Description
Zuppa Toscana is a hearty Italian-inspired soup featuring ground Italian sausage, potatoes, kale, and a creamy broth, perfect for a comforting meal any time of year. This recipe combines savory sausage with a flavorful blend of seasonings, tender potatoes, and nutritious kale, all simmered together to create a rich and satisfying soup that's easy to prepare on the stovetop.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, hot or mild
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (can substitute Worcestershire sauce)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3-4 small russet potatoes, about 1 pound
- 3 cups kale, roughly chopped
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
For Serving
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Roughly chopped bacon
Instructions
- Cook the sausage: In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook and crumble the Italian sausage until fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings and set the sausage aside. If you don’t have enough drippings, add an additional tablespoon of butter.
- Sauté onions and seasonings: Add the reserved drippings and butter to the pot. Add diced onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, hot sauce, soy sauce, mustard powder, dried parsley, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for 1 more minute to develop flavors.
- Make the roux: Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir continuously for 2 minutes until the raw flour smell is gone and mixture is lightly toasted.
- Add liquids and bring to simmer: Gradually add chicken broth in small splashes while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Then add heavy cream in the same manner. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
- Prepare and add potatoes: Wash and dry the russet potatoes. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice into ¼-inch thick pieces. Add the potatoes and the cooked sausage to the soup pot.
- Simmer the soup: Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are nearly fork-tender. Stir in the kale and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes until kale is tender.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese, chopped bacon, and extra red pepper flakes if desired. Serve hot and enjoy.
Notes
- Use hot Italian sausage for a bit of spice, or mild Italian sausage if you prefer less heat.
- Mustard powder, hot sauce, and soy sauce are subtle flavor enhancers and do not add heat; Frank's hot sauce is recommended.
- Spinach can replace kale if preferred.
- The sausage is cooked over medium heat to retain juiciness and ensure flavorful drippings for the roux.
- For garnish, freshly grated Parmesan adds authentic flavor.
- This soup pairs excellently with crusty No Knead Bread for dipping.
- Slow Cooker Alternative: Follow initial steps for cooking sausage and onions, then transfer ingredients (except heavy cream, potatoes, and kale) to the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Add potatoes during the last 45 minutes; finally stir in heavy cream and kale and heat through for 5 minutes before serving.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Cream-based soups may slightly change texture when reheated from frozen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
