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Kale, Fennel and White Bean Soup with Parmesan Croutons
We love ribollita, the rustic, hearty Tuscan meal in a bowl. But for this recipe we wanted a lighter vegetable and bean soup, one that kept the focus on the freshness of the ingredients. So we took out the stale bread that’s simmered into ribollita to thicken it and instead made some crisp, craggy croutons that we tossed with grated Parmesan and scattered on top of individual bowlfuls. This soup uses water instead of broth; the flavor backbone comes from the aromatics as well as from the umami-rich tomato paste and the chunk of Parmesan rind that’s simmered in the mix.
4 to 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t discard the stems from the kale. Chop them and reserve separately from the leaves. We sauté the stems with the onion and fennel to bolster the soup’s green, minerally flavor. Lacinato kale is sometimes sold as Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale or cavolo nero. Also, drain but don’t rinse the beans. The starchy liquid that clings to them lends body to the broth.
1¼ hours
Ingredients
-
8
ounces rustic bread, torn into bite-size pieces (4 cups)
-
4
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. Distribute the bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Toss, then bake until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with about half of the Parmesan and toss; set aside.
Reviews
February 13, 2026
Very Good
I really enjoyed the soup not only did it taste good but it’s very healthy because you use water and no broth. The only comment I would make is that the Parmesan pied can stay in the soup and you eat it. I certainly would not discard it. I originally just toasted two slices of Italian bread, but I ended up breaking it up and putting it on top of the soup and it was a very nice addition I would make the soup again.
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