Zuppa Toscana… is one of the dishes every food blogger has created. I’ve seen it on Pinterest often. At least every day. At the very least. I generally avoid the hyped-up recipes. However, this one is too good to ignore. It’s like, “give me ten bowls of that!” excellent. Even though my recipe for Zuppa Toscana is a bit lighter, it’s just precisely as delicious, creamy, and filling as delicious as the original.
It might be a good idea to pour the crumbs of Homemade garlic bread into this delicious bowl. I’m just saying.
WHAT IS ZUPPA TOSCANA? ?
If you’ve not visited Olive Garden or had Zuppa Toscana elsewhere, I’d describe it as a creamy potato soup loaded with delicious Italian sauerkraut, Kale, and bacon. The original recipe calls for bacon, heavy cream, and a whole 1 pound of Sausage. However, I wanted to lighten it by reducing the amount of bacon and heavy cream. I made halves and Half in place of heavy cream. Substituted Half of the Sausage for white beans and used smokey paprika to add smokiness rather than bacon, potato, does, and Kale. The result? It’s wholly creamy and chock-full of flavor with a substantial amount of veggies. I will probably consume the soup in the next four days (it contains Kale, so it’s OK to eat it, right?
CAN I SUBSTITUTE THE KALE?
Yes. While Kale is the more traditional to this soup, you can also use spinach if Kale’s not your first choice. Because spinach is less delicate and pliable than Kale, include it towards the close of the cooking time by stirring it in until it’s been wilted.
CAN I MAKE THIS ZUPPA TOSCANA VEGETARIAN?
The Sausage used in this recipe is the reason for adding plenty of flavor to this soup. Therefore, if you decide not to use Sausage, boost the spice. I would suggest adding a tablespoon of Italian seasoning mix to replace the spices inside Sausage. Italian Sausage. You might also add a cup of beans to beef up the soup.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb. Italian Sausage Hot and mild ($1.75)
One onion yellow ($0.32)
Two cloves of garlic ($0.16)
1 15 oz. container of Great Northern beans ($0.49)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
3 cups chicken broth* ($0.39)
1 cup of water ($0.00)
Two cups, half-and-half ($1.49)
One lb. of red potatoes ($1.29)
1/2 lb. chopped kale ($1.50)
Sprinkle red pepper flakes on the counter, an option ($0.02)
Fresh cracked pepper that has been freshly crushed, available ($0.05)
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the Sausage in an enormous soup pan and cook over medium heat. Break it into smaller pieces when it is cooked. The Sausage should be stuffed with enough fat to prevent it from sticking; even if you do not, add olive oil. It’s okay if only a tiny portion of the sausage browns on the pan’s surface.
While the sausage cooks, chop the onion into pieces and chop the garlic. Add the garlic and onion to the pot and cook until the onions soften. The water generated by the onions will melt any browned pieces of Sausage from the base of the pan.
Rinse and drain the beans in the can. Include the beans, smoked paprika chicken broth, 1 cup of water, and 1/2 and Half to the pan. Cover the pot and allow it to boil at a moderate temperature.
As the pan is heating up, cut each potato in quarters lengthwise. Then, cut across thin slices of 1/8-inch thickness. Add the potatoes to the pot, along with the Kale that has been chopped. The Kale should fill the pool once it’s added; however, the heat of the liquid will make it wilt within a matter of minutes. Mix it frequently to aid the process of wilting.
The pot should simmer on moderate heat for around 15 minutes until potatoes become tender. Add red pepper flakes and freshly cracked black pepper if you prefer.