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Kale, Fennel and White Bean Soup with Parmesan Croutons

Kale, Fennel and White Bean Soup with Parmesan Croutons

By Rose HattabaughNovember 3, 2021

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    1¼ hours

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.

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.

Ingredients
  • 8

    ounces rustic bread, torn into bite-size pieces (4 cups)

  • 4

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 cup), plus a 2-inch piece of Parmesan rind

  • 1

    medium red OR yellow onion, chopped

  • 1

    medium fennel bulb, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cored and sliced ½ inch thick against the grain

  • 1

    bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and chopped, leaves roughly chopped, reserved separately

  • 2

    tablespoons tomato paste

  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, minced

  • ½

    cup dry white wine

  • 2

    sprigs thyme

  • ½

    teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 15 ½

    ounce can cannellini beans, drained but not rinsed

Step 1

Heat 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.

Step 2

In a large pot over medium, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering.

Add the onion, fennel, kale stems and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and garlic; cook, stirring, until the tomato paste begins to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot, about 1 minute.

Add the wine, thyme and pepper flakes, then cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in the beans, the kale leaves, Parmesan rind (if using), 5 cups water, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the kale is very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 4

Remove and discard the thyme and Parmesan rind (if used). Taste and season with salt and black pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the croutons and the remaining Parmesan and drizzle with additional oil.