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Hearty Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Ribollita

Tuscan white bean and sausage ribollita - featured image
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A comforting and hearty Tuscan stew featuring white beans, Italian sausage, kale, and rustic bread simmered to perfection. Perfect for cozy dinners and easy to prepare with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups stale rustic bread, cubed (about 200 g)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch kale (about 6 cups chopped), stems removed
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep the ingredients: finely chop onion, carrots, celery, and garlic; crumble sausage; chop kale; cube stale bread.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add sausage and cook 5-7 minutes until browned. Remove sausage and set aside, leaving fat in pot.
  3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to pot. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 7-8 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute.
  4. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in broth and add bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  5. Add beans and kale. Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender and vibrant.
  6. Add cubed bread and cooked sausage back to pot. Stir well and simmer 10-15 minutes until bread softens and soup thickens.
  7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

If soup is too thick, add broth or water to loosen. For creamier texture, blend a portion of soup and stir back in. Using low-sodium broth and rinsing beans reduces sodium. Can be made vegetarian by omitting sausage and adding smoked paprika or mushrooms. Gluten-free option: use gluten-free bread or cooked grains instead of bread. Soup tastes better the next day after flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: ribollita, Tuscan stew, white bean soup, Italian sausage, kale soup, rustic bread soup, hearty dinner, comfort food

Find it online: https://evabake.com/hearty-tuscan-white-bean-and-sausage-ribollita-recipe-easy-and-perfect-for-cozy-dinners/