No. 06Italian SoupSpain 2026Extra Virgin

Ribollita

Name: Ribollita
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6 serves
Ingredients: 80 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 Brown Onion; 2 Carrots; 2 Celery Stalks; 4 cloves Garlic; 2 tbs Tomato Paste; 400 g Tinned Diced Tomatoes; 800 g Cannellini Beans; 1.25 L Vegetable or Chicken Stock; 1 bunch Cavolo Nero; 200 g Savoy Cabbage; 250 g Stale Crusty Bread; 1 Parmesan Rind; 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme; 1/4 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes; 1 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper; 50 g Grated Parmesan

Cooked down until a spoon will almost stand up in it, then finished with your best oil.

John DrummondWritten 14 September 2026

A bowl of ribollita — beans, greens and bread — finished with olive oil and grated cheese

Prep15min

Cook1hr

All up1hr 25min

Serves6

LevelEasy

The classic “reboiled” Tuscan soup — cannellini beans, cavolo nero and rustic bread cooked down until thick and silky, finished with peppery extra virgin olive oil. As enjoyed at Extra Virgin aboard the Scarlet Lady.

Authentic ribollita is even better the next day. Reheat it in a pan — that is the “reboiling”, and it is where the name comes from.

No cavolo nero? Silverbeet or curly kale works fine.

The restaurant version was almost certainly finished with very good oil. Don’t skimp there — that peppery drizzle at the end is half the dish.

For a smoother, more refined restaurant-style result, blend a cup of the soup and stir it back in before adding the bread.

The method

Seven moves.

Soffritto
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and sweet but not browned — about 10 minutes.
Base, Build
Stir in the garlic, chilli flakes and tomato paste and cook until fragrant and the paste darkens slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes and cook a few minutes more.
Beans, Stock, Add
Mash about a third of the beans with a fork — this is what thickens the soup — then add all the beans, the stock, the parmesan rind and the thyme. Bring to a simmer.
Greens, Simmer
Add the cavolo nero and cabbage, partially cover, and simmer gently for about 25 minutes, until the greens are silky and the flavours have melded.
Bread, Add
Remove the parmesan rind and thyme stems. Stir in the bread and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the bread breaks down and the soup is thick enough for a spoon to almost stand up in it. Add a splash more stock if it gets too stodgy.
Rest, Season
Take it off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes — ribollita improves dramatically with resting. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve
Ladle into bowls, drizzle generously with your best extra virgin olive oil, and shower with grated parmesan.