A few years ago after I completed my first Whole30, I was looking for some healthier recipes to add into my lunch routine that could be prepared ahead and/or freeze well. So many soups taste like a version of chicken noodle or a riff on chili, but I wanted a different flavor profile that I could add into the mix of other hearty lunch soups. While browsing Pinterest for inspiration, I stumbled across Gimme Some Oven’s recipe for 7-ingredient Tuscan White Bean Soup and over the years have modified the recipe into my own version of Tuscan Vegetable Soup.
So many times healthy food is inconvenient to make, but this recipe is super quick and easy to throw together and the ingredients are often already in the pantry or larder already.
My personal modifications
Right from the start, I omitted the pancetta from the original recipe. I personally don’t appreciate pork flavor in my soups. In order to balance the flavor of the soup, I began adding a little extra garlic and more rosemary for a stronger flavor. Inadvertently this omission created a great addition to my personal repertoire to serve my vegetarian and plant-based friends.
While reading Michael Pollan’s book Cook, I was introduced to the classic recipe base– mirepoix–that is the secret start to so many recipes. When I had extra carrots on hand one day, I decided to add them to the tuscan vegetable soup. I loved the flavor they added, but I learned that carrots needed to cook longer than a 20 minute simmer to soften, so I add them during the saute step to make sure they are thoroughly cooked.
For an extra pack of nutrition, I love adding a leafy green to soups. The first winter I made this soup, I had an abundance of kale that I needed to use, so I tore some up and added it to the soup. Winning combo! I love the green note that kale adds to the soup base. Later I discovered that frozen kale is easy to crack into smaller flakes that add a beautiful speckling to the soup without the labor of shredding each leaf of kale individually.
One of my favorite ways to round out this meal is with a garlic herb cheese toast. It transforms ordinary loaf bread into a decadent side dish. A drizzle of olive oil, shake of garlic powder, pinch of shredded mozzarella, and a dash of herbs de provence. Slip into the toaster oven until cheese is melted and the bread is gently toasted.
Tuscan Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP Olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2-3 carrots, chopped
- 5-7 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegan/vegetarian option)
- 4-15 oz cans of cannellini beans, drained
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 TBSP dried crushed rosemary (to taste, we like it on the stronger side)
- 1-2 cups kale, shredded
- Salt and pepper
- Over medium-high heat, saute the onion and carrots in the olive oil until the onion is translucent and carrots have started to soften.
- Then add minced garlic and stir until fragrant for approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in broth, beans, bay leaf, rosemary and shredded kale.
- Bring to a slow boil and then turn down heat to simmer for 10-20 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to your liking. If using homemade broth or low sodium broth, you may need to add an extra pinch of salt.
Hope you enjoy a delicious bowl of tuscan vegetable soup this fall or winter!