Ribollita Tuscan Bread Stew
The legendary Florentine peasant stew: cavolo nero, cannellini beans, and day-old bread slow-simmered into a silky, deeply nourishing pot.
🛒 Ingredients
- 400g tin cannellini beans
- 1 bunch cavolo nero (lacinato kale)
- 1/2 Savoy cabbage, shredded
- 3 carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 onions, diced
- 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes
- 200g day-old Tuscan or sourdough bread, torn
- 1.5L vegetable stock
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- generous extra virgin olive oil, to finish
👨🍳 Method
- 1
Sauté onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil for 15 minutes until soft and sweet.
- 2
Add garlic and thyme; cook 2 minutes.
- 3
Crush tomatoes and add to pot. Cook 10 minutes.
- 4
Add cavolo nero, cabbage, beans, and stock. Simmer 30 minutes.
- 5
Add torn bread and stir into the soup. It should break down and thicken everything.
- 6
Simmer another 10 minutes until thick and porridge-like.
- 7
Serve in deep bowls with a very generous glug of best olive oil.
💡 Chef's Tips
- →Ribollita means 're-boiled' — make it the day before and reheat for maximum flavor.
- →Use the best olive oil you own for finishing — it becomes the star.
- →The bread should dissolve into the soup, not just float on top.
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