Zuppa Toscana
Creamy Zuppa Toscana recipe, full of crumbled sausage, crispy bacon and tender potatoes in a creamy broth! Make this Olive Garden Soup right at home.
Ingredients
- 500 g spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 125 g bacon, rind removed and diced
- 2 teaspoons butter
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced or crushed
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 4-5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 3 cups kale leaves, stalks removed and chopped
- grated parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- In a large non-stick pot, sauté the sausage meat for 6-8 minutes on medium-high heat until browned, using a wooden spoon to break up into small pieces. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate and set it aside.
- Cook the bacon in the same pot over medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until crispy. Drain, leaving about 2 teaspoons of drippings in the pot. Transfer cooked bacon to the same plate with the sausage meat.
- In the same pot, sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
- Increase heat to high. Add chicken broth, water and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a boil until potatoes are just tender. Stir in kale, cream, sausage and bacon. Let simmer for 2 minutes until kale leaves have softened.
Notes
- If you're looking for a kid-friendly recipe, swap out the spicy Italian sausage with either pork fennel sausages or pork sausages.
- Try something different - add 1/2 cup dry white wine into the soup at the same time as the chicken broth and water.
- Cut potatoes into even pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Serve with grated or flaked parmesan cheese on top, garlic bread and a nice glass of chilled white wine!