Leanne's Homemade Tuscan Bean Soup Made Nevada Day Extra Delicious

This was our first year participating in Nevada Day Weekend with our El Dorado winery partners, and we had a great time welcoming visitors from all over Nevada in to the Tasting Room. We made a lot of new Nevadan friends, and were happy to see those we already knew, some of whom visited more than once over the course of the weekend!

To make it extra special, Leanne made a batch of homemade Tuscan Soup each day, which we served with fresh focaccia, to pair with our wines. One of the first new things people noticed when they walked in the door was how amazing our Tasting Room smelled because of the aromatic soup. It was like walking in to an Italian kitchen. So many people asked for the recipe that we knew we had to share it. We recommend making a full batch, because it's addictive, and now that the cold weather is creeping in we basically want to eat it every day!

Ingredients

2 – Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 – Celery ribs, chopped
1 – Yellow onion, chopped
1 – Fennel bulb, sliced thin
5 – Garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
¾ – Cube of butter
Olive oil to coat
Salt and pepper to taste
1 – Long sprig fresh or dried rosemary chopped
½ – Bottle Via Romano Vineyards Vermentino
1 – Can Cannellini Beans, drained
1 – Can Bianchi di Spagna Fagioli (butter beans), drained
1 – Can Kidney Beans, drained
1 – Large Can Chopped Tomatoes, with juices
½ – Butternut squash, cut in 1/2 to 1 inch cubes
1 – Can White Corn
1 – Container Low Sodium Veggie Broth
1 – Container Regular Veggie Broth
3 – Cups Water
1 – Bunch Lacinto Kale, Chiffonade

Directions

• Sauté carrots, celery, onion, garlic and fennel in butter and olive oil. 
• When veggies are clear, salt and pepper to taste and add chopped rosemary.
• Simmer 5 minutes and then add wine.
• Simmer 10 minutes and then add all remaining veggies (except Kale), along with the broth and water.
• Cook on medium for 30-45 minutes and then simmer until time to serve. 
• Add kale a few minutes before serving.
• Ladle in to bowls and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano or roasted fennel slices
• Serve with focaccia and a glass of Via Romano Vineyards Vermentino, or your favorite wine from Via Romano Vineyards. 

Buon Appetito!

Cheers,

The Via Romano Vineyards Team