Not Tuscan Soup

Originally published December 17, 2024

This is not Tuscan soup. Every time you see a recipe with white beans or sun-dried tomatoes, they call it “Tuscan.” We live in Chicago. We’re not live, laugh, loving. And instead of living under the Tuscan sun, we’re struggling under a cold, grey Chicago sky. Try this soup, and you can dream about warmer Italian holidays to come.

Ingredients

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• ½ yellow onion
• 1 head of garlic, roasted
• 1 bunch leafy greens (we used dinosaur kale for this recipe)
• 1 link chicken sausage (optional)
• 32 oz. of veggie stock (bouillon works well here as well
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• A splash of apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Roast your garlic in the oven while you’re prepping the rest of your vegetables
2. Small dice your onions
3. Peel and dice your carrots
4. Remove the kale from stem and cut into 1′ pieces
5. Heat a medium size sauce pot over medium heat
6. Add your olive oil and cook the carrots for a few minutes
7. Then add your onions and cook until lightly browned
8. Add your roasted garlic and stir to incorporate
9. Add the kale and apple cider vinegar, and cook for a few minutes
10. Add salt and pepper, and then add your stock
11. If you’re using sausage, add your cooked and browned sausage to the pot at this time
12. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes
13. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed