Toasted Croutons and Barley in a Hearty White Bean Ribollita–A Rustic Tuscan Soup With a Modern Twist

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The white bean ribollita I fell in love with at a small Italian enoteca near Chelsea Market was clear and uncluttered, infused with kale and veggies and a light smattering of beans. There was no bread. Since, then I’ve had many versions of this beloved dish–with breadcrumbs, with chunks of sourdough, with large slices of toasted bread. Sometimes, even the venerable kale has been left out.

There’s a reason for this. “Ribollita” in Italian means “reboiled.” I interpret that as leftovers re-heated and re-served. And one person’s leftovers will, after all, differ from another’s. So although here I present you with my version of this popular soup, this recipe, more than any other, is really meant as a guidance.

Feel free to substitute veggies and herbs as you please. Generally, the kale, bread and white beans are seen as “musts”. But even this rule need not be absolute. My 4-year old is yet to appreciate the merits of kale, so I frequently replace that with swiss chard. And neither of these greens freezes well, so if making huge quantities for the future, I leave them out altogether.

After all, substitutions and creative license, are the stock-in-trade of home cooks, wives and mothers everywhere.

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Toasted Croutons and Barley in a White Bean Ribollita–A Rustic Italian Soup With a Modern Twist

  • Author: priya’s mashups
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 40
  • Total Time: 55
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Vegetables and white bean broth are steadily simmered together, layered with herbs along the way and topped with rosemary infused croutons, to form a light yet hearty soup.  

Scale

Ingredients

For the Soup:

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/2 tbsp. distilled white vinegar

2–3 springs of thyme

1 tbsp. dried parsley

1/2 cup barley or ditalini (small pasta)

1/4 cup each leeks, fennel, shallots and celery, diced small (or any two of these)

1/4 cup potatoes, diced small

1/4 cup carrots, diced into small rounds, then quartered

1/4 cup beans, diced into small rounds

1/4 cup zucchini, diced into small rounds, then quartered

1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 cup passata/crushed whole tomatoes/tomato sauce

A quarter wedge parmesan rind or 1/8 cup parmesan cheese (optional for vegans)

1 1/4 tsp. pepper

Salt to taste (1-1 1/4 tsp.)

5 cups veggie stock

1 14 oz. can of butter or cannellini beans

For the Croutons:

2 pieces white bread

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. dried rosemary

Salt to taste (1/8-1/4 tsp.)

Instructions

Preparing the White Bean Broth:

  1. Blend 1/2 cup of the butter/cannellini beans with 1 cup stock.  Set aside the white bean broth.

Turning Bread Pieces Into Croutons :

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Chop up two slices of white bread into even 2 cm. squares.  The more even the squares, the more evenly they will cook.  Transfer them into an oven-proof dish.
  3. Pour 2 tbsp. olive oil over the squares and mix the oil into the bread.
  4. Add 1/8 tsp. each of salt, pepper and rosemary to the bread and mix again.
  5. Place the bread in the oven and roast for 7-10 mins.  Check periodically to make sure the bread pieces don’t burn, especially if you have smaller pieces.  Additionally, check after 5 mins. and if necessary, flip the pieces around so all sides roast evenly.

Making the Soup:

  1. Once, the croutons are in the oven, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil on med. flame for 2 mins.
  2. Add 1/2 cup each of fennel, leeks, celery and shallots + 2 cloves of garlic.  Saute for 2-3 mins.
  3. Toss in the sprigs of thyme and 1/2 tbsp. distilled white vinegar.  If using barley, add it now.  Cook for 3-4 mins. till the vinegar is cooked out.
  4. Add 1/4 cup each of carrots, potatoes and beans.  Season with 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 mins.
  5. Add 1/4 cup zucchini + 1/4 cup passata + 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste.  Season with 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 mins.
  6. Add 4 cups veggie stock + the white bean stock + 1 tbsp. dried parsley.  Simmer for 10 mins.
  7. Add 1/8 cup parmesan + remaining butter/cannellini beans + 1/2 cup tomatoes.  Simmer for 10-15 mins.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning (approximately 1/2 – 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper).
  9. Turn off the stove and drizzle 1 tbsp. olive oil on surface of soup.  If using ditalini or other pasta, add now.
  10. Top each bowl with croutons and serve!

Notes

1. Feel free to substitute veggies of choice: cabbage, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, kale.

2. If you don’t have distilled white vinegar, skip it and add a dash of lemon at the end along with the drizzle of olive oil.

3. Substitute any other herbs for the thyme and parsley: oregano, marjoram, herbs de provence.  Rosemary is not advisable since the croutons already contain it.

4. If you don’t have barley, you can use couscous/bulgur/quinoa.  If using quinoa or couscous, just make sure it’s the bigger pearl sized ones.  This way they won’t get lost in the soup.

5. You can also forego the grains and use pasta instead.  I prefer ditalini (small tubular pasta) because they are hardier and retain their shape even when cooked in soup, but you can also use macaroni or orzo.  Cook the pasta separately and toss it in towards the end.

6. I prefer layering the herbs and stock at different points so each part of the soup is flavored with the herbs.  But of course, if you are in a rush, just throw all the ingredients into a pot and simmer for 20 or so mins. till the barley is cooked.  It’s a tasty soup either way.

  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 209
  • Sugar: 3.9
  • Sodium: 768
  • Fat: 8.3
  • Saturated Fat: 1.4
  • Carbohydrates: 28.4
  • Fiber: 6.3
  • Protein: 6.6
  • Cholesterol: 1

Keywords: soup, ribollita, croutons, white bean soup, white bean, tuscan, tuscan white bean, tuscan white bean soup, white bean and kale, soup, vegan soup, vegetarian soup, escarole and white bean, cannellini bean soup, cannellini beans, home made croutons

Eating With Your Eyes:

2 slices of bread–you can use any kind. I’ve used wheat.
Chop the bread into even 1-2 cm. squares. The more evenly you chop the squares, the more evenly they will cook in the oven
Mix with 2 tbsp. olive oil + 1/8 tsp. each of salt, pepper and dried rosemary.
Bake in oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 mins. till golden brown. Check on them periodically to make sure smaller pieces don’t burn
Bake in oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 mins. till golden brown. Check on them periodically to make sure smaller pieces don’t burn
2 tbsp. olive oil + 1/2 tbsp. white vinegar + 2 cloves minced garlic + 1/4 cup each of leeks, shallots, fennel and celery + 1/4 cup each of carrots, potatoes and beans
1/2 cup tomatoes + 1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese + 1 cup 14 oz. canned butter or cannellini beans (with 1/2 cup of the beans blended with 1 cup veggie stock to create a bean stock)
1/4 cup zucchini + 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste + 1 tbsp. dried parsley + 4 cups veggie stock
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil on med. flame for 2 mins.
Add 2 garlic minced cloves + 1/4 cup each of leeks, fennel, celery and shallots to the pan. Cook for 2-3 mins. Add 1/2 tbsp. distilled white vinegar + sprigs of thyme. If using barley, add 1/2 cup now. Continue cooking for another 3-4 mins. until barley is lightly toasted
Add 1/4 cup each of the carrots, potatoes and beans. Season with 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 mins.
Add 1/4 cup zucchini + 1/4 cup passata + 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste. Season with 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 mins.
Add 4 cups veggie stock + white bean stock + 1 tbsp. dried parsley
Simmer for 10 mins.
Add 1/8 cup parmesan + remaining butter/cannelloni beans + 1/2 cup tomatoes. Continue simmering for another 10-15 mins.
Taste and adjust seasoning (approximately 1/4-1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper).
White bean Ribollita with toasted croutons and barley is ready!
Turn off the stove and drizzle 1 tbsp. olive oil on surface of soup.  Top with croutons and serve! White bean Ribollita is ready to serve
If adding pasta, cook it separately and toss it in towards the end. This is a great option for kids.

Other Fun White Bean Recipes

  1. White Beans With Sage & Garlic–If you need a protein packed side dish or a nutritious snack for your toddler, check out https://www.platingsandpairings.com/italian-white-beans/
  2. White Bean & Ricotta Bruschetta–Substitute the fava beans in this recipe for a quick and yummy biteful of white beans, and enjoy with cheese and black pepper. Click on https://food52.com/recipes/11645-fava-and-fresh-ricotta-crostini

More Yummy Italian Recipes:

  1. A fragrant tomato and olive pesto wrapped around linguine. It’s quick and irresistible. https://veggiemashups.com/tomato-basil-pesto/
  2. A creamy pasta in a green pesto. https://veggiemashups.com/creamy-pesto-sauce/
Pappardelle in Creamy Pesto Sauce

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