Zuppa Toscana Soup (Printer-friendly)
Hearty Italian soup with sausage, potatoes, kale, and creamy broth. Rustic Tuscan comfort in every spoonful.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 14 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casing removed
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
05 - 3.5 oz curly kale, stems removed and chopped
→ Broth & Dairy
06 - 4.2 cups chicken broth
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
→ Oils & Seasonings
08 - 2 tbsp olive oil
09 - 1 tsp dried oregano
10 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
12 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
13 - Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
# How-To Guide:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook until evenly browned and no longer pink, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
02 - Add the diced onion to the pot and sauté until softened and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add the sliced potatoes, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
04 - Stir in the chopped kale and continue simmering until the leaves are wilted and tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
05 - Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and stir in the heavy cream. Warm the soup through gently without bringing it to a boil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy broth combined with the bite of sausage and the tenderness of potatoes is the kind of flavor balance that makes you close your eyes after the first spoonful.
- It reheats beautifully the next day which means lunch at work suddenly becomes something you actually look forward to.
02 -
- Boiling the soup after adding cream will cause it to break and look grainy so keep the heat low and patient.
- Slicing the potatoes thin enough is the single detail that determines whether your broth turns velvety or stays watery.
03 -
- Remove the pot from heat for thirty seconds before adding the cream so the temperature drops just enough to prevent any splitting.
- Massaging the kale with a drop of olive oil before adding it to the pot makes the leaves incredibly tender.