This easy recipe for ribolita (aka Italian Bread Soup) can be made in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop. My version uses cranberry beans in place of the traditional cannellini beans and fresh turnip greens in place of Tuscan kale!
Italians have so many amazing recipes for stale bread, from Panzanella (bread salad), to budino de pane bread pudding, to ribolita and pappa al pomodor (both soups with bread) - Italy gets it right when it comes to repurposing ingredients! I have recently discovered ribolita thanks to the amazing presentation of it on Bon Appetit's Basically. At first glance, I was turned off by the thought of soggy bread in my soup. But after giving it more thought and repeatedly eyeing the dried beans that needed using in my pantry, I decided to give it a try. I wanted to see if I could add the bread as needed when I reheated the soup so that it could have a better texture after refrigeration, and I'm super happy with the results of my experimentation. Let's make some!
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Classic Tuscan Ribolita - what is it?
Ribolita is a humble soup originating in Tuscany. It traditionally involves a combination of any of the following: stale bread, aromatic vegetables, herbs, legumes, pasta or polenta. The name "ribolita" refers to the act of reheating a soup that's been made ahead - whether it be reheating the day after or a few times after it was made. I'm all for the idea of leftovers! Not only do you save money by repurposing leftover veggies and bread, but you also cut down on food waste, which is so important!
You may be thinking that ribolita sounds similar to another Italian bread soup: Pappa al Pomodoro. While both soups utilize bread and tomatoes, Pappa al Pomodoro is mostly a rich tomato soup with mushy bread in it. Ribolita contains more ingredients, like greens and dried beans, and uses a bit of bread in the soup to thicken it and some on the top of the soup to bake with oil on top. The bread topping on ribolita is my favorite part for sure!
Using what you have to make ribolita
The beauty of this soup is that it uses simple, budget-friendly ingredients to make something truly delicious. My husband says it tastes like pizza stew! I mean, what could be better than a big ol' chunk of crusty bread baked into a thick and hearty liquid that tastes like pizza? Here are the types of ingredients you need to make some:
- Aromatic veggies - any combination of onion, shallots, carrots, and celery will do. You just need a little bit of each to build the flavor base for the soup. I prefer shallots for their milder flavor.
- Canned tomatoes - the San Marzano variety are my favorite for this because of their mild acidity and sweet flavor.
- Beans - traditionally, ribolita is made with white cannellini beans. My version uses cranberry/borlotti beans, which also happen to be popular in Italian cuisine. Dried or canned beans will work, although my recipe is written for dried beans soaked overnight. If you choose canned beans, you'll want to cook this on the stovetop as it is much faster than the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
- Greens - Tuscan or lacinato kale is the classic green for ribolita. However, I wanted to give mine a Southern twist and use tender turnip greens. You could also use Swiss chard!
- Seasonings - Parmesan rind for a delicious umami depth of flavor, red pepper flakes for a bit of heat, salt, and pepper.
- Stale bread - pick something with a nice thick crust! Baguettes, ciabatta, or a rustic boule would be perfect! I used leftover homemade bread from this King Arthur recipe.
- Toppings - a hearty drizzle of good olive oil, a sprinkling of garlic powder, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese create a wonderfully golden crust on the bread as it is baked into the soup. Your house will smell like an Italian grandma's kitchen for sure!
Making ribolita in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop
Stovetop
- If you are planning to use canned beans instead of dried, I'd recommend just making this on the stovetop. The recipe will take about 40 minutes from start to finish if you plan to eat it right away. You can also use dried beans that have been soaked overnight on the stovetop, but the beans will need to cook anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours to get tender depending on the type of bean that you use.
- For the stovetop ribolita, greens will be added during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.
- If you are using a Dutch oven, you can simply transfer the soup to the oven to bake the crust bread on top. If you are making this ahead of time, the bread will not be added until the soup is reheated.
Instant Pot
- I like to use dried beans soaked overnight when I cook this in the Instant Pot. You are looking at 30 minutes of cooking time at pressure, but allow 10-15 minutes of time for the pot to pressurize. A quick pressure release will get this meal on the table within an hour!
- For Instant Pot ribolita, greens will be added during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- The soup will need to be ladled into oven-friendly soup crocks or ramekins before baking the bread on top.
Slow Cooker
- Cranberry beans are pretty fibrous, so I think it's best to soak them overnight before adding to the slow cooker. You might could use unsoaked cannellini beans and then cook on low for 7-9 hours. The cooking time will really depend on the type of bean that you use.
- For slow cooker ribolita, add the greens during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- The soup will need to be ladled into oven-friendly soup crocks or ramekins before baking the bread on top.
How to serve leftover ribolita
It's hard to find recipes online that give good instructions for reheating ribolita, but I think I've found a good method! I love to make the soup base for meal prep, then chill it overnight without any bread in it to let the flavors develop. When I'm ready to eat it, I'll reheat it the amount I need in a small soup pot with a handful of bread or so in the soup to thicken it. I then ladle it into ramekins, then top with bread cubes, olive oil, garlic powder, and Parmesan before baking it to golden brown perfection!
Other Italian recipes to enjoy
- Pizza Baked Gnocchi
- Baked Chicken Rotini
- Tuscan Roasted Pork with Blistered Tomatoes
- BLT Panzanella Salad
- Turkey Florentine Lasagna
Are you ready to make this easy Ribolita recipe? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This will help me with the creation of future recipes! I’d also love to feature your creation in my monthly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured!
Easy Instant Pot + Slow Cooker Ribolita (Italian Bread Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
- 3 medium carrots, diced into ½’’ pieces
- 2 celery stalks, diced into ½’’ pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 cups cranberry/borlotti beans, soaked for 8-10 hours (substitute with cannellini, Great Northern, or pinto beans)
- 1 small Parmesan rind
- ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cups water
- 1 bunch fresh, washed turnip greens, torn into 2’’ pieces, stems discarded (about 6 cups; substitute with Tuscan/lacinato kale or swiss chard)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ loaf crusty country bread (about 10 oz.), torn into 1 ½’’ pieces
- Garlic powder/salt OR Italian seasoning blend
- Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the stovetop (cooking time is calculated for CRANBERRY/BORLOTTI beans that have been soaked overnight):
- Preheat oven to 450℉ (if planning to serve fresh). Use a fork to remove Drain the tomatoes and reserve the juice. Use your hands to crush the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Set both aside.
- Place a large heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil to the bottom of the pot. Add the shallot, carrots, and celery, sauteing for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the crushed tomato pieces and cook an additional 7 minutes until the mixture is thick. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the soaked beans, Parmesan rind, red pepper flakes, reserved tomato juice, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook with the lid slightly ajar, stirring occasionally, for 1 ½ - 3 hours until the beans reach desired tenderness (only simmer for 10 minutes if using canned beans).
- Once the beans are tender, add the greens one handful at a time, stirring to wilt between additions. Simmer the greens for 10 minutes or until tende. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and remove the Parmesan rind.
- To serve fresh: If you plan to serve the entire soup right away, add 2 cups of the bread pieces to the soup as the greens simmer, stirring to combine. Once the greens are tender and you have seasoned the soup with salt and pepper, remove the pot from heat. Add the remaining bread pieces to the top of the soup. Drizzle ¼ cup of olive oil over the bread, sprinkle some garlic powder on top, and then finish with some freshly-grated Parmesan. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the bread is golden and crusty on top. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
- Storing to serve in single servings later: once you complete step 3, transfer the soup to a container to cool for 30 minutes before place in the refrigerator. When ready to heat, proceed to “Reheating Ribolita” instructions.
For the Instant Pot (cooking time is calculated for CRANBERRY/BORLOTTI beans that have been soaked overnight):
- Preheat oven to 450℉ (if planning to serve fresh). Use a fork to remove the tomatoes and reserve the juice. Use your hands to crush the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Set both aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to “saute.” Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the shallot, carrots, and celery, sauteing for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the crushed tomato pieces and cook an additional 7 minutes until the mixture is thick. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the soaked beans, Parmesan rind, red pepper flakes, reserved tomato juice, and 4 cups of water. Turn the pressure valve to “sealing” and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Quickly release the pressure once completed with a towel on top of the pressure valve to catch some of the water.
- Carefully open the lid, then add the greens one handful at a time. Place the lid back on and set the valve to “sealing.” Cook on high pressure for an additional 10 minutes. Quickly release the pressure once completed with a towel on top of the pressure valve to catch some of the water. Stir the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve fresh: After step 3, add 2 cups of the bread pieces to the soup, stirring to combine and heat through. Ladle soup into six 8-ounce ramekins or soup crocks and place on a baking sheet. Add the remaining bread pieces to the tops of the soup bowls. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over each bowl, then sprinkle some garlic powder on top, and then finish with some freshly-grated Parmesan. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the bread is golden and crusty on top. Serve hot!
- Storing to serve in single servings later: once you complete step 3, transfer the soup to a container to cool for 30 minutes before place in the refrigerator. When ready to heat, proceed to “Reheating Ribolita” instructions.
For the slow cooker (cooking time is calculated for CRANBERRY/BORLOTTI beans that have been soaked overnight):
- Add the shallots, carrots, celery, crushed tomatoes, garlic, soaked beans, Parmesan rind, red pepper flakes, tomato juice and 6 cups of water to the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours until the beans are tender. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the greens and stir to combine. Once the beans are tender, season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve fresh: Preheat oven to 450℉. After step 1, add 2 cups of the bread pieces to the soup, stirring to combine and heat through. Ladle soup into six 8-ounce ramekins or soup crocks and place on a baking sheet. Add the remaining bread pieces to the tops of the soup bowls. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over each bowl, then sprinkle some garlic powder on top, and then finish with some freshly-grated Parmesan. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the bread is golden and crusty on top. Serve hot!
- Storing to serve in single servings later: once you complete step 1, transfer the soup to a container to cool for 30 minutes before place in the refrigerator. When ready to heat, proceed to “Reheating Ribolita” instructions.
Reheating ribolita:
- Preheat oven to 450℉. Add the amount of soup you would like to heat (about 1 ½ cups per person) into a sauce or soup pan. Add ⅓ cup of bread pieces per serving to the soup. Heat over medium until the soup comes to a simmer.
- Ladle soup into 8-ounce ramekins or soup crocks and place on a baking sheet. Add ⅓ cup of bread pieces to the top of each soup bowl. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over each bowl, then sprinkle some garlic powder on top, and then finish with some freshly-grated Parmesan. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the bread is golden and crusty on top. Serve hot!
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