Spring Cleaning Ribollita

Name: Spring Cleaning Ribollita
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced crosswise; 1 large carrot, peeled and diced; 1 pound Swiss chard, stems thinly sliced and leaves coarsely chopped (stems and leaves kept separated); Salt and black pepper; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes; 1 large zucchini, ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise; 2 basil sprigs, plus ¼ cup chopped basil; 2 thyme sprigs; 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen); 1 (14-ounce) can butter beans, rinsed; 4 ounces day-old ciabatta or country bread, crust removed and bread cut into 1-inch cubes (see Tip); Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving (optional)

By Kay Chun

Updated May 11, 2022

Spring Cleaning Ribollita — Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Frances Boswell.

Total Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 4(556)
Comments: Read comments

This weeknight ribollita highlights the bounty of spring and is a great way to use up all of those leftover vegetables and day-old bread. The soup is highly customizable, so use whatever you have on hand in the fridge and pantry: Kale or spinach can sub in for the Swiss chard; sweet corn can step in for peas; and white beans can take the place of butter beans. In this Italian classic, bread dissolves into the soup, thickening it for a heartier texture. Leftover soup can be turned into a pasta meal with the addition of orzo or any short pasta.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
1medium leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced crosswise
1large carrot, peeled and diced
1pound Swiss chard, stems thinly sliced and leaves coarsely chopped (stems and leaves kept separated)
Salt and black pepper
3garlic cloves, minced
1(14-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1large zucchini, ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2basil sprigs, plus ¼ cup chopped basil
2thyme sprigs
½cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1(14-ounce) can butter beans, rinsed
4ounces day-old ciabatta or country bread, crust removed and bread cut into 1-inch cubes (see Tip)
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes. Add carrot, Swiss chard stems and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Crush the tomatoes over the pot with your hands, stir them in with their juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid is reduced and the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, basil sprigs, thyme sprigs, Swiss chard leaves and 8 cups of water, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in peas, beans and bread, and cook, stirring and mashing up the bread, until most of the bread dissolves and soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Discard basil and thyme sprigs, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3
Divide soup among bowls and finish with the chopped basil. Garnish with cheese, if desired.

Tip

If you only have a fresh loaf, spread out cut bread on a baking sheet and toast in a 350-degree oven until dry, 10 to 15 minutes.

Ratings

4 out of 5

556 user ratings

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Comments

Michael3 years ago

A quick stir of purchased pesto and a drizzle of EV olive oil add good finishing touches with Parmesan sprinkled on top. You can add leftover crushed tomatoes if you don’t want to open a new can of whole tomatoes. Cool light red wine is perfect with it.

Ann3 years ago

I sampled it the evening I cooked it and was a bit disappointed, thought it was bland. When I reheated it the next day, I added some chili flakes and rosemary (only had dried herbs so I subbed them for all instead of putting in the sprigs). After reheating, I served it with balsamico, olive oil and grana pardano on top and it was delicious. The balsamico added a much needed spash of acidity which brightened the whole soup and took it from bland to very tasty.

Janet3 years ago

I followed this recipe as written - with fresh farmers market ingredients and my new bag of Rancho Gordo large Lima beans. It was awesomely delicious.

Joan2 months ago

This was very good. I added Parmesan rind, used spinach which needs to be added at the end. I found it to be too watery.

Tom of Poland2 months ago

This recipe should come with air quotes around the word “ribollita” which, as any Tuscan knows, requires two days of cooking (“ribollita” means “reboiled”) to achieve its incredible depth of flavor. This is a wan American imitation that’s almost as much work for a tenth of the flavor. Peas don’t belong in it (nor corn!) and the only acceptable beans are cannellini.

Ashley6 months ago

I made this recipe as written, and while it was decent, it was definitely lacking in depth of flavor. The end result tasted watery.

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