With all of the cold winter weather that we have been having I have been thinking about and making a lot of soups! The soup that I am currently into is this zuppa toscana which is an Italian soup typically made with bacon, celery, carrots, onion, kale, zucchini, cannellini beans and potatoes and the popular Olive Garden version includes sausage! Not only is this is my favourite zuppa toscana recipe but it’s also my current favourite soup recipe! It takes a bit of time to make since you have to cook the bacon, followed by the sausage followed by the veggies and then add the broth and simmer until the potatoes are tender but it’s all straight forward and super easy. I like to finish the soup off with parmesan which I melt right into the broth, along with a splash of lemon juice and parsley which add a nice hit of freshness. Another great was to kick up the flavour is to add some white miso paste which I normally do. I like to make big batches of this tasty zuppa toscana to have leftovers for easy meals during the week and it also freezes well for later!
Zuppa Toscana
An easy and tasty soup with Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes and kale!
ingredients
- 6 sliced bacon (or pancetta), diced
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup carrot, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound potato, cut into bite sized pieces
- 4 cups kale, shredded
- 1 pound zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
directions
- Cook the bacon in a large saucepan before setting it aside on paper towels to drain while reserving the bacon grease in the pan.
- Cook the sausage in the same pan, breaking it apart into bite sized pieces as it cooks, before setting aside.
- Add the onions, carrot and celery and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the ground fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the broth and deglaze the the pan by scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as the broth sizzles.
- Add the sausage and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to get a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the kale, zucchini, parmesan and cream and cook until the zucchini and kale are tender and the cheese has melted into the soup, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in the lemon juice and parsley and enjoy topped with the crumbled bacon!
Option: Add 2 tablespoons white miso paste!
Option: Add 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained.
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Tuna, White Bean and Kale Soup
Spinach, White Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup
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6. Add the sausage, potatoes and beans, Beans????? Not listed in ingredients.
The beans are listed at the bottom of the recipe as an option.
It’s listed as option under the recipe
I read the post above and saw Cannelloni beans listed. I didn’t see them listed in the ingredients either. I’m just going to dump some in and pretend they were listed! 🙂
I didn’t see the cannelloni beans listed either. I read the post and saw they were mentioned. So I’m going to dump them in and go with it!
Have never attempted this dish but it looks so perfect for these Winter months. Pinned!
Just made this and it was awesome. Did add the beans (listed in the options at the end) but had to switch the kale for chopped fresh spinach as Kale wasn’t available. It was a good substitute. I also used 8 cups of chicken stock as it was quite thick. We are already planning on doubling it next time to have enough to freeze. Thank you Kevin for a great recipe. Was perfect for a snowy day.
Can cabbage be substituted for the kale?(
Yes it can!
This is one of my favorite soups and meals of all times.. I cook it very often And totally recommend if you plan on having leftovers, which I always do, I make a huge batch I never get sick of it. I don’t put the kale in until I’m actually fixing a bowl of soup then I tear it up into bite sized pieces put it in my bowl pour the hot soup over it (or if it’s cold soup from the fridge still just pour it over thr kale) pop it in the microwave and then the kale will break down a little bit as it sits in the hot soup but that way it doesn’t get all slimey, nasty if it’s left over sitting in there. The last time I went to Olive Garden and had the soup I thought mine homemade is way better. Yum!
I am no a fan of kale. What could you use in instead? The reason why is not the taste, but recently I had a green salad with a lot of kale and the sharp points on the kale choked me. As I said I do not eat kale, but would except for the points. Was it not cleaned properly.
Virginia Carpenter
You can use spinach or swiss chard.
Raw kale can be a little ‘tough’ and not too pleasant to chew. I like to slice it thinly and massage it with my hands, which completely changes it, making it so nice and tender. If you want, try slicing some kale thinly (1/8-1/4 inch slices) and massaging it, it will start out a pale green colour and when you massage it it will turn a darker green and be more tender.