Minestrone alla Toscana

If you’ve been following along with our Italian series, you’ll know that minestrone isn’t one singular soup. Instead, it’s a type of vegetable soup with many regional variations featuring different vegetables, starches, and spices. While similar, the four types of minestrone we discuss on this website are distinct (and iconic!). Today, we’ll be discussing minestrone with the rustic flavors of Tuscany in minestrone alla toscana.

In Tuscany, the cucina povera cooking style transforms simple ingredients into delicious, nutrient-dense meals. Minestrone alla toscana is a great example of this method. It is a soup that changes based on seasonal availability, and often uses up leftover ingredients. It fits the needs of the cook, not the other way around. Traditionally, this soup includes borlotti beans, leafy greens, vegetables, and quality olive oil. Some modern versions substitute cannellini beans, which are more widely available outside Italy. Unique to the Tuscan regional minestrone, it is less brothy and more hearty.

This soup is the perfect entry point to Tuscan cooking, leading naturally to recipes like pane toscano, a rustic Italian bread, for traditional pairings. And where there is pane toscano, there is also ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, which use up leftover, stale bread. This soup and others like it prove that with patience – and plenty of good-quality olive oil – simple ingredients can become deeply comforting yet iconic dishes.

What is minestrone? (A short history of soup)

Like many foods, minestrone gets its name from its function. The name comes from the Italian word “minestra,” which means vegetable soup. It also has roots in the Italian word “ministrare” which means to serve. Simple enough. Its roots are in cucina povera cooking, which is the frugal, simple cooking style of the poor. Cucina povera cooking aims to take simple, whole ingredients and transform them into nutritious, satisfying dishes. Drawing on the “ministrare” history of minestrone, the dish has evolved to be a first course in kitchens across the country.

The contents varied based on regional, seasonal, and personal availability. The Columbian Exchange introduced beans to Italy in the 1500s, and they have since become a staple of everyday cooking. This is especially true because beans are cheap and shelf-stable, making their presence in many dishes a matter of course. Vegetables vary based on season, including zucchini and beans in the summer, and relying more on potatoes, cabbage, and kale in the winter. One notable difference is the amount (if any) of tomato used. Minestrone alla napoletana is tomato-forward, while minestrone alla genovese does not include any tomato at all. In this Tuscan version, cooks use tomato only in a supporting role, often adding just one tomato or a small amount for acidity.

Another notable difference is the starch cooks choose to thicken the soup and make it more filling.You’ll notice that this version of minestrone alla toscana does not include a starch. Cooks serve it with pane toscano and later reheat the soup with stale bread to make ribollita, or “reboiled” soup. Some cooks also add potatoes, though this does not change the traditional bread pairing. In the Lombardy region, cooks typically use rice as the starch. In minestrone alla napoletana and minestrone alla genovese, cooks use small pasta such as ditalini.

What makes minestrone “alla Toscana?”

Tuscan cooking relies heavily upon quality olive oil as its main source of fat. Dishes from this region typically do not include butter or cream, instead using other methods to create a creamy mouthfeel.

In Tuscany, people call beans la carne dei poveri, which translates to ‘the meat of the poor.’ This phrase refers to cannellini beans, a staple of Tuscan dishes. Since they are cheap and easy to store, laborers and their families were able to access them more reliably. As discussed above, traditional Tuscan cooking rarely uses cream or butter. Instead, cooking beans directly in the soup allows some of the beans’ starch to naturally thicken the soup broth. Some cooks even choose to mash some of the cannellini beans in the soup, furthering the creaminess of the soup without adding any dairy.

Plain bread, pane toscano, is also characteristic of this region. Cooks usually serve thick slices of bread with minestrone, creating a simple but nutritionally balanced meal. The grain in the bread and the beans in the soup pair to create a complete protein! Despite not including meat, this meal contains all of the amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own, and are necessary to obtain from food. To stretch the meal even further, cooks typically reheat leftover soup with stale bread to make a dish called ribollita!

Tuscan cooks usually include dark, leafy greens in minestrone. Options include Tuscan kale, Swiss chard, and cabbage. You don’t need all three, but cooks usually use one or more depending on what’s seasonally and locally available.

When we think of minestrone, we typically picture a brothy soup, but the Tuscan version is typically less brothy, and more hearty. It is a very filling soup!

Why this recipe works

Despite coming together easily, the flavor of minestrone alla toscana develops slowly.

Start by creating the traditional flavor base of Italy, called a soffritto. Cooks typically make a soffritto with equal parts onion, carrot, and celery, though the ratios can vary. They also cut the vegetables to different thicknesses depending on their preferences and the dish they’re making. In our kitchen, we prefer for the soffritto to melt into the background of a dish, so we grate the onion, carrot, and celery.

Cooks traditionally heat soffritto in olive oil. To maximize the vegetables’ flavor, they use a technique called sweating. Cook them in olive oil over low or medium heat for 5-7 minutes. The goal is to soften them, as well as to coax them into releasing juice. This released liquid forms the flavor base that the rest of the soup builds upon.

Simplicity in seasoning is also characteristic of Tuscan cooking. Adding too many herbs and spices takes away from the quality of ingredients, as well as undermining the intentional cooking choices. Chosen herbs complement flavors. This version uses a blend of herbs like basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage, though many Tuscan cooks keep the seasoning very minimal. Alternatively, some cooks choose to add pesto to their soup in place of herbs.

Like we touched on above, the beans in this soup provide body and help thicken the broth naturally. If using canned beans, the juice included in the can contains bean starch, so add a bit of it as well. Canned beans typically contain salt, so factor that in when making decisions about salt additions. Alternatively, when adding your beans, crush some of them to release their starches into the soup. This is a traditional method that has worked well for hundreds of years. Cooks typically use cannellini beans, but you can use borlotti beans if they’re available.

Adding the leafy greens at the end is important to ensure their integrity. If you add leafy greens too early, they can become mushy. Conversely, leafy greens added at the end of cooking wilt, but still hold their shape and keep their iconic green color. Perfect for a soup with a variety of colors and textures!

Good quality olive oil is essential for finishing Tuscan minestrone. Olive oil adds richness to the soup without adding unnecessary heaviness to the final dish. If you’re wondering how to choose a good quality olive oil, see our olive oil guide. Freshly grated parmesan, pecorino, asiago, or romano are also great additions. If using pesto in place of herbs, adding a dollop on top is also an option.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• If cannellini beans are not available to you, there are others that are good substitutes. Great Northern beans are a good choice, as they have a similar appearance and texture to cannellini beans. If borlotti beans are available, they are also a great option. And if none of those are available, use red kidney beans. They are a different color, but their texture is the same, making them a great choice as well.
• Tuscan kale is not widely available, but a good substitute is curly kale. Swiss chard is also a great option, if you want to try something different.
• While minestrone alla toscana is traditionally vegetarian, it is not a requirement. If you’d like to add meat, use pancetta, which cooks commonly include in other Italian soups. If pancetta isn’t available in your area, substitute bacon 1:1. Bacon and pancetta are similar, though bacon is smoked. Some cooks briefly boil bacon before adding it to the soup to reduce the smoky flavor, though you can skip that step if you prefer to keep the smokiness.
• For the other vegetable ingredients, use what is seasonal. The freshness of the ingredients will make a better-quality soup, as well as keeping the cost low. Don’t stress about “authentic” vegetable ingredients. As long as you are honoring the spirit of the dish, the vegetables that are available to you will do just fine.
• One peeled tomato is included to add acidity to the final dish. To peel a tomato easily, add a whole tomato to boiling water. Boil for one minute, then immediately move the tomato into a bowl of ice water. The skin will burst open and separate from the tomato, making it easier to peel.

How to serve minestrone alla toscana

Kitchens in Tuscany serve minestrone with crusty bread. Characteristic of the region, plain, saltless bread like pane toscano is traditionally served with soup. This traditional Tuscan bread is famous for being completely unsalted, which helps balance the salty cheeses and olive oil used in the region’s cooking.

Top the bowls with generous amounts of good-quality olive oil. You can also add grated cheese, though it isn’t required. Good options include parmesan, pecorino, romano, and asiago. Grate them fresh for the best quality and flavor.

You can serve minestrone warm or at room temperature, depending on the day’s activities. You can also reheat leftovers later with crusty bread added directly to the soup. This creates a dish called ribollita, that is nourishing, satiating, and comforting.

Variations across Italy

Minestrone alla milanese is a similar soup, though it is more tomato-forward. Additionally, the starch of choice for this variation is rice. This is because Lombardy sits within the Po Valley. The Po Valley is Europe’s largest producer of rice, so it makes sense for the locals to eat a lot of rice! It also explains why this region relies heavily upon dishes like risotto instead of dishes that include wheat like pasta and bread. Varieties of rice popular in this region are arborio and carnaroli.

Minestrone alla genovese typically doesn’t include tomatoes, and instead relies upon pesto as its main flavor enhancer. Genoa is where pesto originated, and the sauce is believed to have originated centuries ago. Some local stories tell that a monk invented the sauce, though this hasn’t been proven. It has since been added to a wide variety of dishes, including boiled eggs, potatoes, sandwiches, and yes, minestrone. The region is abundant in sweet and fragrant basil, as well as a mild-tasting olive oil. Their climate is perfect for the production of delicious pesto.

Minestrone alla napoletana is a veggie-heavy soup. It is tomato-forward, and typically includes pasta. For these reasons, it is the soup we tend to think of when we think “minestrone.” The climate in Campania, where Naples is located, is perfect for the production of produce. Full of delicious ingredients like zucchini, green beans, carrots, and leafy greens, this soup is both filling and nutritious.

Storage notes

One of the best things about minestrone alla toscana is that the flavor continues to improve as it sits. The vegetables, beans, and herbs have time to mingle, creating an even deeper flavor the next day.

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Because the beans release starch as the soup sits, the broth may thicken slightly. If this happens, simply add a splash of water or broth when reheating.

This soup also freezes well. Allow it to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Traditionally in Tuscany, leftover minestrone is often reheated with stale bread added directly to the soup. This transforms the dish into ribollita, a thicker and even more comforting meal.

FAQ

• What makes minestrone alla toscana different from other minestrone?
  • Tuscan minestrone is typically thicker and heartier than other regional versions. Instead of pasta or rice, it relies on beans and vegetables for body and is traditionally served with crusty bread.
• Does Tuscan minestrone contain pasta?
  • No. Unlike some other regional variations of minestrone, minestrone alla toscana usually does not contain pasta. Instead, it is served with bread such as pane toscano.
• What beans are traditionally used in Tuscan minestrone?
  • Both borlotti beans and cannellini beans are traditional choices. Cannellini beans are more widely available outside Italy, which is why they are commonly used in modern recipes.
• Can I make minestrone alla toscana vegetarian?
  • Yes. In fact, many traditional versions are already naturally vegetarian. Some cooks add pancetta for extra flavor, but it is completely optional.
• What greens are used in Tuscan minestrone?
  • Common options include Tuscan kale (cavolo nero), Swiss chard, or cabbage. The choice often depends on what is available seasonally. If these are not available to you, try curly kale or Napa cabbage.
• What is the difference between minestrone and ribollita?
  • Ribollita is made from leftover Tuscan minestrone reheated with stale bread. The bread absorbs the broth, creating a thick, stew-like dish.

In conclusion…

Minestrone alla toscana is a perfect example of how simple ingredients can create deeply satisfying meals. With beans, seasonal vegetables, leafy greens, and good olive oil, this humble soup reflects the heart of Tuscan cooking.

Like many dishes rooted in cucina povera, the beauty of this recipe lies in its flexibility. The vegetables can change with the seasons, the beans can vary depending on what is available, and leftovers can be transformed into an entirely new dish the next day.

Serve it with thick slices of pane toscano, drizzle generously with olive oil, and enjoy a bowl of soup that has warmed Tuscan kitchens for generations.