Tuscan Bean Soup
Each Tuscan village has their own version of bean soup, but they all have one thing in common--heartiness. It’s no surprise this dish is so full of beans, greens and veggies.
Ingredients
3 large carrots, sliced
2 large stalks celery, diced
1 small zucchini squash, diced
1 small yellow (summer) squash, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
4 cups chopped kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups water
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Slice carrots. Dice celery, zucchini and yellow squash. Chop onions, leek and kale.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, leek, carrots, celery, zucchini, and squash. Saute for 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and rosemary. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the broth, water, beans, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and add chopped kale. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup, leaving some chunks of beans and vegetables for texture.
- Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Tips:
Serve it like a true Italian. Line your bowl with a piece of crusty bread cut into chunks and serve the soup on top. (Croutons don’t count as crusty Italian bread.)
Nutritional data
Yield: 4 ServingsCalories 420 | Fat 6g | Sodium 550mg | Total Carbs 77g | Dietary Fiber 24g | Protein 23g
Full Plate Living is a small-step approach with big health outcomes. It's provided as a free service of Ardmore Institute of Health.