The best bean soups have a lived-in quality, as if they have been simmering on the back burner for hours, just waiting for you.
You can achieve this by cooking the dried beans from scratch, of course. Or you can skip the long simmer and pop open a can!
Bean soups have the distinct advantage of tasting terrific either way. Today’s soup uses canned beans to make a 30-minute meal that tastes like it took all day.
When you start this soup, sauté vegetables first to give the soup lots of flavor. Let carrots, onion, and celery cook with sprigs of oregano, then stir in the beans and chicken stock.
To make sure your soup has that appealing “simmered all day” quality when using canned beans, just mash some of the beans before they go into the pot. This will give your soup the slightly distressed texture that a good bean soup should have.
Simmer the soup briefly, then add baby kale or spinach for their pretty green color and texture. Parmesan toasts are an easy side dish to make while the soup is simmering and they give your dinner plenty of crunch.
Sprinkle the bowls with olive oil and more Parmesan. You’re done in less than half an hour, but your soup will taste like an afternoon’s effort.
Easy Tuscan Bean Soup Recipe
If eating gluten-free, use gluten-free bread for the Parmesan toasts, or replace the toasts with another gluten-free side dish.
Ingredients:
For the soup:- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, thickly sliced
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans or other small white beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 4 cups baby kale or baby spinach, stems removed if tough
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, for garnish
- Olive oil, to serve
- Extra grated Parmesan, to serve
- 1/2 baguette, thinly sliced
- Olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
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