Tuscan Soup

Tuscan soup is a traditional dish characterized by the rustic and authentic flavors of the Tuscan countryside. Here is the recipe to prepare a classic Tuscan Soup.

Ingredients

• 300 g kale
• 400 g potatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 150 g smoked pancetta or guanciale
• 1.5 liters meat or vegetable broth
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Slices of toasted Tuscan bread
• Grated Tuscan pecorino, optional

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning and chopping the kale: remove the toughest part of the stem and cut the leaves into strips.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
3. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
4. In a large pot, sauté the pancetta or guanciale cut into cubes with a drizzle of oil until it becomes crispy. Add the onion and garlic and let them fry until they become translucent.
5. Add the potatoes to the pot and let them absorb the flavors for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Pour the broth into the pot and bring to a boil.
7. Once the broth boils, add the kale and lower the heat to let it simmer slowly for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and kale are well cooked.
8. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper to your liking.
9. Serve the soup hot accompanied by slices of toasted Tuscan bread and, if desired, sprinkle with grated Tuscan pecorino.

Trivia

Traditional Tuscan Soup is often enriched and customized in various families with the addition of other ingredients such as cannellini beans or other seasonal vegetables. Over time, a version called ‘ribollita’ has also spread, which involves adding stale bread directly into the soup and a subsequent cooking to ‘reboil it’, from which it takes its name.