Cleaning out the fridge (and pantry) to make way for the upcoming week.

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ZUPPA ALLA FRANTOIANA

(makes … a lot—enough for at least 5-6 hearty servings)

Zuppa alla frantoiana, a soup made by workers of Tuscan olive mills (“frantoi”) to celebrate the olive harvest, warms the soul like nothing else. Loads of veggies, white beans, and olive oil go into this soup, which has mostly the same ingredients as but different preparations than its regional siblings ribollita (thickened with stale bread) and minestrone Toscana (typically quite brothy); some of the beans are pureed to lend a delicate, earthy creaminess. I love any excuse to go nuts with really good olive oil, as well as any soup packed with leafy greens and plant protein.

Although I am not terribly picky about olive oil for cooking (as long as it is extra-virgin), the olive oil that finishes a dish or is used “raw” in any form must-must-must be of the best quality you can find and afford. It is only fitting that the ideal kind for this soup is a bold Tuscan one, especially the pungent, grassy, violently green olio nuovo that results from the very first pressing of the olive harvest. At the very least, use extra-virgin olive oil whose olives are only from Italy. Many widespread brands like Pompeian and Bertolli source olives from multiple countries—Tunisia, Morocco, Portugal, and Chile, to name a few—and create rather characterless oils, while others like Colavita and Filippo Berio (and even Whole Foods and Costco) offer purely Italian bottlings with more gusto.

My recipe does veer from the traditional in several ways, due to personal preferences and availability of certain ingredients; see notes below on how to stay closer to the classic recipe. I doubt most Tuscans would approve, but I like a final squeeze of fresh lemon for the brightness I always crave, as well as a dusting of cheese for extra umami. (My defense for lemon is that acid enhances nutrient bioavailability, so the soup becomes even more nourishing!)

The number of vegetables you chop up depends on the size of the veg and your own tastes. Organic produce tends to be smaller than conventional counterparts; the celery I use has ribs half the width of “normal” celery, and organic onions can be nearly as small as a shallot. Don’t care for carrots? Use less. Love garlic? Throw in more. How you dice the vegetables also matters. Some people like larger chunks, whereas I aim for my soup-eating spoon to fit at least 2 pieces of any veggie.

Finally, I highly recommend massaging the kale. It takes just a minute or two and helps to relieve any stray homicidal urges. More importantly, doing so diminishes kale’s inherent bitterness and sulfuric taste, and mechanically breaks down the tough cellulose and fibers so that it is more tender and enjoyable to eat. Like all Italian food, this soup is quite simple and relies on the smaller details to bring it from “aight” to “damn.”

BEANS

olive oil

2-4 garlic cloves, crushed

3 whole sprigs rosemary

3 sage leaves, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 14.5oz cans low-sodium or unsalted cannellini or other white beans

s+p

SOUP

2 bunches lacinato/dino kale, stems removed (reserved and finely chopped, if you want), leaves cut into ribbons

olive oil

1-2 onions, finely diced

2-4 celery ribs, diced (peeled first, if desired)

2-4 carrots, peeled and diced

1 large turnip or starchy potato, peeled and diced (about ¾#)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, low-sodium broth, or water

1 rind of Parmigiano Reggiano or other hard cheese

1-2 zucchini, diced

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Top-quality Tuscan EVOO, preferably olio nuovo

lemon, cut into wedges and deseeded (optional)

freshly grated hard cheese (grana, Parmigiano, pecorino--optional)

For the beans:

Sauté garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves in olive oil, breaking up the garlic a bit with the tip of a wooden spoon, until garlic turns lightly golden. Add beans with a pinch of salt and grinding of black pepper, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove rosemary (OK if leaves have fallen off) and bay, taste, and adjust for seasoning, if necessary. Puree or mash half the beans.

For the soup:

In a colander set in a bowl full of cold water, submerge the kale and massage firmly with your hands until you feel the leaves lose their sturdiness and they no longer audibly crackle when squeezed, about 1 minute. Drain.

Sweat onions, celery, carrots, and turnip or potato in olive oil with a generous pinch of salt and pepper until onions and celery turn translucent, about 8-10 minutes; if you saved the kale stems, add them here as well. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the stock/broth/water, kale leaves, and cheese rind. Bring to a full boil and then lower to a simmer, punching down the kale till wilted and completely submerged. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring infrequently. Add the zucchini, beans, and bean puree, and cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until zucchini has softened; add a little water if the soup is a bit too thick and stodgy. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. The kale should almost melt and have barely any bite.

Cut the heat, and let soup rest uncovered for 5-10 minutes. You can (and should) use this time to deeply toast some thick slices of country bread for dipping; rub the toast gently with a clove of garlic and douse in Tuscan olive oil to make classic fettunta (literally “oily slice”). At the very least, use homemade or store-bought croutons. The soup is meant to be extremely soft, so it cries out for textural contrast.

Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous swirl of Tuscan olive oil. If you like, add a squeeze of lemon and some grated cheese. Serve with your fettunta or croutons and enjoy "una coccola calda perfetta" (a perfect, warm inner hug).

Notes: Most traditional recipes call for winter squash like acorn or butternut, whose distinctive earthy sweetness I honestly cannot stand; I much prefer the texture and neutral-vegetal flavor of summer squash. Feel free to omit the zucchini and add ½-¾ # of peeled and cubed winter squash after the tomato paste. You may need to lengthen the cooking time depending on the age of the squash and your desired tenderness level.

Classically, the soup utilizes Savoy cabbage, which is a bitch to find even in the Bay Area. If you happen across it, lose 1 one of the kale bunches, chop half the head of cabbage into ribbons, and add it in with the kale.

Also traditional are borlotti (cranberry) beans, tan beans with pretty streaks of Burgundy; if you can find them canned or have the luxury of time and can cook them from their dried state, definitely use those instead of white beans.

If you don’t have access to lacinato/dino kale, use regular or even red kale; make sure to strip the leaves from the stems. If you dislike kale, feel free to swap in chopped Swiss chard, escarole, or spinach (not baby spinach, whose high oxalate content will ruin the texture); just add it with the beans toward the end of cooking so it doesn’t get slimy.

For an extra flavor boost, add ¼# of finely chopped pancetta or prosciutto with the onions, carrots, and celery.

😋 Made Tom Yum Soup with some minor modifications for my citrus allergy. It’s HEAVENLY. Hence - why I took a photo after I started eating 😅

I had a several ounces of guanciale left over from making carbonara. I usually make my split pea with bacon so I just substituted.

I use the rendered fat to sauté the veggies, and then cracked the strips over the finished soup like bacon bits.

Hello! I love the idea of doing a soup party and have read some posts from folks who have had friends bring different soups and then everyone tries them all and votes on the winner. For those that have done soup parties before, could you share info about the logistics? How do you keep the soups warm before serving? Do you ask people to bring bowls? Thank you, fellow soup lovers!

This turned out great! The recipe called for sausage but I subbed in a rotisserie chicken.

Grass fed beef (bones and meat) is the main actor here. Then added what I had around: Leeks Carrots Celeriac Parsnips Kohlrabi Potatoes Green parsley Lovage Garlic Salt Pepper Lemon juice

I love to make soup, but rarely make a cream/dairy based, let alone one with cheese that’s not just for garnish.

That said, this soup was SO good, despite it looking… not good. Any tips for getting the shredded cheddar to melt into the soup a little more? This is on my reheat the next day. I did, admittedly, add too much chicken broth, so I’m working if the milk/broth ratio made it too watery.

It's the Kimchi beef broth goodness we saw on here the other day! It was as good as I thought it was going to be!

Nothing groundbreaking about the recipe: mirepoix, crushed garlic, green beans, garbanzo and red beans. 1 can each diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Water and turkey stock. Bay leaf, basil, oregano and thyme. Salt, a little sugar, lemon juice and red wine. Add black pepper and a splash of Tabasco if you like a kick.

Been craving soup for a while, finally made myself a pot that I hope lasts at least a week.