Name: Tuscan Soup with White Beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 bulb fennel; 2 bunches Tuscan kale or other dark leafy greens (Swiss chard, spinach, mustard greens); 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes (San Marzano, if possible); 4 cups vegetable broth (or canned broth); 2 cups water; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; Pecorino cheese to garnish (optional)

Ready in just 30 minutes, this Tuscan soup with white beans has a rich savory flavor thanks to smoked paprika and fennel.

There’s nothing we love more than trying to come up with a way to use the ingredients we have on hand or see at our local market! This Tuscan soup was inspired by some greens from a local food delivery, combined with the memory of a soup made by a good friend a while back. It turned out so delicious that we had to make it again immediately. The combination of hearty, tangy broth and garlicky white beans make it a recipe we repeat again and again around here. Plus, people tell us it tastes like pizza! (We agree.)

Key ingredients in this Tuscan soup

This Tuscan soup is over the top delicious. In fact, I pulled out the superlatives tasting this Tuscan bean soup (“this is the best soup…ever!”). Some people tell us is tastes like liquid pizza! Here are a few of the key ingredients that make the magic:

San Marzano tomatoes: San Marzano tomatoes are a variety of tomato that’s grown in Italy. They’re now pretty readily available canned in most stores in the US.
Fresh fennel: We love the subtle hearty flavor it gives here. It doesn’t have any of the licorice flavor that raw fennel has. If you don’t think you like fennel based on the raw variety, give this cooked fennel a chance!
Smoked paprika: The smoked paprika in this Tuscan bean soup makes a huge difference to the final flavor of this dish. You only need the tiniest amount to achieve a slightly smoky, umami flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use regular paprika, but the final flavor will not be the same. It’s worth buying some smoked paprika for this Tuscan soup: and you can use it in so many more recipes (see below).

How to eat more greens: Tuscan soup!

This Tuscan soup is super nutritious, especially since it’s loaded with dark leafy greens. This is one of our favorite ways to eat greens, and we recommend this soup often. Because the cooked greens easily take on the flavor of the soup, you feel like you’re eating pizza when you’re really eating kale or chard! It’s a magic tip, in our house.

When making this soup, feel free to use whatever leafy greens you have on hand. Heartier greens like kale, collards, or Swiss chard work wonderfully here. But adding a few handfuls of baby spinach leaves during the last few minutes of cooking will also work. Serve this Tuscan bean soup with homemade focaccia bread, multigrain bread or sourdough bread if you have extra time on your hands, or pair it with a simple side salad.

Related: 10 Romantic Dinner Recipes

More smoked paprika recipes

Did you buy some smoked paprika for this Tuscan bean soup and not sure how to use it up? Here are some smoked paprika recipes that use it. We use it all the time in our recipes, since it adds an irresistible smoky undertone!

Make up a festive Spanish Paella
Cook a pot of Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
Use it for seasoning in Classic Shrimp Fajitas
Make deliciously meatless Vegan Walnut Taco Meat
Mix up a batch of Smoky Button Mushrooms
Try it in Homemade Ketchup

This Tuscan soup recipe is…

This Tuscan soup is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy free.

Related: Try using our Homemade Vegetable Broth for this recipe!