sliced)
- 14 oz diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 10 ounces spinach
- 14 oz cannellini beans (1 can, drained)
- 6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Black Pepper (Freshly ground to taste)
- 3 inches Parmesan rind (optional)
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped, including the stems)
- 1 cup broken spaghetti
- Grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic and fry 1 more minute.
- Add the tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind.
- Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the pasta, reduce heat and simmer until tender (about 10 mminute).
- Discard the cheese rind. Taste for seasoning, and season with salt if nessasary. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
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