ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP

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You’re gonna love this soup!

This one is so good! One of the few soups that my whole family loves. When I make it, there are no leftovers because even my picky children gobble this up!  BE SURE TO CHECK BELOW FOR A DAIRY-FREE ADAPTATION OR A CAULIFLOWER ADAPTATION! SERVES SIX. THIS SOUP RECIPE CAN BE HALVED OR DOUBLED. 

Let’s talk ingredients

Onion

I use one large white or yellow onion. Two small onions would be fine too!

Sausage

For this recipe you are going to need one pound of TRADITIONAL sausage. If you like things extra spicy, feel free to use spicy Italian sausage. But do not use breakfast or maple sausage. 

Garlic

I am a fan of fresh minced garlic, so that’s just what I generally use. But feel free to use whatever garlic you have on hand! It’s easy to add either a small or large amount of garlic depending on your preferences. My only tip with garlic is to be careful not to burn it while cooking! Garlic burns fast, so I wait until the sausage and onion are completely cooked through before I add the garlic. I then cook for only a minute or so until it’s fragrant. 

Salt and pepper

Season this soup with salt and pepper to taste. That’s it! No other seasonings or herbs. I generally use about a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of the pepper shaker.  I always use Redmond fine sea salt when I cook anything. It’s full of natural occurring TRACE minerals and is the best quality salt on earth!  My affiliate coupon code “AMBERSKITCHEN” saves you 15% on any of your Redmond Purchases. 

Potatoes

I really recommend using YUKON GOLD potatoes for this soup. Those potatoes are so buttery and soft, and they have a fantastic texture for this soup. Of course, other potatoes would be OK too, but Yukon Gold is my preference!

Broth

I generally use chicken bone broth, but you can use chicken broth, beef broth or vegetable broth. P.S. It’s pretty easy to make your own Chicken Bone Broth! Click here for directions! 

Kale

Use a large bunch of fresh, washed kale. Any variety of Kale will do. You just want to gently remove the thick lower stems, then chop the green leafy portion as small as you can. It will seem like quite a bit of Kale but be mindful that the leaves shrink to a fraction of their size once they go into the hot liquid. 

Cornstarch slurry

A cornstarch slurry is where you combine cold water and cornstarch and form a bit of a paste. When you add this to a pot of hot liquid, it will thicken the liquid or soup. For this soup, I like to combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water. Mix it together until there are no clumps, then add it to the boiling liquid right about when the soup is almost done. Once the cornstarch slurry has been added, the mixture needs to come to a boil before it will thicken a bit. 

Heavy whipping cream

I love to add a cup of heavy whipping cream to make this soup even extra special and creamy. If you don’t want to add heavy cream, go ahead and add half and half. If you want a dairy free option, go ahead and add one cup of full fat coconut milk. 

DIRECTIONS

1. To start out, you are going to want to get out a large pot and over medium high heat, add your sausage and your diced onion.  2. When the sausage and onion are totally cooked through, add the minced garlic and let it cook only a minute or two, or until fragrant. 3. Add your chopped potatoes to the pot.  4. Add the salt, pepper, and broth. Turn up the heat and bring the liquid to a boil 5. Let the pot simmer for about twenty minutes or until the potatoes are soft.  6. Prep your cornstarch slurry by mixing together 3 tablespoons of water and 1/4 cup of water. Add it to the pot and stir.  7. Prep your kale by removing most of the stems and chopping the leaves as much as you can. Add the leaves to the pot and push it down to let the liquid cover it.  8. Add the heavy whipping cream and stir in until just combined.  9. Serve immediately. ENJOY! 

CAULIFLOWER ADAPTATION

MY sister-in-law introduced me to a version of this soup that swapped the potatoes for cauliflower. And let me tell you, it is FANTASTIC! I am a huge cauliflower lover, so I’m easy to please in that respect.  So if you either don’t have potatoes, or would rather not use potatoes, cauliflower is a perfect substitution. Just use one large head of cauliflower instead of the potatoes. 

Dairy-free adaptation

You can absolutely make this soup dairy free by swapping the heavy whipping cream for a cup of full fat coconut milk. (From the can) 

Sausage lovers adaptation

If you are particular about the meat-to-kale ratio of your soup, then feel free to double the sausage! If you do this, Be mindful when you add salt and pepper, that you won’t need as much of the salt or pepper. 

Make-Ahead tips

MAKE AHEAD: This soup preps well a couple of different ways. If you want to cut down on the prep time, you could absolutely sauté the onion, sausage, and garlic ahead of time. Then you can cool, cover and refrigerate the onion/sausage mixture for up to three days before finishing the soup. To finish, simply add the cooked sausage and onions to a large pot, and pick up where you left off on step 3 above.   FRIDGE FRIENDLY OPTION:  You can make the entire soup and then refrigerate! Wether storing leftovers or making the soup a day or two ahead, It can be stored in a glass or plastic container with a well fitting lid. I recommend eating it within three days.  FREEZER FRIENDLY OPTION: This soup actually DOES freeze well, but I recommend leaving the Heavy Whipping Cream out of any portion that is to be frozen. To freeze, add the cooled soup to a large glass or plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Or use a gallon ziplock bag, If using glass, make sure the mixture is completely cooled before putting it into the freezer. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove from freezer and set at room temperature for a few hours before transferring it to a pot and warming over the stove. 

How do I store leftovers?

Refrigerate any leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. 

What do I serve this with?

I’m always a sucker for bread with my soup, so this would be fantastic with either a loaf of my French bread (click for recipe) or a loaf of my Crusty Dutch Oven Sourdough bread (click for recipe).  And I rarely turn down a sprinkle of fresh grated Parmesan cheese to the soup…. Although not necessary. Soup is amazing on it’s own. 

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Zuppa Toscana

Prep: 10 min Cook: 30 min Total Time: 40 min Servings: 6 Creamy. Savory. Filling. Sausage, Kale and Potato soup, also known as Zuppa Toscana. This one never fails to please!  Print Recipe   INGREDIENTS:

• One large white onion, finely diced
• One pound of “traditional” sausage
• 1 to 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1.5 to 2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 1/2 to 1 bunch kale, finely chopped
• Cornstarch slurry, 3 Tablespoons cornstarch, + 1/4 cup of cold water
• 1/2 – 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper to taste

  DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté onion and the sausage together until they are both cooked through. After the sausage and onion are completely cooked, add the minced garlic and cook over medium heat for only a minute. 
2. Add the potatoes, salt & pepper, and the chicken broth to the pot. Cook over medium high heat for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are softened. 
3. Add the cornstarch slurry and the chopped kale leaves and stir in just until wilted. Bring the soup back to let it thicken.
4. Add the heavy cream. Remove from heat and serve immediately. 

      ENJOY!

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