Tuscan Tomato Bean Soup with Kale.

This tuscan tomato bread soup is so good I could cry.

Forgive me because I’m putting bread IN your soup.

Just when I thought that I couldn’t love tomato soup more… oh my gosh.

YOU GUYS.

This tomato bread soup is the coziest soup I have ever eaten. It’s super hearty. It’s packed with flavor. And it’s ridiculously satisfying.

And it’s not like I’m saying you SHOULDN’T make a grilled cheese with this, but what I’m saying is… you don’t even need it.

That means a lot coming from me. I’m like the grilled cheese queen. I live for them. So this is CRAZY.

A few years ago I made a tortilla soup that is actually thickened by tortillas. It remains one of my favorite recipes. So when I saw a recipe like this, I knew I had to try. 

You add the bread directly to the soup and simmer it until it thickens the entire pot. It’s so… rich. Without any added cream or milk or cheese. 

Sure, these IS some cheese (you add a parmesan rind – that’s my favorite thing ever!) and of course, the bread. But it’s such a soul-warming recipe, one that reheats fabulously and all around tastes SO GOOD that you won’t know what to do with yourself.

I’ll say it right now – Eddie is not a tomato soup person. You probably already know this, if only because the guy you’ve been reading about for a decade, the guy who had framed photos of WWE wrestlers hanging on his walls when I met him, has never been a serious soup lover. And I’ve all but skewered him here for it. 

He loves a hearty, meaty chili or even chicken noodle soup – that’s about it.

HOWEVER!!

This passed the Eddie test. It is so, SO hearty for a tomato soup. Honestly it feels more like a bean soup that a tomato soup, that is how packed it is! But the flavor is 100% tomato based and boy oh boy is it fantastic.

So here’s the deal.

You want to use a really good non-seedy, non-grainy bread! That was tricky for me because I actually only like grainy, seedy breads. I had to go out and find a great crusty italian loaf that would work here. 

It’s amazing how the bread melts and dissolves into the soup, while also leaving just the slightest reminder that it is, in fact, bread that is doing the thickening. You know how occasionally you dunk a sandwich into soup, and a piece of the bread gets lost at the bottom until you’re almost finished, and you slurp it up with that last spoonful?

This is kind of like that, but in a really good way. Makes me so happy!

I’ve always loved the tradition of tomato soup with grilled cheese on Halloween night before trick or treating. This is this year’s contribution!

If you’re looking for more inspo, this is my most favorite ever tomato soup in shooter form with grilled cheese sticks. I’ve also made pumpkin bisque with grilled cheese croutons. And tomato cream pasta with grilled cheese crumbs! Oh yes.

Now we can have it all in one bowl.

Tuscan Tomato Bread Soup

Tuscan Tomato Bean Soup with Kale

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins

This tuscan tomato bread soup is super hearty, satisfying and delicious! Leftovers are a hit and you will find yourself craving this in the cooler months.

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4.91 from 22 votes

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Ingredients

• 1 pound dry white beans (navy, cannellini, etc) , soaked overnight
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¾ cup chopped or sliced carrots
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 14 ounce cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 ½ cups crusty italian bread chunks
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 1 parmesan cheese rind
• 1 head tuscan kale, torn from stems and coarsely chopped

Instructions 

• To soak the beans overnight, place them in a large bowl or pot and cover them with a few inches of water. Drain the beans in the morning.
• Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. Stir in the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Cook until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the carrots and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste, stirring to coat all the vegetables in the pot.
• Add the diced tomatoes and vegetable stock. Add the bread in chunks. Stir in the beans, parmesan cheese and parmesan rind. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cover it. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. If it is, reduce the heat!
• When the soup is finished, the bread will have mostly disintegrated into the soup. You can taste and season the soup here if you wish - add more salt and pepper if it doesn’t seem to have enough flavor. This step is important! All canned tomatoes can be different in salt quantities, so be sure to taste and adjust the flavor to your linking.
• 5 to 10 minutes before serving, stir in the kale. I love that the kale has a crisp chew and texture to it. If you prefer it to be softer and more wilted, you can add it in earlier or cook the soup a bit longer. The kale gets softer as it sits.
• Serve the soup with lots of grated parmesan for topping.

Notes

slightly adapted from real simple

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Author: How Sweet Eats

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I appreciate you so much!

Craving a bite of this so badly.