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Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 400
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb about 450 g Italian sausage (mild or spicy, your choice)
  • 4 –6 slices of bacon diced (optional but adds great flavor)
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 3 –4 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 –5 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes
  • 6 –8 cups about 1.4–1.9 L chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half for a lighter version
  • ~5 cups kale destemmed and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or a mix of dried oregano, thyme, and basil
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes optional, if you like a little heat
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Method
 

  1. Cook the sausage and bacon
  2. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, brown the Italian sausage over medium heat. Break it up as it cooks so it's in small crumbles.
  3. If you’re using bacon, add the diced bacon too and cook until it's crisp. Remove most of the fat, leaving about 1–2 tablespoons in the pot.
  4. Sauté aromatics
  5. Add the chopped onion to the remaining fat in the pot, and cook until it becomes translucent, about 4–5 minutes.
  6. Then stir in the minced garlic and cook briefly (1 minute) until fragrant.
  7. Add broth and potatoes
  8. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (if using), stirring once or twice.
  9. Pour in the chicken broth, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
  10. Add the cubed potatoes. Let the soup simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes (depending on the size of your cubes).
  11. Add kale and finish with cream
  12. Once the potatoes are just cooked, stir in the chopped kale. Let it simmer for another 4–5 minutes, until the kale wilts but still retains some color.
  13. Turn off or lower the heat. Stir in the heavy cream (or half-and-half) slowly, so the soup becomes creamy but doesn't boil violently.
  14. Return the cooked sausage (and bacon, if set aside) into the pot. Stir gently to combine everything. Taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed.
  15. Serve & garnish
  16. Ladle the soup into bowls. Optionally, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
  17. Serve it hot, ideally with crusty bread or garlic bread to soak up the rich broth.

Notes

Thicker texture: If you prefer a thicker soup, you can whisk a simple slurry of cornstarch + water or cream and stir it in at the end. (Some recipes do this.)
Lighter version: Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, or even substitute some of the sausage with white beans to reduce fat.
Dairy-free: Use coconut cream or cashew cream, but temper it first by mixing a little hot broth in, so it doesn’t curdle.