This super delish, comforting, and easy Zuppa Toscana will rock your world. This hearty Italian soup is known for its bold, savory flavors. Be sure to make enough as you will want more. I made an Olive Garden version of Zuppa Toscana and a more traditional Italian Zuppa Toscana soup. Both are equally delicious.
For a more traditional Zuppa Toscana version I added these:
2stalkscelery diced
2small carrotsdiced
4Roma tomatoesseeded, chopped
Seasonings:
1tspred pepper flakesoptional
2tspsaltor more to taste
¼tspfreshly ground black pepperor more to taste
Serve with: (optional)
Bacon bits
Parmesan cheese
Crusty Italian bread
Instructions
Peel and cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces. Soak them in the water to prevent browning. Drain off the water just before you are ready to use them
I use store-bought pre-cut kale. They are nicely chopped into small pieces. If you buy the whole bunch, pick the leaves and avoid the stems. You can save the stems for juicing or decomposing
Cooking:
Preheat a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until they are lightly browned. Remove from the pot. Leave the bits and oil left in the pot
Add the bacon pieces and cook until they are crispy. Set aside a few tablespoons of the bacon bits if you want them for topping later. Add the onion and garlic (celery, tomatoes and carrots if using) and saute until the onion is soft, about 2-3 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning
Add the chicken broth and seasonings. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add the cut potatoes. Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft but not mushy, about 5 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes
Saute the kale (optional step):
Many people dislike kale. I have made this several times and I found that when I saute the kale separately before adding to the soup, people actually like them better. They are softer yet retain their green color nicely
I put about 1 Tbsp of oil in a pan to heat up then I saute the kale until they are wilted but still retains nice green color. This usually takes no more than 5 minutes. Remove and set aside
Back to the soup:
If you plan not to saute the kale, add the kale into the soup and let them cook for about 2-3 minutes or until they are tender to your liking. Then add the sausages followed by the cream. Have a taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference
If you saute your kale separately, add them in followed by the sausages and the cream. Have a taste and adjust the seasonings to you preference. Let them heat up for about a minute and then off the fire and serve
Our family would devour this soup as is with some crusty Italian bread like ciabatta or other crusty bread, but you can top the soup with extra crispy bacon bits and some parmesan cheese if you like
How to store leftovers:
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stove until just heated through
How to freeze:
Let the soup cool down completely. I would portion them out into individual serving size and transfer it to a freezer-friendly container or freezer bag, push all the air out and seal the bag. Keep them in the freezer for up to one month. Simply reheat on the stove when ready to serve
Notes
You can adjust the consistency of the soup, for soupy or creamy by adding more broth and/or use more cream