Description
Zuppa Toscana is a hearty Italian soup featuring spicy or mild Italian sausage, tender kale, and creamy potatoes in a rich broth. This comforting soup combines fragrant fennel, garlic, and red pepper flakes with a smooth finish of heavy cream and a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano for an authentic Tuscan flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds mild or spicy Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 medium celery ribs with leaves, finely chopped
- 1 medium fennel bulb (8 ounces), finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 6 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
- 6 ounces lacinato or curly kale, stemmed and cut or torn into roughly 2-inch pieces
- 1 russet potato (12 ounces), peeled
- 1 cup heavy cream
For Serving
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the Sausage: In a 5-quart soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break up the meat and scraping the bottom of the pot, until well browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage and set aside. Drain excess fat if needed, leaving 2 to 3 tablespoons in the pot.
- Sauté Vegetables and Spices: Add onion, garlic, celery, fennel, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom, until vegetables soften and release moisture, about 8 minutes.
- Add Stock and Kale: Slowly pour in the chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add kale and simmer until kale softens slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Cook Potatoes: Add the peeled russet potato and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the kale is very tender and the potato is fully cooked and breaking down to thicken the soup, about 30 minutes. Stir more if the potato is slow to break down.
- Combine Sausage and Simmer: Return the browned sausage to the soup and simmer to meld flavors, skimming excess fat from the surface, about 10 minutes.
- Finish with Cream: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the heavy cream. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, thin with additional warm stock.
- Serve: Divide soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, if desired.
Notes
- Use mild or spicy Italian sausage according to your heat preference.
- Adding a rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano to the broth while cooking enriches the flavor.
- If excess fat accumulates after browning the sausage, carefully remove it, leaving just enough to saute the vegetables.
- Stir the soup regularly to help potatoes break down and thicken the broth.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or omit cream for a dairy-free option.
- Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 534 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 1104 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
