‘Tis the season… for soup. Soup is my favorite meal that I love to eat year round. And this particular one is so filling, it can be a complete meal served with good crusty bread. Very similar to minestrone that uses veggies and beans, this soup imparts a lot of the ingredients often used in Tuscan cooking along with seasonal butternut squash and carrots. So healthy and so comforting. Speaking of minestrone, I have 2 different recipes for you. Autumn Minestrone Soup is made with beef stock, tomato, beans and potato, Milanese Minestrone Soup, made with chicken stock, vegetables and rice. Serving suggestion: If you would like to add some meat, Italian sausage is a delicious option Just cook it with the onions and garlic in the first few steps. I like to use dried beans because that’s what really makes this soup. If you have time, please try it, they just have better texture and taste better than canned beans that can be mushy. But for time sake and ease, canned will certainly do. Another ingredient that takes this soup to another level is my homemade vegetable stock. I like to use tomatoes in my stock which I think add sweetness, along with the parsnip and mushrooms, add a real depth of flavor. But, again for ease, you can use store bought. The vegetables are an important part of this soup. I was lucky enough to find Tuscan kale in my supermarket, but whatever kale you can find will work fine. I like to make a double batch of this soup on the weekends so I have a quick and healthy lunch or dinner whenever I need it for the week and it freezes so well for future use. If you’ve tried this Tuscan Bean Soup or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. You can leave a question there too. I love to hear from my readers!
