About fifteen years ago, I went to Olive Garden and had Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Soup) for the first time. I loved it so much that as soon as I got home, I got on-line and searched for recipe. Turned out it was so simple. I have made it countless times and it never fails. There’s Italian sausages, garlic, onion, kale, potatoes and I sprinkle crispy bacon on top before serving. Did I get you at bacon?
This soup doesn’t require a lot of cooking skills and if I could make it fifteen years ago when I didn’t even know how to cook, anyone can do it. When I cook, I usually don’t measure and I adjust seasoning based on taste. I don’t really follow the recipe to the tee when I cook either and it’s been working fine so far.
Let’s cook some food!
Cook bacon until crispy in a medium pot, medium heat (no need to add oil since bacon already has a lot of fat).
Take out the crispy bacon and let it rest on a plate lined with a paper towel.
Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pot, discard the rest. Add chopped onion, cook until translucent. Add minced garlic, stir for 1 minute.
Remove the casing from the sausages, break into small pieces, add them to the pot.
Once the sausages are cooked, add potatoes. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper.
Add chicken broth, bring it to a boil. Let it simmer until the potatoes are cooked and tender.
Add kale, cook for a few minutes until wilted. Taste the soup, add more salt and pepper as needed.
Add a splash of cream, turn off the heat.
Sprinkle with bacon and serve with some toasts. I hope you give this Zuppa Toscana soup a try, the recipe is below.
- 2 slices thick bacon (cut into small pieces)
- 2 links of sweet or spicy Italian sausage
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- ½ large yellow onion (chopped)
- 3 cups torn kale (discard stems)
- 1 box of low sodium chicken broth (32 oz.)
- a splash of heavy cream
- 4 baby Yukon Gold potatoes (sliced into thin disks)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook bacon until crispy in a medium pot, medium heat (no need to add oil since bacon already has a lot of fat).
- Take out the crispy bacon and let it rested on a plate lined with paper towel.
- Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pot, discard the rest.
- Add chopped onion, cook until translucent. Add minced garlic, stir for 1 minute.
- Remove the casing from the sausages, break into small pieces, add them to the pot.
- Once the sausages are cooked, add potatoes. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add chicken broth, bring it to a boil. Let it simmer until the potatoes are cooked and tender.
- Add kale, cook for a few minutes until wilted. Taste the soup, add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Add a splash of cream, turn off the heat. Sprinkle with bacon and serve with some toasts.
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