6 Tuscan-Style Soups With Kale, Beans, and Grains
Need a soup recipe for a winter dinner? These six recipes put chickpeas, leafy greens, and grains to work, with practical tips for each.
Tuscan Soups and Legume Favorites
Rustic soups from Tuscany—and recipes with a similar spirit—pair vegetables with the satisfying substance of legumes. Choose a crouton-topped kale soup, a traditional olive mill soup, or a slow-cooked combination of spelt and lentils.
Tuscan kale and chickpea soup
Tuscan kale and chickpea soup pairs leafy greens and chickpeas with the crunch of croutons. This vegetarian recipe is easy to pull together when you want a vegetable-focused dinner. Sweet potatoes bring sweetness to the savory combination of kale, broth, and herbs.
Pro tip: you can use the discarded Tuscan kale ribs to make vegetable stock.
Tuscan Olive Mill Soup
Tuscan Olive Mill Soup, a rich vegetable soup, brings together pumpkin’s sweetness and the substance of borlotti beans. The straightforward recipe offers an approachable introduction to a traditional Tuscan dish. Kale and potatoes give this hearty soup its rustic character.
Pro tip: you can use about 10.6 ounces of precooked beans, skipping the bean-cooking step and adding them at the end.
Black Cabbage Soup
Black Cabbage Soup gives Tuscan kale a hearty supporting cast of chickpeas and leeks. Precooked legumes make this an accessible choice for a winter soup night. Croutons add a crisp contrast to the vegetables and broth.
Pro tip: you can cook dried chickpeas separately, then use their cooking liquid in place of vegetable broth.
Farmer's Soup
Farmer's Soup draws its satisfying substance from a generous mix of beans, lentils, and chickpeas. This simple legume-and-vegetable recipe suits winter dinners when you want to put dried pantry staples to use. Bay leaves lend an herbal note to its savory vegetable broth.
Pro tip: you can flavor the soup with Parmesan rinds or other hard cheese rinds you have on hand.
Spelt and Lentil Soup
Spelt and Lentil Soup combines grains and legumes in a hearty, slow-cooked dish. Choose this straightforward recipe for a day when you have time to let the soup cook slowly. Tomato paste adds a savory note alongside the sweetness of carrots and onions.
Pro tip: you can add cumin or smoked paprika for a bolder, more aromatic soup.
Chickpea soup
Chickpea soup keeps chickpeas at the center, with rosemary and bay leaves lending an herbal aroma. Prepared in a few straightforward steps, this humble recipe deserves a place in your soup rotation. Tomato purée adds a savory counterpoint to the sweetness of leeks and carrots.
Pro tip: you can serve the soup with bread croutons for crunch.
