Zuppa Toscana Soup (Printable)
Hearty Italian soup with sausage, potatoes, kale, and creamy broth for cozy comfort.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 14 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 5.3 oz fresh kale, chopped
→ Dairy
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)
→ Liquids
08 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
→ Seasonings
10 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon, and cook until evenly browned throughout, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer the browned sausage to a plate and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, cook the diced onion over medium heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir continuously for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the sliced potatoes and chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
04 - Return the browned sausage to the pot along with the chopped kale. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the kale has wilted and the flavors meld together.
05 - Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Season with crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to taste. Gently heat through without bringing to a boil to prevent the cream from separating.
06 - Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately alongside crusty bread.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- It tastes like something youd pay sixteen dollars for at a restaurant, but it comes together in under an hour at home.
- The creamy broth soaks into the potatoes in a way that makes leftovers even better than the first bowl.
02 -
- Boiling the soup after the cream goes in will cause it to break and look curdled, so keep the heat low and gentle at the end.
- The potatoes continue cooking in the hot broth even off the heat, so pull them off when they are just barely tender or you will have potato porridge.
03 -
- Slice the potatoes as evenly as you possibly can so every piece cooks at the same rate and you do not end up with some falling apart while others are still crunchy.
- Removing the sausage from the pot before cooking the vegetables prevents it from overcooking and drying out while the potatoes simmer.