Description
Zuppa Toscana is a hearty and comforting Italian-inspired soup featuring spicy Italian sausage, tender russet potatoes, and nutritious kale simmered in a rich, creamy broth. Perfect for a warming lunch or dinner, this flavorful soup combines savory seasonings and creamy textures with a touch of heat and the freshness of greens, making it a satisfying meal especially paired with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Base
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, hot or mild
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 small russet potatoes, about 1 lb.
- 3 cups kale, roughly chopped
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (can substitute Worcestershire sauce)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 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 Sausage: In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook and crumble the Italian sausage until fully cooked through, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings and set the sausage aside. If there are insufficient drippings, add 1 additional tablespoon of butter.
- Sauté Onions and Aromatics: Add the reserved drippings and butter to the soup pot. Add diced onion and cook over medium heat until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic, hot sauce, soy sauce, mustard powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, and optional red pepper flakes; cook for another 1 minute to release flavors.
- Make Roux: Sprinkle the flour over the cooked onions and stir continuously for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Add Liquids: Gradually add chicken broth in small splashes while stirring to avoid lumps. Then, add the heavy cream gradually the same way. Increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Prepare and Add Potatoes and Sausage: Wash and dry potatoes, then cut them in half lengthwise and slice into ¼-inch pieces. Add the sliced potatoes and cooked sausage back into the soup pot.
- Simmer Potatoes: Continue simmering the soup for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are nearly fork tender.
- Add Kale and Finish Cooking: Stir in the chopped kale and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until kale is tender and flavors meld.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, chopped bacon, and an extra pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- The mustard powder, hot sauce, and soy sauce act as subtle flavor enhancers and do not make the soup spicy.
- Use hot Italian sausage for authentic flavor or mild sausage if you prefer less heat.
- Cooking sausage over medium heat helps retain juiciness and produces flavorful drippings used in the base.
- Spinach can substitute kale if preferred.
- Pair this soup with crusty, airy bread for an excellent dipping experience.
- For a slow cooker version, cook the sausage and aromatics as directed, then transfer everything except cream, potatoes, and kale to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add potatoes 45 minutes before finishing, then stir in cream and kale at the end.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months; potatoes may soften after freezing but the soup maintains good flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
