The gratin vegetable soup is a simple and wholesome dish, an ideal recipe for the autumn and winter awaiting us: warm, enveloping, and tasty, the gratin vegetable soup is conceptually inspired by the classic Tuscan ribollita, sharing with it several ingredients: potatoes, kale, beans, carrots, onions. Like the ribollita, this mixed vegetable soup also calls for a few slices of stale bread to be added at the bottom at the end of cooking, which soak up the flavor and provide a pleasant variety of textures. And then there’s the final touch: a generous sprinkle of grated emmental cheese on top, much like the French onion soup. The vegetable soup is then quickly placed in the oven to gratinate, so that the cheese melts into a golden crust that will make your mouth water. A recipe that celebrates genuine flavors without too many complications, perfect for convivial moments with family and friends. Try this gratin vegetable soup and let yourself be enveloped by its unique flavor!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 305.83 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 36.84 (g) of which sugars 5.65 (g)
- Proteins 9.98 (g)
- Fat 14.24 (g) of which saturated 1.39 (g)of which unsaturated 0.10 (g)
- Fibers 6.60 (g)
- Sodium 419.30 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 350 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Gratin Vegetable Soup
- 10.5 oz potatoes
- 7 oz kale
- 4.2 oz fresh borlotti beans (shelled, or frozen)
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste water (hot; about 1 quart)
- 2.6 oz stale bread (for me gluten-free)
- 2.1 oz emmental cheese
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot earthenware
- 4 Cocotte individual earthenware
- 1 Grater large hole
How to Make Gratin Mixed Vegetable Soup
To prepare the gratin vegetable soup, start by peeling the onion and slicing it thinly (1). Scrape and trim the carrots, then slice them into fairly thin rounds (2). Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes (3).
Clean the kale leaves by removing the central rib, then wash them thoroughly under running water and slice into strips (4). In an earthenware pot or a large heavy-bottomed pot, pour the oil and add the onion and carrots immediately (5). Turn on the heat and let them simmer gently on low heat (6).
Then add the potatoes and beans (7) and immediately moisten the soup with about half a quart of hot water (8). Salt, cover with a lid, and let cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, gradually adding more hot water as the previous amount is absorbed.
After 15 minutes, add the kale (9). Adjust the salt and add a little more water. Continue cooking the vegetable soup for another 15 minutes, still with the pot covered, stirring occasionally and adding more hot water if needed.
Meanwhile, grate the emmental cheese with a large hole grater (10). Prepare slices of stale bread, ideally sized to fit the bottom of individual bowls.
When the vegetable soup is cooked, turn off the heat (11). Depending on your preference, you can prepare a thicker or brothier soup, keeping in mind that the bread will absorb most of the liquids, so it’s better not to make it too thick.
Take 4 individual oven-safe cocottes – I used earthenware dishes – and place a slice of bread at the bottom of each (12).
Then divide the vegetable soup among them (13) and cover with plenty of grated cheese (14).
Place the dishes under the oven grill set to maximum power for about 5 minutes, keeping a constant eye on them because some grills are very powerful and you can easily burn the cheese if you’re not careful. As soon as the cheese is melted, take them out of the oven (15).
Serve the gratin vegetable soup immediately, as a first course or a main dish.
Storage
The vegetable soup, before adding bread and cheese, can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Tips and Variations
You can naturally prepare the gratin vegetable soup using the vegetables and legumes you like best in the proportions you prefer; in addition or as a substitute for the mentioned vegetables, you can use Savoy cabbage, Swiss chard, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans… If you buy ready-made minestrone from your grocer, this recipe can be a great idea to cook it differently than usual.
To add even more flavor to gratin vegetable soup, instead of using simple stale bread, you can prepare a kind of bruschetta by seasoning the bread with a little good olive oil and rubbing a clove of garlic on it.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use canned beans?
Of course, you will need about 150 g (weighed already drained). You can add them to the soup along with the kale.
What bread is best to use for the vegetable soup?
I used unsalted bread (gluten-free) I made myself, but you can use any bread you prefer. If you don’t have stale bread, you can slice fresh bread and toast it briefly in the oven.
How do I gratinate the vegetable soup if I don’t have an oven grill?
Instead of using an oven grill, you can use a kitchen torch – the kind used for crème brûlée – or briefly place the dishes in the microwave with the crisp function. In this case, make sure the dishes contain no metal parts (not even in the decorations) and that they are microwave-safe.
