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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Zuppa Toscana

This creamy, yet spicy, Tuscany style Italian soup is wonderful on a cold winter evening to warm you from the inside out.  It's easy to whip up and hearty to eat.

Zuppa Toscana

8 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
4-5 russet potatoes *
4-6 cups chopped kale
1# hot or sweet Italian sausage
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper or more to taste

*(If you're cutting down on carbs, my friend, Lori, suggests using cauliflower instead of potatoes!)

In a large, deep kettle blend stock and cream over medium heat.
Scrub potatoes well and cut, unpeeled, into 1/4 slices.  Quarter slices and add to pot.
Add chopped kale.  This is the reason for the large kettle.  The kale will take up a lot of room initially but will eventually wilt into the broth.

Grill or sauté the sausage.  Then slice about 1/4" thick.  Add to pot.

I grill it when I can but I also like to sauté it in a little water to encourage the broth to cook out and brown in the pan as the water evaporates.  Make sure the sausage is fully cooked.  Once you begin slicing, if the sausage doesn't look done, return to the pan.  If I have more time, I may return the sliced sauage to the pan to sauté a little longer anyway because it adds more flavor to the soup.  Add more water as needed.
Remove some broth from the pot and add it to the sausage pan.  Gently simmer to release the browned sausage broth from the pan and add it to the pot.

Next add spices and gently simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Delicious served with savory bread or garlic toast.

This recipe is part of 
Real Food Wednesday
Tuesday Twister
Pennywise Platter Thursday
Monday Mania
Hearth and Soul
Friday Potluck
Alphabet-Thursdays

25 comments:

  1. Great soup recipe, for sure will be a nice warm end of the day soup after this continuing snow we seem to be getting.

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  2. I am dying to go to Tuscany, but since this probably isn't going to happen anytime soon, making this soup seems like the next best thing! :) Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe at Monday Mania this week!

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  3. This looks delicious, hearty and warming. Perfect for a cold March day in Alaska! I think this is for dinner tonight!

    I'm hosting a CSN Giveaway this week at www.EKatsKitchen.com, and I'd love if you entered!

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  4. Let me know how you liked it!

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  5. What a wonderful soup recipe - it sounds so warming and delicious! That is wonderful it has kale in it too - so nutritious!

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  6. Love the soup...definitely major comfort food! Delicious...Oh and thanks for the follow! I'm following you too...

    Thanks for sharing at the hearth and soul hop.

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  7. Glad you liked it. I tried another recipe tonight and it was very good but I need to find a replacement for Cheezwhiz. Any suggestions?

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  8. Ok, I make creamy potato soup, and I make sausage and kale soup. But I've never made a soup like this. I'm all over it. I've got a freezer full of sausage, a pantry full of taters, and a year old kale plant in my garden. Thanks for sharing this great recipe with the Hearth and Soul hop.

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  9. This sounds delish! One of my favorite soups at a restaurant - but I love this homemade version even better. Thank you for sharing!
    <><
    Concetta

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  10. This looks so delicious! My hubby and I love soup and we have different soups quite frequently. Thank you for sharing this one.

    Blessings & Aloha!

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  11. I was looking for a way to cook kale, so your recipe is greatly appreciated, and comes just in time! Thanks

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  12. Thank you for sharing this recipe - it looks wonderful! Homemade soup and bread are the ultimate in comfort foods...

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  13. I love anything with heavy cream!

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  14. OMG! I don't care if it is 85 degrees in Tucson right now! I am making this soup!!!!!

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  15. Wow, this look absolutely delicious!!
    XO

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  16. My very favorite soup to order in an Italian restaurant. I can't believe I've never tried to make it before!

    I'll fix that this weekend. According to the weather channel, we are getting another foot or so of snow, perfect soup weather!

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  17. Wow, I'm shooting this link straight to the husband! We love soup for dinner.

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  18. mmmmmmmm...thanks so much for the wonderful soup recipe. I'll look forward to making a pot full. Great for the Letter Z.

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  19. This is an excellent soup! Thank you for sharing the recipe!

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  20. Oh my... I love this recipe! I love the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden and have been trying to find a recipe so that I can make it here in Japan. Now I can make it! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

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  21. Oh, the sound of this recipe is fabulous.

    We are starting our heat here in Arizona, so I'm bookmarking this to make when it cools off again. Sausage and cream. Really, how bad can that be? (to paraphrase Ina Gardener)

    Thanks for a delicious finale to Round Two of Alphabe-Thursday!

    A+

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