Description
This Zuppa Toscana Soup features spicy Italian sausage, crisp bacon, tender potatoes, and nutritious kale, all simmered in a creamy broth. A perfect blend of taste and comfort in every bowl!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound mild Italian Sausage, hot or mild
- 1/2 cup diced bacon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cube beef bouillon, crushed
- 4-5 small Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), rinsed and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
- 3 cups chopped kale hard stems removed (substitute with baby spinach leaves or Swiss chard)
Seasonings
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon EACH: mustard powder, dried parsley, ground fennel
- ½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes , optional, adjust to your taste
For Serving
- Grated Parmesan
Instructions
- In a heavy-based pot or Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. After about 10 minutes, when the sausage is browned and fully cooked, drain off most of the oil, leaving roughly 1 teaspoon of drippings in the pot. Then, transfer the cooked sausage to a plate.
- In the same pot/Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until it becomes crispy, about 2 minutes. After cooking, drain the pot, reserving around 1-2 teaspoons of bacon drippings. Then, transfer to the plate with the cooked sausage.
- Add the reserved drippings and butter to the soup pot, and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until they soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell is gone.
- Turn up the heat to high and pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Season the broth with crushed bouillon and add the seasonings.
- Add the potatoes to the boiling broth and cook them until they are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the heavy cream, the cooked sausage and bacon, and the kale. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2 minutes, until the kale leaves have softened.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Storage
Place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the soup in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. When reheating, gently warm it on the stove or in the microwave. If you've added potatoes in the soup, be aware that they may become softer upon reheating after freezing.
Slow Cooker Method for Zuppa Toscana Soup:
- Transfer to Crock Pot: Put everything except the heavy cream, potatoes, and kale into the slow cooker.
- Cooking Time: Set the Crock Pot to LOW and cook for 5-6 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Add Potatoes: In the last 45 minutes of cooking, add the potatoes. Cook them until they are fork-tender but be careful not to overcook.
- Finishing Touches: Switch the heat to low if it's on high. Gradually stir in the heavy cream, then add the kale. Let everything heat through for about 5 minutes.
- Serve: Your Zuppa Toscana is now ready to enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: Soup recipes
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 534 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 1399 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 109 mg