Ribollita Soup

Ribollita Soup

Hearty, hydrating and packed with flavorful veggies and herbs, ribollita is as fun to make as it is to eat. The Instant Pot version cuts the active cooking time in half. See Recipe Notes for details!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: corn free, Gluten free, allium free (no onions no garlic), plant-based and vegan Ribollita Soup, nightshade free, soy free

Servings: (about 1.5 cups each)

Calories: 172kcal

Ingredients

1.75 cups rinsed, strained cannellini beans one 15 oz can
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
0.5 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 tsp finely minced ginger optional
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced potatoes (I used Japanese sweet potato in this recipe)
0.25 tsp salt, divided 1/4 tsp
1 cup tightly packed, chopped kale
1 cup diced zucchini
4 cups water/broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme sub 1 tsp dried thyme, or to taste
1 sprig fresh rosemary sub 1 tsp dried rosemary
0.125 tsp celery seeds 1/8 tsp

Instructions

Saute the cabbage and ginger in 2 tbsp oil until tender, 2-3 minutes. Season with 1/8 tsp of black pepper.
Stir in carrots, celery and potatoes together with remaining oil. Saute another 3-4 minutes. Season with another 1/8 tsp, each, of salt and pepper. Note: If you're a tomato person, feel free to add 2 tbsp of tomato paste this point. Stir to incorporate with the sautéed vegetables before proceeding to the next step.
Add the beans, water/broth, thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Season with celery seeds and remaining 1/4 tsp of black pepper and 1/8 tsp salt. Cover and cook, reducing the heat to a simmer, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in zucchini and kale. Cover and cook until these vegetables are tender but still more of an emerald green, about 5-8 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add salt and lemon juice to taste. Serve!

Notes

The Tuscan intention behind Ribollita is to not let anything go to waste. So feel free to get creative if you don't have the exact same vegetables in your fridge at the moment.

The black pepper and celery seeds in this recipe help balance the unpleasant side-effects of the beans.

I swap out commonly used russet potatoes for Japanese Sweet Potato and/or cauliflower, and the tanginess of tomato paste/diced tomatoes with lemon juice to make this recipe nightshade-free (as shown).

For more 'heft,' puree another 15 oz can of strained & rinsed cannellini beans and add that to the soup along with the whole, strained & rinsed beans.

In most ribollita recipes, the 'green' ingredients are added much earlier in the soup. I like the greens in my bowl to have a more vibrant color so I add them last. Feel free to do what is easiest for you. :)

Instant Pot Version:

Saute cabbage, ginger, carrots, celery, potatoes/cauliflower in 2 tbsp oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add seasoning, herbs, water/broth and cannellini beans. Pressure Cook on high for 4 minutes.
Release pressure, remove cover and add 1 tbsp of oil, zucchini and kale. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes more OR, turn the IP off and close the lid and let the ingredients cook in the heat of the IP for about 10 minutes. My goal is usually to get the green veggies to cook but still remain a vibrant.
Add lemon juice and salt to taste, and serve!

Nutrition