As the days become seemingly shorter and the evenings are chillier, it’s the perfect time to start making this easy Tuscan bean soup for lunch or dinner. You only need 3 ingredients (plus some olive oil, salt, and pepper) and you have a delicious warm dish ready to eat in just a few minutes. This is one of my husband’s favorite meals during the cooler months. I didn’t realize that it was an actual recipe until I had recently asked if this soup had a name. He told me they call it Zuppa Lombarda. So I googled it, and sure enough this is a soup that was invented during the late 19th century for the men working on the railroad, connecting Florence to Emilia Romagna, that mostly came from the Lombardia region.
The idea was to have a dish that could be prepared in advance and easily heated up for the workers that finished late, but that wouldn’t lose it’s taste. The original recipe calls for garlic and sage. The quantity really depends on your preferred taste and how many people you’re making the soup for.
Easy Tuscan Bean Soup – Zuppa Lombarda
Ingredients:
- 1 can cannellini beans
- Dry bread (ex: french bread)
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Olive oil to taste
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Directions:
Open the can of cannellini beans and pour them into a small saucepan along with the liquid*. Heat over a low flame until they start to simmer. While the beans are heating up, tear apart about a handful of bread per person and put it directly in the bowl. Cut up the mozzarella in large chunks, a little less than the bread, and add it to the bread in the bowl. When the beans are heated, pour them over the bread and mozzarella. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
* I personally like a little more liquid, so I add about 3/4 cup of water to the beans. 
moxiedamore.wordpress.com 