Description
Zuppa Toscana is a comforting Italian soup featuring spicy Italian sausage, tender potatoes, kale, and a creamy broth. This hearty soup balances robust flavors from sausage and seasonings with the creaminess of heavy cream, making it perfect for cozy dinners. Serve it garnished with Parmesan cheese and crispy bacon for an authentic experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 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 (or substitute Worcestershire sauce)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
Vegetables
- 3-4 small russet potatoes (about 1 pound)
- 3 cups kale, roughly chopped
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 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 for about 10 minutes until fully cooked. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings and set the cooked sausage aside. If you lack enough drippings, add an additional tablespoon of butter.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the reserved drippings and butter to the pot. Add the diced onion and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic, hot sauce, soy sauce, mustard powder, dried parsley, oregano, basil, and optional red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Make the roux: Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir continuously for 2 minutes until the raw flour smell disappears and it forms a light roux.
- Add liquids: Gradually add the chicken broth in small splashes while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Then add the heavy cream in the same gradual manner. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently.
- Prepare and add potatoes: Wash and dry the russet potatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise and then slice them into 1/4-inch thick slices. Add the sliced potatoes and cooked sausage back into the soup.
- Simmer potatoes: Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are nearly fork tender.
- Add kale and finish cooking: Stir in the chopped kale and simmer for another 5 minutes until tender and wilted.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, chopped crispy bacon, and additional red pepper flakes if desired. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Flavor enhancers like mustard powder, hot sauce, and soy sauce add depth without overpowering the soup.
- You can use either hot or mild Italian sausage depending on your heat preference; mild keeps it less spicy.
- Cooking the sausage over medium heat helps retain juiciness and provides flavorful drippings for the roux.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds authentic flavor as a garnish.
- Spinach can be substituted for kale if preferred or unavailable.
- For a complete meal, serve alongside crusty, airy bread like no-knead bread for dipping.
- Slow Cooker Option: Skip the flour in the slow cooker method. Prepare sausage and aromatics as usual, then transfer to slow cooker with everything except heavy cream, potatoes, and kale. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add potatoes in last 45 minutes until tender. Lower heat and stir in cream and kale before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Cream-based soups may slightly change texture when reheated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
