This hearty Tuscan soup is ideal for winter months. Start with a charcuterie platter, then serve the soup with crusty bread and a crunchy salad. For dessert, my Chocolate Bread Pudding is ideal. The recipe was developed for the Molesini Wine Club.

Tuscan Bean Soup

Serves 8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3-4 hours plus 24 hours soaking beans

Soup

Can be prepared up to 3 days in advance, stored in the refrigerator, covered

16 ounces (500 grams) white beans
1 carrot, minced
1 onion, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup (80 milliliters) olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) fresh rosemary, minced (can substitute dried)
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fresh thyme, minced (can substitute dried)
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) freshly grated black pepper
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 milliliters) ground cloves
1 bay leaf
12 cups (2.8 liters) (approximately) chicken or vegetable stock
1 potato, peeled, grated, and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Topping (optional)

reserved olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) minced fresh parsley
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
pinch of coarse salt
1/2 cup (125 milliliters) croutons lightly toasted in olive oil

Directions

Soup

1. Soak beans in a large bowl of cold water overnight. Drain and rinse. Place beans in a stock pot and cover by 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of water. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute. Drain and rinse. Repeat 2 more times. Set aside. This process eliminates the starches that cause indigestion from beans.

2. Place 1½ tablespoons (22.5 milliliters) olive oil in a heavy-duty stock pot and warm. Add carrot, onion, celery, and garlic and sauté over medium heat to soften (not brown) for 6-8 minutes. Add rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, reserved beans, and enough stock to cover the beans 3 inches (7.6 centimeters). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, slightly cover pan, and simmer for 2 hours.

3. Add potato and additional stock as needed. Continue to gently simmer until the beans are soft, between 3 to 4 hours, depending on the age and size of the beans. When quite tender, remove the bay leaf and use a slotted spoon to transfer half the beans to a blender with enough stock to puree. Add puree to the pan, adding stock or water if needed to get the desired thickness. Taste for salt and pepper. Ladle in bowls and serve with or without topping.

Topping

1. In a small bowl, mix half the remaining olive oil with parsley, lemon juice and zest, and salt. Spoon the mixture into the center of each bowl of soup. Distribute toasted croutons around the parsley mixture, then dribble soup with the remaining olive oil, using additional oil if desired.

About Molesini Wine Club

This recipe was developed for Molesini Wine Club to be included in virtual tasting notes with wine shipments. Molesini Wine Club, based out of Cortona, Tuscany, features Italian wines that are otherwise unavailable outside of Europe. Marco and Paolo Molesini work closely with over 1,000 producers from across the country to ensure they are procuring the top labels from small producers making the finest boutique wines. Explore with them as they lead you through Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, and many lesser-known wine regions of their country. Members can customize shipments, decide on a tier that fits their palate best, and enjoy exclusive access to the most stunning wines of Italy. As a member of the Molesini Wine Club means becoming part of the Molesini family and we invite you to join us for this experience. For more information, please visit the Molesini Wine Club website.