Ribollita (Tuscan bean and cabbage stew)
85 min · 15 g protein · 334 cals / serving
Tuscany's thick winter stew of cannellini beans, kale and savoy cabbage, simmered with tomato, rosemary and a soffritto of onion, carrot and celery until everything turns soft and silky. Toasted sourdough is stirred in at the end so it thickens the pot, and every bowl gets a drizzle of good olive oil and a grating of parmesan.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can (14 oz) whole canned tomatoes, crushed with your hand
- 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 medium gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 bunch (about 9 oz) kale, cavolo nero (lacinato kale), stems removed, shredded
- 1/2 small head (about 10 oz) savoy cabbage, shredded
- 4 thin slices (4 oz) sourdough bread, day-old, toasted and torn
To serve
- 2 tsp olive oil, your best extra-virgin, to drizzle
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan, or a vegetarian hard cheese
Steps
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring, until soft and sweet. Add the garlic, rosemary and chili flakes and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste, then the tomatoes, beans, broth, potatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken it. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes.
- Add the kale and cabbage (it will look like a lot; it wilts) and simmer for 25–30 minutes more, until very soft and the stew is thick.
- Stir in the torn toast and simmer for 5 minutes, until it softens into the stew. Remove the bay leaf and taste for salt.
- Ladle into bowls and finish each with a thin drizzle of olive oil and the grated cheese.
Good to know
Why is it called ribollita?
It means "reboiled": Tuscan cooks made a big pot of bean and vegetable soup, then reheated the leftovers the next day with bread until thick. Make it a day ahead and reheat it; it really is better.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes, with vegetable broth and a vegetarian hard cheese (traditional parmesan is made with animal rennet). Leave out the cheese and it is vegan, at about the same score.
No cavolo nero?
Curly kale, Swiss chard or more savoy cabbage all work. Cavolo nero holds its texture best over a long simmer.
Per
- Calories
- 60
- Protein
- (18%)
- 3 g
- Fat
- (26%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (56%)
- 9 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 254 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2006 kcal goes into the pot and 3612 g of ingredients comes out as about 3350 g of food: 60 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.