I’m pretty fond of the Zuppa Toscana served at Olive Garden, and sort of wondered how it was made. Then one day a TikTok cook posted a simple recipe that held promise. I adapted the concepts in that video clip to the ingredients I keep on hand, and came to a nice resolution, a soup I’ve made several times and served to others with good reviews.
You’ll need the following ingredients:
- Italian sausage, I use a package of “sweet” (has basil) and one of “hot” (I’ve also used some Jimmy Dean b’fast sausage) – total of 1 lb (a single recipe) or 2 lbs (the double).
- some bacon, a few slices (could be cooked leftovers from another meal, which I keep in the freezer for sandwiches).
- Potato, diced rather finely – two good-sized pots per recipe.
- Onion, at least one per recipe, diced finely.
- Chicken broth – at least one box, more for 2 lbs sausage.
- Garlic – 2-3 cloves, crushed.
- Kale (cleaned and stripped of hard veins*) – one of those fresh cut bags, the size of a small pillow. This can serve for two recipes, so you’ll probably want to reserve half for other use if making a single recipe.
- Heavy cream or just milk, depending on your taste preferences.
- Salt & Pepper.
In a large kettle (I use an enameled cast iron Dutch Oven), cook sausage until done and broken into small pieces. Add the onion and cook until clear, then add the garlic. Once that is clearly incorporated, add the potatoes and some broth (at least 2-3 cups). Cook this until the potatoes are falling apart.
At this point you will want to incorporate the Kale (washed and cut*), which means you may need to add more broth. It proves useful to start with a large pot because the Kale, though it cooks down to a modest amount, starts out voluminously. You’ll have to set on the lid so the Kale wilts down in the steam. *Note on the Kale: Pre-packaged, cleaned and cut Kale is sold with the coarse main leaf veins included. I strip the stem-like tissues away from the leafy blades because I find those large, callosed-over veins are not useful in this soup.
Once the Kale is conquered, the rest is simple combinations to taste just before serving. Prepped to this point, the soup can be containerized and refrigerated for serving later. It can even be frozen. However you might have treated the mixture, return the brothy sausage/kale to a pot and bring back to temperature to finish.
For the finish, add some cream or milk, about a cup, perhaps more depending on your own preference. If you want the lighter texture (and a bit less sweetness), use milk. Adjust the cream/milk and broth to the taste you like. I prefer the soup to be light (even a touch watery), not heavily creamy. But you do you. With the right level of broth and cream, add salt and pepper as needed. The sausage will have brought a lot of salt and spice to the party, so adjust to your taste.
Serve hot.
Link to this Page: https://botanyincontext.com/tuscan-style-kale-sausage-soup/