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Bowl of zuppa frantoiana toscana with cannellini beans, cavolo nero, and toasted bread drizzled with fresh olive oil

Zuppa Frantoiana Toscana: Tuscan Olive Harvest Soup

A slow-simmered Tuscan vegetable and cannellini bean soup, ladled over toasted bread and finished with new-harvest extra virgin olive oil.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian (Tuscan)
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 60 ml extra virgin olive oil divided, plus more for finishing
  • 1 yellow onion medium, diced
  • 2 celery stalks , diced
  • 2 carrots , diced
  • 1 leek , white part only, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Vegetables and beans
  • 2 potatoes medium, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 savoy cabbage small head, shredded; green cabbage works too
  • 1 bunch cavolo nero stems removed, sliced; or curly kale, cook 5 min longer
  • 1 zucchini medium, diced
  • 2 cannellini beans x 400 g cans, drained and rinsed; or 250 g dried, soaked and cooked until tender
  • 1 piece parmesan rind optional; skip for dairy-free
  • 1 rosemary sprig
  • 1.5 liters vegetable stock or water
  • salt and black pepper to taste
To serve
  • 6 stale Tuscan bread thick slices, toasted; unsalted country bread
  • new-harvest extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Method
 

Build the soffritto
  1. Heat 30 ml olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion, celery, carrot and leek. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent but not browned.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add the potatoes, cabbage, cavolo nero, zucchini, parmesan rind and rosemary sprig. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to a bare simmer, cover partially, and cook 35 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Keep the heat low, a hard boil breaks down the potato and clouds the broth.
  3. Stir in the cannellini beans. Mash a spoonful against the side of the pot to thicken the broth, then simmer 10 more minutes.
  4. Remove the rosemary sprig and parmesan rind. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve
  1. Place a slice of toasted bread in each bowl and ladle the hot soup over it.
  2. Let sit 2 to 3 minutes so the bread softens slightly without falling apart.
  3. Drizzle generously with new-harvest olive oil and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Save a parmesan rind from your last cheese wedge specifically for this soup.
  • Use the most peppery new-harvest olive oil you own for the finishing drizzle.
  • Keep the simmer gentle once vegetables go in, not a rolling boil.
  • Mash some beans into the broth midway for natural thickening.
  • Toast bread until dry and firm so it holds up under the broth.