Description
Rustic Italian zuppa toscana brings hearty comfort straight from Tuscany’s countryside, blending creamy potatoes, spicy sausage, and tender kale into one soul-warming bowl. Savory flavors mingle beautifully, inviting you to savor each comforting spoonful of this classic peasant soup.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Liquid Ingredients:
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Render the sausage in a spacious stockpot over medium-high heat, methodically fragmenting the meat into bite-sized morsels until golden brown and crisp.
- Extract the sausage using a perforated utensil, preserving one tablespoon of rendered fat in the pot.
- Caramelize diced onions in the reserved fat for approximately 5 minutes, developing a translucent and fragrant base.
- Introduce minced garlic and sauté for an additional 60 seconds, intensifying the aromatic profile.
- Incorporate cubed potatoes, prepared chicken stock, and previously cooked sausage into the pot.
- Elevate to a gentle simmer and allow ingredients to meld for 10 minutes, ensuring potatoes reach a tender consistency.
- Fold in fresh, chopped kale and heavy cream, creating a luscious texture and vibrant color.
- Continue simmering for an additional 5 minutes, allowing flavors to harmonize and kale to soften slightly.
- Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to enhance the overall taste profile.
- Distribute the soup into serving vessels and garnish with crispy, crumbled bacon for a delightful textural contrast.
Notes
- Customize Protein by swapping spicy Italian sausage with mild ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version.
- Reduce Fat by using turkey bacon instead of regular bacon and choosing half-and-half or whole milk in place of heavy cream.
- Make Gluten-Free by ensuring your chicken stock is certified gluten-free and checking sausage ingredients for hidden gluten components.
- Boost Nutrition by adding extra vegetables like diced carrots or spinach to increase vitamin and mineral content while maintaining soup’s authentic flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg