Italian White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients

• 400 g dried white beans (soaked overnight)
• 1 head of black kale (ca. 500 g)
• 3 starchy potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 stalk Celery
• 2 onions
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• olive oil (cold‑pressed)
• 400 ml Vegetable broth
• 300 g crusty white bread (cut into pieces)
• Salt
• freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Soak the beans in water overnight.

2. 2.

   The next day, cook the beans in the soaking water for 50–60 minutes. Wash all vegetables, peel if desired, and cut into small pieces or strips; finely chop if preferred. Peel the onion and garlic and dice them.

3. 3.

   In a large pot gently sauté onions, garlic, and rosemary in 3 tbsp olive oil. Add the remaining vegetables and sauté further. Season with salt and pepper. Puree three‑quarters of the beans in the cooking liquid. Set aside the remaining beans. Add the pureed beans to the vegetables. Pour in about 400 ml vegetable broth and simmer gently for about an hour. Five minutes before the end, add the whole beans and bread. Serve drizzled with 1 tbsp olive oil or topped with freshly chopped onions if desired.

4. 4.

   Following Tuscan tradition, prepare the soup the night before and reheat it the next day.