- 1
Ingredients
- 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 1 bunch beet greens, ribbed and shredded
- 1 large stock celery, diced
- 2 medium-sized carrots, diced
- 3 large zucchini, diced
- 1/2 bunch black leaf kale, ribbed and shredded
- 1 1/8 pounds (500 g) fresh Cranberry beans boiled until soft but not mushy (figure 2/3 pound dried, soaked overnight)
- 4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded, drained, and chopped
- 1 medium-sized pink onion, chopped
- 1 bunch basil, shredded
- 2 medium-sized potatoes, diced
- 1 pound (400 g) fresh peas
- 3/4 pound (300 g) fresh string beans
- 3 -day old Tuscan bread (you'll want a loaf, lest you come up short)
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper
- Boiling water
Preparation
Step 1
Sauté the onion in the oil in a large heavy bottomed pot (my note: if you have terracotta, it is ideal), and when it has become golden add the diced carrots, potatoes and celery; continue to sauté, adding salt and black pepper (the latter in abundance, hoping none of the diners suffer from hemorrhoids (Roberto's note: This is what she wrote!). Add the tomatoes, basil, and parsley, cook for a few minutes, and then add all the other greens.
Cook five minutes more, and during this time put the cooked beans through a food mill to transform them into a cream; cook, stirring, for ten minutes and then add boiling water (my note: how much will depend upon how much water the greens give off, but at least a quart) and simmer over a medium flame for 2 hours.
When the time is up, take 2-3 ladles of cooked vegetables and put them through a food mill to make a cream of them; this serves to make the soup more liquid, and you can also add a little more water if the mixture looks too dry (my note: you don't want something really watery, but remember that the bread must be able to absorb moisture from the soup). Bring the mixture to a boil, and in the meantime finely slice the bread.
Line the bottom of a tureen with a layer of bread and cover it with a layer of soup. Continue alternating layers until all is used up, finishing with a layer of soup. When you are done, let the soup rest for several hours because zuppa Toscana is better eaten cold.
Serve every bowl with a dusting of grated pecorino toscano (my note: Romano is sharper, and I might go with Parmigiano in pecorino toscano's absence), a drizzle of olive oil, and a "blessing" of Chianti.