Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
This zuppa toscana recipe makes the best comfort meal from scratch. In less than 30 minutes, you have a bowl of the perfect hearty Italian-inspired soup, and for only a fraction of the restaurant price.
Ingredients
- 6 oz bacon, chopped & cooked
- 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups water
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 2 pounds potatoes (5-6 potatoes), diced
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 cups packed chopped kale, chopped
- 1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot, leaving behind some bacon fat.
- To the same pot, add ground italian sausage and cook over medium heat. Once browned and cooked through, remove the sausage from the pot.
- To the same pot, add finely chopped onion. If you don’t have enough bacon grease, add olive oil. Cook the onion until tender, then add the carrots. Cook until softened.
- Add minced garlic to the pot and cook until fragrant.
- Poor in water and chicken broth, and bring it up to a light boil.
- Add the diced potatoes to the pot and cook for 12-14 minutes or until the potatoes are softened.
- Add the kale into the pot, along with the seasoning.
- To the pot, add kale, along with bacon, sausage, and heavy whipping cream. Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Watch the seasoning. With layers of bacon, seasoned sausage, and chicken broth, this soup is seasoned throughout. You may be tempted to add more than a teaspoon of salt, but be sure to taste the soup after the potatoes are cooked before adding more salt.
- Don’t overcook. Kale cooks quickly, and you don’t want it to be mushy in your soup. This is why we add it last, and about 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish. Serve every bowl of soup with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if you love spice.
- Store leftovers. This soup reheats amazingly! Some say it’s even better the next day! Keep leftover soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove, and enjoy!