My take on a traditional Tuscan ribollita soup…hearty and rustic, with rich flavor and lots of texture. It’s a tomato-based soup with wilted green chard, cannellini beans, toasted bread, an abundance of aromatics, and the addition of Italian sausage to make it even more satisfying. An absolutely perfect meal for the dead of winter.
ribollita soup – the details
Ribollita soup originated in Tuscany. Ribollita means “re-boiled” – the concept was to stretch the life of leftover minestrone by adding stale bread the next day. The soup would soak into the bread as it simmered on the stove, thickening the overall consistency.
This recipe is a riff on the classic version, inspired by the delicious concept of flavorful soup-soaked bread. I initially shared this recipe a few years ago. It’s a go-to dinner for me, and I’d find myself always adding sausage to the mix. So, I’ve finally just added Italian pork sausage (chicken is great too) to the recipe itself. It gets browned first, then added back to the soup as it simmers, which gives the soup so much rich flavor.
Instead of making ribollita with leftover soup, this recipe is intended to be made and eaten that day (that’s not to say leftovers aren’t equally as delicious). I like to toast the bread in olive oil while the soup is cooking, which adds a whole new level of flavor and texture. A fresh loaf of sourdough works great for this recipe, but you could use ciabatta as well or really any similar kind of crusty loaf.
Tearing the bread creates jagged edges with little nooks and crannies – better for both toasting and soaking up the soap. And if you are going to heat this soup up for leftovers, I recommend toasting the bread fresh right before serving.
The rest of the ribollita ingredients are pretty classic and comforting – aromatics such as onion and garlic, tomato paste for a sweet richness, red pepper flakes for a little heat. Crushed tomatoes & chicken stock make up the liquid base of the soup, while red wine and a parmesan rind add an additional depth of flavor.
After just about 30 minutes on the stove, you’ll stir in the green chard (you could also use kale) and cannellini beans. The finished soup has a chunky, stew-like consistency. Ladle it over the bread (with a few extra pieces on top) and finish with lots of parmigiano reggiano cheese & fresh basil.
Note: This is an updated version of the ribollita soup I’ve had on the site since 2021. The main difference is that I’ve added Italian sausage to this recipe. You can of course always omit the sausage if desired.
PrintRibollita Soup with Sausage & Toasted Bread
a hearty tomato-based “ribollita” soup with italian sausage, green chard, cannellini beans, toasted bread, and parmesan cheese
servings: 4-6
Ingredients
- olive oil, as needed
- 1 lb bulk mild Italian pork sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, peeled + diced
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 qt chicken stock
- 1 parmesan rind
- ½ lb fresh sourdough or ciabatta bread, torn into ½” pieces
- 1 large bunch green chard, stemmed + roughly chopped
- 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed + drained
- grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, for topping
- torn fresh basil leaves, for topping
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break it apart into smaller pieces. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook the sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until tender and slightly browned. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
- Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for a minute, stirring well. Pour in the red wine. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, parmesan rind, and browned sausage.
- Bring the soup to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the soup for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat the bottom with a generous amount of olive oil. Once hot, add the torn bread. Toast until golden and crisp, stirring continuously. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Stir the green chard and cannellini beans into the soup. Simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Taste the soup and season with salt as needed.
- Place a few pieces of toasted bread into the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the soup over the bread. Top with a few more pieces of bread, a generous amount of grated parmigiano reggiano, and a small handful of torn basil.
I made this twice in the past couple of days, one to give to a new mom and one for me bc it was so good. I add two cans of white beans- cannellini bc that’s what I had. I didn’t do the croutons but ate with some yummy crusty bread on the side. It was sooo good. How can something so simple be so tasty and healthy on top of it all!
Hi Joy! Thank you for such a wonderful comment! I’m so glad you loved this soup. It’s something I make over and over again. And I agree – so simple, yet so much flavor!!
This soup was 11/10!!!! Same as Nancy I added a second can of beans – we prefer more beans in our soup but would have been just fine with one! I used Trader Joe’s rosemary croissant croutons instead of crusty bread because I needed to finish the bag anyway. SO good!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hi Alex – I’m SO glad you enjoyed this soup! Thanks for sharing. And oh my goodness, those rosemary croissant croutons sound amazing. I’ll have to try and find those!
Made this soup today. It was delicious. I used 2 cans of four bean blend and kale. For the toasted bread I cut a baguette into slices and then halved them before toasting them in the pan as described. My husband loved this soup! Thanks for the recipe.
It turned out very good, wine made a difference. I used more beans and less chard per personal preference.
My absolute favorite soup! I double the chicken stock and beans + kale instead of Swiss chard and the flavor is simply amazing!!
This was absolutely delicious! The best soup recipe I have ever tried. The red wine adds so much flavor. I added a second can of butter beans, used spinach for the greens, and artisan ciabatta bread. I made the croutons in a cast iron skillet and they turned out so crunchy. Just a perfect dinner! Thank you.
Could you leave the red wine out? Or is it essential! Thanks! The recipe looks great
Lovetheblog
Thank you SO much, Megan. I appreciate it!
Another yummy soup.
Such a good one!!