Zuppa Toscana

I have always liked the Olive Garden’s zuppa toscana soup so I started recreating it at home several years ago and we all enjoy it. Sometimes I use spinach in this soup but I find myself using kale more and more because it really holds up well in the leftover soup. This is such an easy zuppa toscana soup recipe and it always smells amazing while it simmers. This soup turned out creamy, flavorful, and so delicious and it paired nicely with freshly baked bread and a tossed green salad.

How to Make Zuppa Toscana

Cook the diced bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through and crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the Dutch oven with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate; set aside.

Discard all but 2-3 teaspoons of bacon grease from the Dutch oven. Add the diced onion, crushed red pepper flakes, and crushed fennel seed to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking the sausage up into crumbles with the spoon, for 3-4 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a slight boil then reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the kale and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the half and half and stir until well combined. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Ladle into bowls and serve with crumbled bacon on top. Enjoy.

Zuppa Toscana

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 8

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 4 pieces of bacon diced
• ½ yellow onion diced
• ½ tsp fennel seeds crushed
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• ½ lb ground Italian sausage
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 large russet potatoes slightly peeled (okay to leave some skin on), quartered lengthwise, sliced thin
• 2 cups of kale stems removed & chopped
• 1 ½ cups half and half
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cook the diced bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through and crisp, about 5-7 minutes.
• Remove from the Dutch oven with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate; set aside.
• Discard all but 2-3 teaspoons of bacon grease from the Dutch oven.
• Add the diced onion, crushed red pepper flakes, and crushed fennel seed to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking the sausage up into crumbles with the spoon, for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a slight boil then reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the kale and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Add the half and half and stir until well combined.
• Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
• Ladle into bowls and serve with crumbled bacon on top. Enjoy.

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