Hearty Tuscan Bean Soup Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add butter; allow butter to melt. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook and stir until onion begins to turn translucent and golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 more minute. Add beans and broth. Season with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Set heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Place bread cubes in a saute pan. Drizzle with olive oil; season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toast bread cubes over medium heat until golden brown and crunchy, tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese over the bread cubes and continue to brown cubes about 2 more minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender until it is very smooth. Whisk in creme fraiche. Stir in lemon juice. Serve topped with browned bread cubes and chopped parsley.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes, getting lots of flavor in the bottom of the pot. Stir in the red pepper flakes and dried oregano; cook and stir for another 30 seconds.
• Pour in the wine and whisk, scraping the bottom of the pot a bit as you go. Allow this to bubble up and reduce, cooking until the wine is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, then the beans. Pour in the chicken broth. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
• Rinse the kale and tear it into chunks. Stir it into the soup (it'll shrink quite a bit, so don't be afraid when you first add it!). Simmer the soup for another 5 minutes, tasting and adding salt and pepper (or even more red pepper flakes) as needed.
• Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl. Add big, fat Parmesan shavings and garnish with torn basil.

HEARTY TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 4 quart soup pot over medium heat.
• Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and thyme and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and bay leaf.
• Drain the beans and roughly mash 1/2 a can of beans. Add the beans and mashed beans to the pot.
• Squeeze the water from the thawed spinach and add to the pot.
• Season with salt and pepper and simmer for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
• Add the macaroni and cook until tender according to package directions. (About 10 minutes.).
• Serve sprinkled with grated parmesan and/or pecorino romano.

HEARTY TUSCAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in 4-quart nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook garlic, celery, leeks and basil in oil 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.
• Increase heat to high. Add broth and carrots; cover and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add okra; cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook 6 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated. If desired, serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

HEARTY TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the chopped vegetables and some salt and pepper. Cook very gently for 10 minutes until softened but not colored.
• Add the stock, beans, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Lift out the herbs, then using a stick blender, whizz to a roughly chunky but creamy soup.
• Stir in the ham and bring to a simmer.
• Serve garnished with a few crisp slices of bacon and a swirl of olive oil.