Italian Soups (Zuppe and Minestre)
Tuscany is famous for its soups: thick, rustic and built on beans, seasonal vegetables, good olive oil and day-old bread. They were born as peasant food, but today they are some of the most loved dishes in Italian cooking.
These are the soups we make with guests on our Tuscan cooking holidays: pappa al pomodoro, minestrone with cavolo nero, pasta e fagioli, pasta and chickpea soup, Tuscan bean and farro soup, acquacotta, and the red onion soup from our own town of Certaldo. Most are vegetarian or vegan, and many taste even better the next day.
Spring minestrone: light Tuscan vegetable soup with beans
A slow-cooked minestrone made with fresh seasonal ingredients and served with good bread is a healthy and delicious dinner or lunch.
Tuscan minestrone with cavolo nero and beans
The distinctive taste of this soup comes from the cavolo nero ("black cabbage"). This has recently been popularized by chefs such as Jamie Oliver and is now available in many farmers' markets.
Tuscan bean and farro soup (zuppa di farro)
This bean and spelt soup hails from the Lucca region of Tuscany, known for its hearty, honest cuisine. Rich in legumes and grains, it’s a rustic, comforting dish made with farro, borlotti beans, and good olive oil. Creamy and nourishing, this traditional Luccan soup is perfect for cozy winter dinners.
Creamy fennel and saffron soup
A silky Tuscan soup of browned fennel and saffron, light and golden, made with just a handful of ingredients. An elegant first course for autumn.
Creamy artichoke soup with potato and toasted hazelnuts
This is an adapted version of a traditional Jewish-Italian Purim dish.
Acquacotta: Tuscan “cooked water” soup with kale and egg
Tuscan acquacotta, or “cooked water”: a hearty vegetable soup with cavolo nero, porcini and tomato, served over toasted bread and topped with an egg.
Certaldo onion soup: Tuscan red onion soup with toasted bread
Our local town, Certaldo, had been famous for almost a thousand years for its delicious red onions. A group of local farmers has been growing them and popularising them again. They are used in many dishes. One of the most popular is this simple, warming soup.
Pappa al pomodoro: Tuscan tomato, bread and basil soup
This classic summer dish is very versatile: it can be eaten hot, at room temperature or chilled. It does however rely on ripe, tasty tomatoes.
Pasta e ceci: Tuscan pasta and chickpea soup with rosemary
This dish is lighter than it sounds, but is satisfying enough to have as a one-course meal with bread to dip into the bowl. It is a hit on our cooking courses in Italy, particularly the vegetarian ones.
Roasted red pepper soup with garlic yogurt
Manuela adapted a green pepper soup that she tasted in the famous Cibrèo in Florence, and came up with this smooth, full-flavoured delight.
Pasta e fagioli: Tuscan pasta and cannellini bean soup
Since Italian cuisine is so regional, there are dozens of versions of this delicious, hearty soup. In Tuscany, white cannellini beans are used.