A Tuscan White Bean Soup

There's nothing so comforting as a hearty soup when it starts to snow. This classic white bean soup, said to be popular in Tuscany, offers deep flavors from sautéed aromatics and a rich home-made stock. Slowly cooking well-soaked dried beans ensures a soft but toothy texture and earthy flavor.

1 lb dried cannellini beans

8 cups broth (use your favorite)

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large yellow sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

dash crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved

4 cups kale, stalks removed, leaves torn

1/4 cup Ancini de Pepe tiny pasta

Eight to twenty-four hours ahead of cooking time, soak the beans in 8 cups water plus 3 tablespoons salt. The salt softens the beans considerably.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 250F. Drain beans and tip into a large Dutch oven or oven-going pot. Add the broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, while you sauté the aromatics.

In another large skillet, heat a dash of olive oil and sauté the carrots, celery and onion for about 12-15 minutes. The veggies should soften considerably and become aromatic and slightly caramelized - this is critical to soup flavoring.

Add the garlic, rosemary and crushed red pepper flakes to the onion mixture and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add veggies to the beans and bring to a gentle boil. Cover pot and place in oven. Bake about 45 minutes, until beans are softened.

Meanwhile, sauté the drained tomatoes in a dash of olive oil - make sure they fry and don’t boil - so, use enough oil. This is critical to developing their flavor. Cook about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.

Remove the soup from the oven and add the tomatoes, reserved liquid, pasta and the kale to the soup.

Return to the oven for about another 20 minutes, until the beans are completely soft, the pasta is cooked, and the kale has wilted. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8.

Cook’s note: I used a home-made mixed bone broth from chicken, turkey and duck. While my version is flexitarian rather than vegetarian, you can use a vegetable stock instead if you prefer. I used Ancini de Pepe pasta dots, nut you could use many other pastas such as Ditalini orzo or tiny shells.

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