Tuscan Style Italian Bean Soup Recipes

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place the kidney beans in a medium pot, add water to cover by 2-inches and bring to a boil. (If using canned kidney beans, skip this step.) Turn the heat down, let simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until just-tender. Use the same process for the cannellini beans.
• In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta, rendering the fat and cooking until slightly crispy about 3 minutes. Saute the onion, celery, carrot and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Add the diced tomatoes, the cooked and drained kidney beans, cannellini beans, chick peas, and the chicken stock. Using kitchen twine, tie the herbs and the bay leaf into a bundle and add to the pot. Season with the red chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, then add the kale. Continue cooking until the beans are completely tender.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drizzle olive oil over the slices of peasant bread, season with a little salt and pepper and toast in the oven. Serve the soup in large bowls with grated Parmesan and a slice of toast.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the capicola, red onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, 2 cups water, the parmesan rind, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind.
• Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread; rub both sides with the whole garlic clove and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Stir the escarole into the soup and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Top each serving of soup with a piece of toast. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

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-STYLE ITALIAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in large nonstick saucepan on medium heat. Add escarole, ham and carrots; cook 5 min. or just until escarole starts to wilt, stirring occasionally.
• Add bouillon cubes and water; stir. Bring to boil. Stir in pasta sauce; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min., stirring occasionally.
• Stir in beans and pasta; cook 10 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

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.

TUSCAN SOUP

Steps:

• Remove skin from sausage and crumble into frying pan. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. If you are trying to cut fat, remove meat from pan, place in a colander, and rinse under cold water.
• Place meat in a large pot; add stock and potatoes. Boil until potato is cooked.
• Add spinach. Continue boiling until spinach is lightly cooked.
• Remove soup from heat, stir in evaporated milk, and season to taste. Do not add any salt if using canned stock.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP (RIBOLLITA)

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat; saute onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir vegetable stock, cannellini beans, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, and pesto into vegetable mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat; saute spinach until wilted, about 5 minutes. Spoon sauteed spinach into each serving bowl; ladle soup over spinach.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the beans in water to cover overnight. Drain and put in a kettle and add water to cover. Add the onions, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer one to two hours or until cooked.
• With a slotted spoon, remove half the beans and set aside. Puree the remaining mixture, a portion at a time, in a blender. Put into a large saucepan and add the beans you set aside.
• Add the pureed tomatoes. Bring the soup to simmer, turn down heat and cook for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile fry the garlic, pancetta and parsley in the olive oil until lightly golden. Stir into the soup. Remove from heat and let stand, covered for five minutes before serving.

TUSCAN SAUSAGE AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a soup pot, brown sausage until no longer pink.
• Break up into small pieces while cooking.
• Drain off excess oil. Return to pot.
• In a food processor, chop onion, celery, carrot, rosemary, and garlic until fine; add to the soup pot.
• In same food processor, puree 2 cups Great Northern beans with 1 cup chicken broth; add to the pot.
• NOTE: I like to chop the diced tomatoes a little finer in the food processor before adding.
• Combine remaining ingredients.
• Bring to boil; lower heat and simmer for 60 minutes or until desired consistency.
• Serve with your favorite sides and red wine.
• Enjoy.