Tuscan Soup
I was overwhelmed with the freshness of this soup. It’s almost indescribable. Keep it simple and use fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped, stems discarded
- 3 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 8 springs fresh thyme
- 4 stems fresh Italian parsley
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 2 zucchinis, halved, then sliced
- 1 bunch kale, hardy stems removed, leaves chopped
- 1 bunch chard, hardy stems removed, leaves chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and finely minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped, (canned diced tomatoes will not give you the fresh flavor)
- 1 1/2 quarts excellent-quality vegetable stock, my recipe, or chicken stock
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Crusty bread, for serving, see Notes
Instructions
- Lay the fresh herbs and bay leaf together as a heap. Tightly tie the herbs and bay leaf together with kitchen twine. This is your “bouquet garni.” Set it aside. It will be fished out before the soup is served.
- In a 5 to 8-quart Dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion, fennel, bell peppers, and carrot. Stir often, until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, kale, chard, and garlic. Stir often until the zucchini is beginning to soften, about another 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
- Taste and adjust any salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the prepared bouquet garni to the pot, pushing to submerge it.
- Place the lid onto the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After each stir, push the herbs back under the veggies.
- Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Taste and adjust any seasonings again as desired.
- Serve very warm with crusty bread.
Notes
Compound Butter is excellent spread onto bread and toasted in the oven, served alongside this Tuscan Soup. See also Buffalo Bread for another option.
Nutritional chart does not include bread. The chart was calculated with 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper.
Certain spoons photographed are by InoxArtisans.
Nutrition Facts
Tuscan Soup
Amount per Serving
Calories
96.13
% Daily Value*
Fat
4.58
g
7
%
Saturated Fat
0.68
g
4
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.81
g
Monounsaturated Fat
2.69
g
Sodium
303.11
mg
13
%
Potassium
622.84
mg
18
%
Carbohydrates
12.71
g
4
%
Fiber
4.75
g
20
%
Sugar
7.28
g
8
%
Protein
3.2
g
6
%
Vitamin C
88.86
mg
108
%
Calcium
148.47
mg
15
%
Iron
1.84
mg
10
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!