Zuppa Toscana Recipe

 

Zuppa Toscana Recipe is delicious Toscana soup recipe with mild Italian sausage, white beans, and baby spinach. Simple and hearty soup recipe as all other cucina povera meals!

 

This is not Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe. It is my version, and it seems every household has its own recipe. Once you read our ingredients list, you can easily improve it and make your easy Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe, so it suits your family!

That is the best thing you can do: consider this one to be your base to start with. This is exactly the case with so many other cucina povera soup recipes. The purpose of their description is to inspire you to use what’s left in the fridge to make comforting, delicious bowl of goodness.

Of course, you can make this beautiful zuppa ( in Italian it means “soup” ) using pressure cooker, instant pot and traditional stove top version. My way is the old fashioned one: stove top, gently boiling over medium heat, spreading the flavours all over the kitchen!

So, how to make this Toscana soup ?

I start with Italian sausage. You may use spicy Italian sausage instead of mild version. Cook it on low heat and then add garlic and onion. One cup of water, bouillon cube and baby spinach follow. No potatoes, bacon, chicken, or kale. Needless to say, you may add all these, together with red pepper flakes or chicken broth to your version. Even chopped ham is great! Once spinach is wilted, you add white beans, tomato paste, salt, and heavy cream.

Since white beans aka Cannellini beans are “starchy” we don’t add potatoes or any other additional starch.

It is because of their carbohydrate content and health experts recommend treating them as a carbohydrate exchange. On a plant-based diet, beans can contribute significantly towards your daily protein needs. To learn more on white beans, please look here  (  link  ).

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/white-beans-nutrition

 

Which is the other name for white beans ?

Cannellini beans are the largest of the group and because of their traditional kidney shape, they can also be referred to as White Kidney Beans. Meatier than Navy or Great Northern beans, they have a nutty, earthy flavor and tender flesh, and are often used in Italian dishes like Minestrone.

 

 

Zupa Toscana is a traditional Italian Tuscan soup that originated in Tuscany. You can enjoy it with bread recipes, warm ciabatta, salad, or grissini ( breadsticks ).

 

What is the difference between zuppa and minestra ?

 

Minestra is much older than zuppa, by quite a few centuries. The word comes from the Latin ministrare, which means to ‘administer’, and references the fact that minestra was any type of food served from a single bowl or pot by the head of the household.

What minestra means?

Minestra is Italian vegetable soup aka minestrone.

What is minestrone soup ?

In short: water and seasonal veggies. With some legumes. Because there was little else but minestrone to eat.

 

Is it known what region of Italy is minestrone from?

In Italy, minestrone varies by season and by region: In the northern region of Lombardy, Ms. Negrin says, minestrone might include pasta and winter squash; farther south, in Tuscany, cannellini beans and cabbage or kale; in the coastal city of Genoa in the northwestern region of Liguria, it would be finished with pesto.

Is there any difference between Minestrone Soup and vegetable soup?

Minestrone Soup is essentially just a hearty version of vegetable soup. Most vegetable soups contain merely vegetables, whereas a minestrone is bulked up with beans and pasta. Simple!

 

Which Italian region has the tastiest cuisine?

Most of people say it’s Emilia-Romagna but it really depends on your preferences. To learn more, visit Italianfoodexperts.com .

 

To find some of the best dishes for every region of Italy go here .

 

To find 65 inspiring Italian potluck dishes go to Taste of Home .