Zuppa Toscana Soup
Zuppa Toscana soup is better known served at Olive Garden. It's a delicious, flavorful bowl of ground Italian sausage, bacon, kale, onion, and potatoes swimming in a creamy chicken broth. You can easily cook this in a dutch oven on the stovetop, or in a Crockpot.
What you'll need: 8 servings
1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium white onion, diced
1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cubed
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 cups chopped fresh kale (or spinach)
1 cup heavy whipping cream, or half and half (omit or swap for full fat coconut milk if Whole30)
6 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
healthy pinch of salt and pepper to taste
How to make it on the stovetop:
Dice up the bacon, then add to a large dutch oven. Cook until browned. Remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel-lined plate; then drain and discard the fat.
Sauté the onion until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the sausage. Cook until browned.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add diced potatoes, chicken stock, and water. Cover and continue cooking until the mixture reaches a low boil.
Once the soup reaches a steady simmer, turn the heat down a tad to medium-low and simmer for 10 more minutes covered until the potatoes become fork-tender. At that point, stir in the kale and cream, simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Add in the bacon bits and season with salt and pepper to taste.
How to make it in the Crockpot:
Cook the sausage in a large skillet on medium heat, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat, then place into a Crockpot along with the minced garlic, chopped onions, cubed potatoes, chicken stock and water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
Check the potatoes for fork-tenderness, then add the kale and cream. Stir and simmer for an additional 5 mins to let the flavors marry. Cook the bacon until browned. Remove and dice into bits.
Season soup with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with the bacon bits.
Serve warm. Bon appétit!