Zuppa Toscana recipes are all over pintrest. There are so many that I probably have about 6 different variations pinned in my “recipes to try” board because I cannot decide which one could be better. This winter my Zuppa Toscana recipe problem was solved. My brother-in-law’s wonderful girlfriend, Leah, told me about this amazing soup she and her sister made. I looked at the recipe on her facebook page and thought, “Alright this is it! If Leah thinks this one is the best then it must be the best.” I promptly deleted the other pins so as to not get confused with all the recipes. A few weeks later I made the soup. You guys, I cannot say it enough, this recipe is amazing! What is even more crazy is that we made it without bacon. The plan was to make a big pot of soup and take it over to my father-in-law’s house for dinner. Since he was eating with us I tried to subtract as much sodium as possible which meant the bacon had to go. I would describe this dish as creamy, hearty, spicy, and comforting. There is something to be said about a big ol’ bowl of soup that really does warm the soul.
Serves: 10 Calories: 290 per serving Time: 1 hr
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Italian sausage, we used the spicy stuff
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, less if you do not like it too hot
- 3 large russet potatoes, cubed (skin is optional)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 cups of kale, chopped
- 64 oz of chicken broth, we used less sodium
- 2 cups of water
- 1.5 cups of whipping cream
- 1 hearty tsp of white pepper
Directions:
- In a large pan, brown the sausage and stir in the pepper flakes. Transfer to a dish and set aside
- To the same pan add the onions and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, until onions are tender.
- Stir in chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes and cook until soft (approximately 20-30 minutes)
- Once potatoes are cooked, add the whipping cream, cooked sausage and white pepper. Cook until heated through.
- Add kale just before serving.
- Dish and enjoy!
*Photo is an original belonging to me
*Recipe adapted from http://www.bigoven.com