TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

One food item that Wayne loves is soup. He’s been using his culinary “skills” to heat soup for years. It’s an easy meal while traveling down the road on the bus, and with the introduction of the microwave it became super easy with little to no mess.

I set out to create some of the soups Wayne’s enjoyed on his travels. He’d be out on the road and tell me about a soup he’d enjoyed in a restaurant and I would begin trying to recreate it. Although many might think of soup as a winter meal, we eat it all year around. Sometimes for sake of ease, and other times because it’s refreshing and homemade.

Most of the soups I prepare are hearty enough to enjoy with a salad and you’ve got yourself a meal. Here is one of his all-time favorites.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
1 large potato, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1¼ cups vegetable stock
1 (14 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and liquid reserved
2 cups shredded cabbage
3 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
salt & freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan. Add onion, leeks, and garlic, and cook 4-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Pour in the stock and the liquid from the beans. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the beans, cabbage, and half of the herbs. Spoon about 1/3 of the soup into a food processor or blender and process until fairly smooth. Return this back to the soup in the pan and adjust seasonings to taste. Heat for an additional 5 minutes or until thoroughly hot.