Tuscan Bread Soup {Ribollita}

When it comes to comfort foods, Italian soups like my Tuscan Bread Soup (also known as Ribollita) are at the top of my list. This hearty, soul-warming soup is a delicious way to ward off the cold and fill your belly!

Loaded with fresh produce, this tasty Tuscan soup is a thick and dense soup. So thick you might be tempted to eat my Tuscan Bread Soup with a fork!

The Italian “ribollita” translates to “reboiled.” A hearty vegetable soup that was left over would be thickened the next day with day-old bread and reboiled. This type of dish is typical of “la Cucina Povera,” which translates to “poor cooking.” This traditional style of Italian cooking is another example of repurposing leftovers so they don’t get wasted.

Ingredients

Gather the ingredients to prepare our Tuscan Bread Soup recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”

Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.

Can I change up the ingredients?

You sure can; our ribollita soup recipe is definitely adaptable. After all, soups were originally made by utilizing leftovers. Think of most of the ingredients in a soup as suggestions.

You don’t like beans? Leave them out. You don’t like savoy cabbage or chard? No problem; use spinach, escarole, or any of your favorite greens.

You don’t want to add bread to the soup, no problem. How about tortellini or other types of noodles?

No farro on hand; rice or another grain will work just as well.

Enjoying your experience in the kitchen is a lot easier when you cook what you like to eat!

How to Make Tuscan Bread Soup

Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make Tuscan Bread Soup in your home kitchen.

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, and potatoes. Let the veggies cook for 4-5 minutes, then add in the zucchini and garlic. Continue to cook the ingredients for an additional 1-2 minutes.

**Always saute the vegetables first; this will help the vegetables develop more flavor. Never boil your soup vegetables.

After allowing the vegetables to release their natural flavors, add in the vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes, and cannellini beans. Bring to a boil and move on to the next step.

Add in the chopped savoy cabbage, chard, and farro.

The last step is adding the bread to the Ribollita. Bring the soup to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.

The final step before serving Tuscan Bread Soup is to add the grated Romano cheese, parsley, and re-season with salt and pepper as needed.

Garnish the Ribollita with chopped parsley and a sprinkle of grated Romano cheese and serve up deliciousness to your friends and family.

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