Hearty, hydrating and packed with flavorful veggies and herbs, ribollita is as fun to make as it is to eat. The ‘fun’ part is probably because the hodgepodge of ingredients reminds me of one of my favorite childhood stories: Stone Soup.

In Marcia Brown’s version, the story goes something like this: 3 travel-worn visitors enter a town with the hopes of getting a meal and a place to rest. The townspeople are wary of these strangers and determined to not help them. Realizing the miserliness of the townspeople the visitors get creative and announce their decision: they will make stone soup! Curiosity drives the townspeople to slowly open their pantries and, eventually, their hearts as the visitors prepare a rich soup ‘fit for the king.’ They all experience how fun and fulfilling it is when people change their negative perceptions of each other…and eat together. 🙂

The visitors build a sense of community one ingredient at a time from salt and pepper to carrots, cabbage, potatoes and more! I’d like to think the same is possible with this Ribollita. Gluten free, plant-based and vegan, allium free (no onions, no garlic), soy free, corn free, nightshade free and yummy! See recipe notes for the quicker Instant Pot version.