Zuppa Toscana Italian Soup (Printable)
Hearty Italian soup with sausage, potatoes, kale, and a luscious creamy broth for cozy nights.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 14 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 5.3 oz fresh kale, chopped
→ Dairy
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)
→ Liquids
08 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
→ Seasonings
10 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook until evenly browned, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, cook the diced onion until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the sliced potatoes and chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork.
04 - Return the browned sausage to the pot along with the chopped kale. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the kale has wilted and softened.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and season with red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to taste. Heat through gently, but do not allow the soup to boil.
06 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with crusty bread alongside.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It tastes like it took hours but the whole thing comes together in under an hour with mostly pantry staples.
- The creamy broth spiked with sausage fat is the kind of flavor that makes people close their eyes when they take the first spoonful.
02 -
- Never let the soup boil after adding the cream or it will separate and look grainy instead of silky.
- Slicing the potatoes thin and even is the difference between perfectly tender bites and crunchy surprises in your soup.
03 -
- Remove the kale stems completely, they never soften enough no matter how long you cook them and they ruin the texture of every spoonful.
- Let the soup rest off the heat for ten minutes before serving because the broth thickens into the perfect consistency as it cools slightly.