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| Type | Soup |
|---|---|
| Course | Primo (Italian course), one-dish meal |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Tuscany |
| Main ingredients | Cannellini beans,potatoes,kale |
| Variations | Olive Garden version: Italian sausage, red pepper, onion, bacon, garlic, chicken broth, cream |
Zuppa toscana (lit. 'Tuscan soup'), also known in Italy asminestra di pane (lit. 'bread soup'), is asoup from the region ofTuscany, northern Italy. While there are many variations, its most common ingredients arecannellini beans,potatoes, andkale.[1]
According to the older generation,minestra di pane (zuppa toscana's ancestor) was originally created as a way to use up leftover stale bread. For the poor, it was a waste to throw this bread away; instead they made a watery soup out of it.Minestra di pane has been part of Italian culture for a long time—so long, in fact, that there are legends aboutLeonardo da Vinci eating it himself. This soup has become part of Tuscan identity.[2]
The American restaurant chainOlive Garden offers a very different soup under the namezuppa toscana. Rather than being based on beans, it is made with Italian sausage, red pepper, onion, bacon, garlic, chicken broth, cream, potatoes, and kale.[3][4]
