Zuppa Toscana Italian Soup (Printable)
Hearty Italian soup with sausage, potatoes, kale, and creamy broth for cozy comfort food evenings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 14 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 5.3 oz fresh kale, chopped
→ Dairy
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)
→ Liquids
08 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
→ Seasonings
10 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon, and cook until evenly browned throughout, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, cook the diced onion over medium heat until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the sliced potatoes and chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork.
04 - Return the browned sausage to the pot and add the chopped kale. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the kale has wilted and is tender.
05 - Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and season with red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to taste. Heat through gently but do not allow the soup to boil after adding the cream.
06 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy broth tastes like it took all day, but you are in and out of the kitchen in under an hour.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can double the batch and thank yourself on a night when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
- Boiling the soup after adding cream will cause it to break and look curdled, so keep the heat low and gentle once it goes in.
- The potatoes will continue to soften in the leftover broth, so if you are making it ahead, slightly undercook them and they will be perfect when you reheat.
03 -
- Do not wash the pot between browning the sausage and cooking the onions, because all those stuck brown bits dissolve into the broth and become the deepest layer of flavor in the entire dish.
- Slice the potatoes as evenly as humanly possible, because one thick chunk will be crunchy while the thin ones dissolve, and that inconsistency is the difference between good soup and great soup.