Italian Curly Kale, White Bean & Parmesan Soup
A rustic Tuscan-style soup of creamy white beans, garlic and Aeroveg Italian Curly Kale, finished with parmesan — one pot, 35 minutes, deeply comforting.
This is the kind of soup Tuscan grandmothers have been making for generations — and Aeroveg Italian Curly Kale is exactly the leaf it was built around. Grown hydroponically, our kale is more tender than field-grown cavolo nero cousins, so it melts into the broth in minutes while keeping a gentle, earthy bite. One pot, humble ingredients, and a finish of parmesan that ties it all together.
Method
- Build the base. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion and carrot with a pinch of salt for 6–8 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic and chilli. Stir in the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Simmer the beans. Add the beans, stock and parmesan rind if using. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Thicken it. Mash a ladleful of beans against the side of the pot to give the broth a creamy body.
- Wilt the kale. Stir in the Aeroveg Italian Curly Kale and simmer for 3–4 minutes until just tender and vividly green.
- Season and finish. Remove the rind, season with salt and pepper, and stir through half the grated parmesan.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls, top with the remaining parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve with toasted sourdough.
Aeroveg Italian Curly Kale needs far less cooking than supermarket kale — three to four minutes in the broth is enough. Any longer and you'll lose that bright green colour and gentle bite that make this soup special.