Tuscan style pasta bean soup is like a warming and comforting hug from an Italian grandma. Loaded with plenty of nutritious vegetables and leafy greens along with cannellini beans, to create a satisfying meal. Simple to put together but also delicious to eat, especially on a cold evening. A hearty one-pot soup is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal. This is also a great way to empty the vegetable bin in the refrigerator.
Making Tuscan Style Pasta Bean Soup.
You need a few basics, meat, pasta, beans, vegetables, and leafy greens to make this soup. While we give you the basic recipe, you can certainly substitute other vegetables or meats. There are no hard and fast rules for this soup. Adjust the ingredients to your personal liking. Pancetta is a wonderful addition instead of sausage. If a lighter soup is preferred, chicken also works beautifully here. Ditalini is the traditional style pasta used in this Tuscan soup. However, orzo or pastini can work as well. Although, Cannellini beans are the standard, feel free to use any ‘white’ bean you like. Besides zucchini, other vegetables such as yellow squash, fennel, or parsnips are nice additions. Spinach or chard is also a great replacement for kale. Feel free to experiment with this recipe as it is very forgiving. Most any vegetable you have on hand will work here.
This is certainly the perfect soup for a chilly winter’s evening. Always on rotation for us during the cooler seasons. Full of hearty beans and vegetables with just the right amount of pasta and sausage. The only other thing you need is a nice crusty loaf of Italian bread. This one will transport you to the rolling hills of Tuscany.
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Hearty Tuscan Pasta and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 6 Hot Italian sausage links (approx. 1½ lbs.)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 carrots chopped (approx. 1½ cups)
- 2 yellow onion chopped (approx. 1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 zucchini quartered and cut into ½ inch slices
- 28 oz diced tomato (1 large can)
- 29 oz cannellini beans (1 large can)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp thyme (fresh) minced
- 2 sprigs rosemary (fresh) kept whole
- 12 oz kale chopped
- 8 oz ditalini pasta or small cut pasta of your choice
Instructions
- Remove casings from the sausages, break up the links and brown the sausage meat in a large stock pot, with the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carots, celery, and garlic, saute until softened and onions are translucent. Add the zucchini, diced tomatoes continue to saute 2 more minutes and well incorporated.
- Add the chicken broth to the stock pot followed by the fresh herbs with butchers string (to make it easier the remove from the pot later). Bring pot to a slow boil add the chopped, cleaned, kale and reduce to a simmer and cover loosely for 30 mins.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a separate pot until slightly underdone. Drain pasta and add to the soup. Drain and rinse the bean and add to the pot. Mix the soup to insure beans and pasta are well incorporated simmer for 5 more minutes until pasta is al dente and beans are warmed through. Remove tied herb bundle and serve hot,
Nutrition
