Simple, hearty, and budget-friendly, this Italian Bread Soup is here to save any weeknight. A tomato-based broth houses aromatic vegetables and bread, all enhanced with olive oil and Parmesan cheese, making your kitchen into an Italian one.
When people think of Tuscany, their minds go to the rolling knolls coated with vineyards and medieval walled towns brimming with layers of history, but the cuisine of the land is just as enticing. While there is plenty of fancy Tuscan fare to grace your table, the more rustic cucina povera dishes are what make Tuscan dishes so interesting. Simple staples transform into culinary works of stovetop art, making each bite as enticing as the last. Here, hearty, stale pieces of bread cook into a vegetable soup to fill the stomachs with a satisfying dose of comfort.
This soup is quite similar to a minestrone. The base aromatics are cooked down, followed by kale or spinach wilting in the pot.
Tomato sauce, alongside water, white beans, and a small Parmesan rind, are added to the pot, and everything simmers for at least twenty minutes. After the twenty-minute mark, add in the torn-up pieces of bread and cook for an additional ten minutes.
Served with grated Parmesan, this soup is ready to go!
The broth is flavorful thanks to the addition of the Parmesan rind and the aromatic vegetables, infusing complex savoriness. Vegetables are the perfect size, with a tender, melt-away quality to them.
The pieces of torn-up bread act as a sponge, soaking up the flavors of the broth and creating a perfect surface area for the garnishing of cheese to rest upon. The beans add a buttery creaminess to this soup, making it a filling and satisfying meal.
Italian Bread Soup is similar to a minestrone but elevated with deeper, salty, and earthy qualities that are only amplified by the bread and beans.
You can also serve this soup dry. When the bread has absorbed the broth, butter a nonstick skillet and pan fry the soup, creating a bread pancake of sorts, which is a great way to utilize the leftovers and transform them with a different texture.
Italian Bread Soup (Ribollita)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups loosely packed kale or spinach (or 1 3/4 cups frozen kale or spinach, defrosted)
- 3 cups tomato sauce or purée
- 1 small Parmesan rind
- 1 19-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups water
- 1 small baguette, torn into small pieces (preferably a bit stale or toasted)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large pot, heat up the olive oil and add in the onion and celery, seasoning with salt and pepper and stirring for 5 to 7 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add in kale or spinach, cooking until the leaves are wilted, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add in tomato sauce, Parmesan rind, beans, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cooking for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add in bread pieces cooking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. If the soup is looking a bit dry, then add in some water about 1/4 cup or so at a time.
- Season again with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls, garnish with Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Stefanofaita.