Sometime in the last year or so I became aware of a new-to-me variety of kale: Tuscan kale. First I noticed it at the farmer's market. Then I saw a wonderful looking recipe for a soup using Tuscan kale (which also goes by many aliases among them black kale, dinosaur kale, and cavolo nero) on Toast, a food blog that is one of my daily reads. Lindy raved about Tuscan kale.
Then this summer I noticed a recipe in The Gourmet Cookbook for minestrone which included kale. The Gourmet Cookbook recommended using Tuscan kale which they described as having a "sweetness reminiscent of artichoke." By this point I'd also seen Tuscan kale at Whole Foods.
Finally last week I acquired a copy of Every Night Italian by Giuliano Hazan which had a recipe for Classic Tuscan Vegetable Soup which he says may vary by what is available but always contains beans and cavolo nero. Tuscan kale had just reappeared at my local farmer's market so I finally got around to trying it.
Interestingly, Giuliano Hazan's recipe uses cabbage and Swiss chard because he found that Tuscan kale was not widely available in 2000 when the book was written. My recipe is based mainly on Giuliano Hazan's although I have used Tuscan kale rather than the cabbage and Swiss chard. I also added pancetta but will probably not use it next time I make this soup. I don't think it added all that much. The orginal recipe also used zucchini which I omitted -- I find zucchinni to have an overly mushy texture in soups -- but if you like it, add it back.
Classic Tuscan Vegetable Soup
3 oz of pancetta in 1/2" dice (optional)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for serving
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 medium leek
1/3 cup celery, peeled to remove strings and in 1/4" dice
1/3 cup carrot in 1/4" dice
1.5 lbs Tuscan kale
1 cup canned cannellini or cranberry beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, coarsley chopped
8 oz white boiling potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2" dice
Salt
Pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1. In a large soup pot, saute the onion in the olive oil over medium-low heat until the onion is golden
2. While the onion is sauteeing, cut off the leak's root end and the tough green leaves, split the leak in half lengthwise, then cut in 1/2" pieces. Put the pieces to soak in a bowl of water to loosen any dirt. When the onion is golden, drain the leak, and add to the onion. Saute for a minute or two and then add the celery. When that has sauteed for a couple of minutes, add the carrots. Then add the kale leaves and saute them for a few minutes.
3. Add the remaining vegetables, season the vegetables with salt and pepper, then add 5 cups cold water, cover the pot and bring to a boil. When the pot comes to a boil, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Giuliano Hazan describes the vegetables as tender, almost creamy when they are done.
4. Just before serving, drizzle a little olive oil over each serving and sprinkle with grated cheese. You can also serve it with a piece of toasted bread in the bottom of each bowl if you are looking for an even more substantial soup. Pour the soup over the bread and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
Let me say that my tastes don't generally veer towards leafy greens -- they veer more towards chocolate and all things unhealthy -- and I have never been a kale fan but I thought this was a delicious and satisfying soup. I took some to my parents who devoured the soup and raved about it. I do have to report though that Mike thought the soup smelled too cabbage-y. Flavor good, smell bad, was his assesment.
I understand about the kale smell thing. For several years I worked with a woman who ate kale for lunch every day. Everyone in the office would complain about how her kale left the office smelling. But I didn't find cabbage-smell syndrome to be a factor with this soup. While the taste wasn't reminiscent of artichokes, I thought the kale did have a pleasant artichoke-like smell.
By the way, when you talk about kale I think it's almost obligatory to mention how full of vitamins and nutrients it is. It's good for you. If you are interested in such things, here's an article that has good information.
I will think forlornly of all the wonderful food you cook while I am eating pizza for the 3rd time this week because I am too pregnant to stand up long enough to cook lol. I can't wait until I am un-pregnant enough, and have time enough, to be able to try some of your recipes! They look soooo yummy!
Posted by: Mrs. S | October 26, 2006 at 06:13 PM
oooh anything remaniscent of artichoke is okay with me! soup looks awesome, mmmmmm :)
Posted by: aria | October 26, 2006 at 09:37 PM
Oh, I'm so happy you've discovered this stuff! It's so delicious. I really like steaming it until it's almost limp, then sauteeing it with a clove or two of garlic in hot olive oil with just a smattering of hot red pepper flakes on top. And Maldon salt. Oh YUM.
Posted by: Luisa | October 27, 2006 at 10:26 AM
mmm, looks yummy. I always want to use kale because it is so healthy. Nice looking soup.
Posted by: angela | October 27, 2006 at 12:34 PM
Ahh--that looks so wonderful!! I like black kale very much, more than kale, so this appeals to me very much! A perfect recipe now that it's getting cooler.
Posted by: sher | October 27, 2006 at 12:47 PM
By the way, could you give me a good recipe for chili?
Posted by: angela | October 27, 2006 at 04:16 PM
isn´t it the best, when you find an ingredient you´ve been reading about for years?
Posted by: lobstersquad | October 28, 2006 at 07:20 AM
Mmm. Got to get me over to Wholefoods and get some black kale. Your post makes me long for some.
Wholefoods is still the only local source here, as far as I know. I actually love the smell, and agree that it is quite different from the smell of regular kale. I think I may have to begin nagging my CSA farmer about growing it.
Posted by: Lindy | October 29, 2006 at 12:56 PM
could this work with spinich ?
I am not a fan of kale .
Posted by: the bee | October 30, 2006 at 12:19 AM
This looks so interesting. I've never had kale... I have no idea what it tastes like, and naturally had no idea what to try it with. Thanks for the recipe.
Posted by: vasilisa | October 30, 2006 at 02:20 AM
Move over spinach. There's a new green in town and it's got none of that E Coli nonsense.
I think I'm going to make this soup tonight when I get back to NYC. It looks gorgeous and sounds delish. It seems like a good supper dish.
Posted by: Anne | October 30, 2006 at 09:51 AM
man, i have been craving lacinato kale for days now... no clue why, i just WANT it
my favorite way to eat it is almost identical to Luisa's
man, delicious
Posted by: ann | October 31, 2006 at 11:38 AM
Oh, I *love* this stuff. I like Luisa's way of preparing it too - and if there are any leftovers (doubtful at my place) they are very versatile - tossed into pasta, scrambled eggs, etc. I have to start buying two bunches at a time because every time I cook a batch I am sad there isn't more of it!
Posted by: Tiny Banquet Committee | October 31, 2006 at 02:03 PM
This is exactly the recipe I was looking for to make for dinner tonight. Unfortunately, that was this morning, and I have since concluded that I do not have time to cook tonight! Too bad, I do have a bit of a kale craving.
Posted by: Julie O'Hara | October 31, 2006 at 02:18 PM
Hey Julie- do you have any recipes for 50 pounds of leftover Halloween candy? Perhaps cook them in a phyllo or maybe a country casarole? I think if anyone can come up w/ it , you can. Perhaps a nice chocolate sauce ? Let me know.
Posted by: the bee | October 31, 2006 at 11:59 PM
I like using rapini for the leafy greens in my soups, but now I must try this Tuscan kale you speak of.
Your soup looks soooo good—I'm getting hungry.
Posted by: blue plate | November 01, 2006 at 02:37 AM
oh, I so want to eat this for dinner tonight! yum-my!
great for those cold and rainy days - can’t thing of something better than enjoying a hot and steamy bowl of this for the TV wearing my pj's = heaven! =)
Posted by: Julia | November 01, 2006 at 04:39 AM
Mrs. S, this soup would be very good for a new mother, delicious and satisfying and full of good vitamins.
aria, I feel the same way! Being reminiscent of artichoke could only be a good thing.
Luisa, sounds delicious! I'll have to give that a try.
Angela, kale is good stuff, and this was a good way to eat it.
sher, it's interesting how black kale is a different taste than regular kale.
lobstersquad, yes! Although I need to qualify that. It's great to find an ingredient that you've been reading about that you like. It's sort of disappointing to read about something, and look forward to it, and then be, "meh..."
Lindy, thanks for being the inspiration that got me to try it. Asking your CSA to grow it is a good idea! Wouldn't that work out well if they did.
Bets, if I were doing spinach I wouldn't cook it as long, but try out this kale, to me it has a different, more pleasing taste (and smell!) than regular kale.
vasilisa, it's worth checking out -- I hope you like it.
Anne, it's a good supper for a cold night. It's a pretty substantial soup.
ann, I have to try your, Luisa's, and TBC's way of cooking it. It seems to be a popular treatment.
TBC, scrambled eggs and pasta are great ideas.
Julie, cutting up all the vegetables takes some time but after that it's really just being there to give it an occasional stir. It's also a good thing to make in advance.
Bets, that's a lot of leftover candy -- did you not have trick-or-treaters?
blue plate, I'm a big rapini fan but oddly enough I've never made a soup with rapini. Good idea!
Julia, you're a woman after my own heart! That sounds like heaven to me too.
Posted by: Julie | November 01, 2006 at 02:57 PM
No, we had 5 trick or treaters and then after 9 pm I went to a party and then work. The candy sits on my dining room table .. it calls to me . So far I have ignored it.
Posted by: the bee | November 04, 2006 at 01:21 AM
Just when you think there nothing new under the sun...
I love the discovery of "new to me"!!!
Posted by: Tanna | November 10, 2006 at 12:26 PM
Speaking of greens (which is vaguely related to this entry), I have a pretty good crop of Swiss Chard if you'd like to have it. It would be a tasty addition to a soup that I'd love to sample if you made it!?
Incidentally, I read that Chard is actually the leafy part of turnips, and Swiss Chard is specially bred so that it doesn't produce a root which allows more energy for leaf production.
Posted by: Thomas of Baltimore (Formerly Seattle Lurker) | November 25, 2006 at 01:26 AM