Cookbook:Tuscan Bean Soup

| Italian cuisine | Beans | Soups

Ingredients

 * 3 cups cranberry or pinto beans
 * 1 cup spelt or wheat berries (available at gourmet-food shops)
 * ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
 * ½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
 * 1 pound kale, preferably Tuscan, coarse stems removed, cut into thick ribbons
 * 1 medium-large onion, diced
 * 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
 * 1 large rib celery, trimmed and diced
 * 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
 * 5 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium stock, plus more if needed
 * 1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes, or drained canned diced tomatoes
 * 1 sprig fresh rosemary
 * 1 sprig fresh sage
 * Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
 * ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Procedure

 * 1) Soak beans and spelt overnight in separate bowls of cold water.
 * 2) Drain and set aside.
 * 3) Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
 * 4) Add sausage.
 * 5) Cook stirring occasionally, until meat begins to separate and brown (3–5 minutes).
 * 6) Stir in kale, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
 * 7) Cook until softened (about 10 minutes).
 * 8) Add beans, spelt, chicken stock, and tomatoes.
 * 9) Bring to boil.
 * 10) Stir in rosemary and sage.
 * 11) Reduce heat.
 * 12) Simmer mixture for 60–70 minutes, until beans are tender; if soup is too thick, add chicken stock.
 * 13) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
 * 14) Ladle soup into bowls.
 * 15) Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle on cheese.
 * 16) Serve immediately.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Have this soup first with bread, like ciabatta, then finish with some cold cuts, like salami and prosciutto.
 * Instead of using spelt, you can substitute barley.
 * If you can't find Tuscan kale, you can use regular kale, mustard greens, or Swiss chard.
 * This soup tastes even better the next day.