I have a fondness for soups with a Tuscan flair. My Tuscan kale soup is one of my best-selling dishes, second only to my Italian farro soup. So, I thought it was time to create a white bean variation.
In my household, we eat a lot of soups—two or three times a week during the fall and winter. I love how easy it is to incorporate all the necessary components into a single meal: protein, usually a grain or bean, a few veggies, and a few vegetables. Additionally, any extras can be prepared for a freezer meal or used as delicious leftovers.
Why I Adore This Recipe
With the addition of carrots and celery, my version is just as filling. Unlike my white bean and tortellini soup, I decided to serve this one with crusty bread and without any additional pasta. It’s exactly what you need to absorb the sauce.
It is tasty, healthy, and full with 17 g of protein and 13 g of fiber per serving.
Ingredients
For the Beans:
- 1 pound dried cannellini beans
- 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1 yellow onion, quartered lengthwise
- 1 celery stalk, quartered crosswise
- 1 carrot, quartered crosswise
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 quart chicken stock
- Finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional
For the Bruschetta:
- 6 slices country-style bread, each 3/4-inch thick
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
For the Basil topping:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Cook the beans: Rinse the beans, place in a saucepan, and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for about 20 minutes, then drain.
- Return the beans to the saucepan along with the prosciutto, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf. Pour in the chicken stock and then add water as needed to cover the beans by 2 inches. Slowly bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. (If you heat them too fast, the skins may break.) Adjust the heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, until the beans are almost tender, 20 minutes or longer, depending on the age of the beans. Add salt, to taste, and continue cooking until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let the beans cool in the liquid.
- Meanwhile, make the bruschetta: Preheat a stove-top grill pan. Place the bread slices in a single layer on the grill pan and toast until each side is crisp and has grill marks, about 6 minutes. (You can also toast the bread in a 500 degrees F oven on a baking sheet.) Remove from the pan and lightly brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil, then season lightly with salt. Let cool.
- Strain the cooled beans and other solids through a sieve, reserving the liquid. In a food processor, puree the beans and solids in batches with 3 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Using a rubber spatula, push the solids through a fine mesh sieve into a clean large saucepan (you should have about 6 cups of soup in the saucepan). Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet over high heat, warm the 1/4 cup olive oil. Turn on the fan above your stove. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn brown. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for a few seconds, then add the basil. Cook until basil wilts.
- To serve, ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Top the soup with the basil mixture. Serve bruschetta with each bowl, adding Parmesan, if desired.
Get the Recipe: Tuscan White Bean Soup
Substitution Notes
For this dish, you can use any white bean. Although white kidney beans, great northern beans, and navy beans will work, I prefer cannellini beans.
You can use individual seasonings like oregano, basil, and rosemary, but I prefer to use an Italian spice blend for convenience. You are free to leave out the fire-roasted tomatoes if you like a brothy soup.
Although I prefer kale for my Tuscan kale soup, spinach also works well in this soup.
FAQs
Can I substitute dried beans with canned ones?
Yes, you can! Just make sure the beans are ready to be added to this recipe by soaking and rehydrating them overnight.
In place of vegetable broth, what can I use?
You are free to use any type of broth! Although vegetable broth is used in this recipe to make it vegetarian-friendly, you can use any type of broth in its place, such as beef or chicken broth!
Is it possible to prepare this soup in advance?
Indeed! Just make the soup the way it’s called for and let it cool. After cooling, move it to a big mason jar or airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for up to a month!
How should this soup be adorned?
I suggest serving this soup with crusty bread and some freshly cut parsley as a garnish. Delicious!
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- For the Beans:
- 1 pound dried cannellini beans
- 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1 yellow onion quartered lengthwise
- 1 celery stalk quartered crosswise
- 1 carrot quartered crosswise
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 quart chicken stock
- Finely ground sea salt preferably gray salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan optional
- For the Bruschetta:
- 6 slices country-style bread each 3/4-inch thick
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Finely ground sea salt preferably gray salt
- For the Basil topping:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the beans: Rinse the beans, place in a saucepan, and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for about 20 minutes, then drain.
- Return the beans to the saucepan along with the prosciutto, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf. Pour in the chicken stock and then add water as needed to cover the beans by 2 inches. Slowly bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. (If you heat them too fast, the skins may break.) Adjust the heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, until the beans are almost tender, 20 minutes or longer, depending on the age of the beans. Add salt, to taste, and continue cooking until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let the beans cool in the liquid.
- Meanwhile, make the bruschetta: Preheat a stove-top grill pan. Place the bread slices in a single layer on the grill pan and toast until each side is crisp and has grill marks, about 6 minutes. (You can also toast the bread in a 500 degrees F oven on a baking sheet.) Remove from the pan and lightly brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil, then season lightly with salt. Let cool.
- Strain the cooled beans and other solids through a sieve, reserving the liquid. In a food processor, puree the beans and solids in batches with 3 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Using a rubber spatula, push the solids through a fine mesh sieve into a clean large saucepan (you should have about 6 cups of soup in the saucepan). Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet over high heat, warm the 1/4 cup olive oil. Turn on the fan above your stove. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn brown. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for a few seconds, then add the basil. Cook until basil wilts.
- To serve, ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Top the soup with the basil mixture. Serve bruschetta with each bowl, adding Parmesan, if desired.
