While it’s positively packed with vegetables, this soup is still hearty and filling. We rendered the fat from pancetta and used it to cook the vegetables to add more depth of flavor. The addition of white beans and pasta help make it a meal.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/8-inch pieces
- 3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 large celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounces small Yukon potatoes, quartered
- 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- One 14-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
- 4 cups packed curly kale leaves, torn
- One 15-ounce can cannellini beans plus liquid
- 1/2 cup dry ditalini or other small pasta shape
- Grated Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Return the pancetta to the pot, stir in the tomatoes and 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.
- Add the kale, beans and their liquid and pasta and continue to cook until the pasta is cooked through and the kale is tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with grated Parmesan.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 266 |
| Total Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 10 mg |
| Sodium | 649 mg |
Reviews
Love this recipe! I’ve been making it for years and it still gets rave reviews from my friends and family!
Looks great. Substitute for kale?
Great soup! I used low sodium broth for half the water required. I added mushrooms and leeks….fabulous soup!
Love this recipe! A true family favorite. I have also added fresh romas and I have used crushed tomatoes instead of the whole canned. Makes great leftovers too!
So so good! I added Italian sausage, butternut squash, and yellow squash and omitted the potatoes.. I accidentally used crushed tomatoes and more pasta and less water .. anyways absolutely delicious and if I followed the exact recipe I’m convinced that it would be equally as delicious
Delicious! I have made twice. Doubled the vegetables(except kale)
I love this soup. Its hearty and provides many meals for this single household. I prefer a saltier flavor so I used chicken stock for 6 out of theb8 cups of water.
Absolutely delicious! I doubled the pancetta, which was wrapped with black pepper that gave the soup a tiny extra kick of heat. Also, I increased the garlic to about 8 cloves, used swiss chard instead of kale and used a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes. Served with warm sourdough bread and butter. Truly a delicious, hearty soup!
Made vegan so skipped the pancetta and used some vegan parmesan on top upon serving. Delicious. Used one yellow & once zucchini as well.
My Husband and Teenage Daughter loved it! It is delicious and an easy way to incorporate kale which we don’t normally eat.