Tuscan Soup

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

Ingredients

• 300 g of black kale
• 400 g of potatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 150 g of smoked pancetta or guanciale
• 1.5 liters of 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 cutting the black kale: remove the hardest 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, brown the pancetta or guanciale cubes with a drizzle of oil until they become crispy. Add the onion and garlic and leave to sauté until they become translucent.
5. Add the potatoes to the pot and let them flavor 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 black kale and lower the flame to let it simmer slowly for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and kale are well cooked.
8. Taste and adjust salt and pepper according to your taste.
9. Serve the soup hot accompanied by slices of toasted Tuscan bread and, if desired, sprinkle with grated Tuscan pecorino.

Curiosity

The traditional Tuscan Soup is often enriched and personalized in various families by adding other ingredients such as cannellini beans or other seasonal vegetables. Over time, a version called ‘ribollita’ has also become popular, which involves adding stale bread directly into the soup and subsequent cooking to “reboil” it, which is where its name comes from.