Zuppa toscana (lit.'Tuscan soup'), also known in Italy as minestra di pane (lit.'bread soup'), is a soup from the region of Tuscany, northern Italy. While there are many variations, its most common ingredients are cannellini beans, potatoes, and kale.[1]

Zuppa toscana
TypeSoup
CoursePrimo (Italian course), one-dish meal
Place of originItaly
Region or stateTuscany
Main ingredientsCannellini beans, potatoes, kale
VariationsOlive Garden version: Italian sausage, red pepper, onion, bacon, garlic, chicken broth, cream

History

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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 about Leonardo da Vinci eating it himself. This soup has become part of Tuscan identity.[2]

Similarly-named dishes

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The American restaurant chain Olive Garden offers a very different soup under the name zuppa 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]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Burros, Marian (1992-11-25). "Eating Well". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  2. ^ Sutton, David E. (December 2004). "Around the Tuscan Table: Food, Family, and Gender in Twentieth-Century Florence. Carole M. Counihan". Journal of Anthropological Research. 60 (4): 587–589. doi:10.1086/jar.60.4.3631155. ISSN 0091-7710.
  3. ^ "Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana: Tuscan Soup Recipe made at the restaurant". www.tuscanrecipes.com. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  4. ^ "Zuppa Toscana". Olive Garden. Retrieved 2024-05-16.