Homemade Italian Soup

Votes: 2

Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4-6

This thick and hearty homemade Italian-style soup is packed with essential nutrients and healthy fiber. It features spelt, white beans, and plenty of vegetables—onions, carrots, fennel, tomatoes, and kale. You'll also love the fantastic flavor, made with chicken broth, smoked sausage, and a fragrant Parmesan rind. This warming, filling meal will keep you full on chilly days. To speed up the cooking time, use freshly bought beans; the longer they sit in your pantry, the longer they'll take to cook. Serve topped with a handful of grated Parmesan cheese.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + extra for drizzling
1 leek, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
2 carrots, 1 finely chopped, 1 thinly sliced
Half a fennel root, finely chopped
0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 cup dry small white beans
0.5 - 3/4 cup spelt
1 can (425 g) canned diced tomatoes
2 liters of chicken broth (homemade or store-bought lightly salted)
2-3 sprigs of thyme
Parmesan rind 5 cm long.
370 g Krakow sausage or turkey sausage, cut into half-moon slices
4-5 large Tuscan kale leaves, trimmed of veins and finely chopped (about 2 cups)
Grated Parmesan and freshly squeezed lemon juice, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: leeks, carrot, fennel bulb, red pepper flakes, white beans, spelt groats, tomato pulp, bouillon, thyme, Parmesan cheese, sausage, kale, lemon juice

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek, chopped carrots, and fennel, season with 0.5 teaspoon salt and red pepper flakes. Cook gently until the vegetables are very soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.
Add the white beans and spelt and sauté for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes along with the juices from the can, chicken broth, thyme, Parmesan rind, and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, or until the beans are tender but not mushy; they should be whole. Season with salt to taste.

Add the sausage, kale, and thinly sliced carrots. Cook until the cabbage and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and Parmesan rind. Serve drizzled with a little olive oil, sprinkled with grated Parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired.

Categories:

recipe / Comfort food / Soups / Thick soups and stews / Vegetable soups / Meat soups / European cuisine / Italian cuisine / Giada De Laurentiis

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