Description
Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana brings hearty Italian comfort straight to home kitchens with its rich, creamy blend of spicy sausage and tender potatoes. Warm, satisfying flavors welcome you to a delicious culinary journey through rustic Italian countryside cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
Liquids:
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup heavy cream
Vegetables and Seasonings:
- 4 medium russet potatoes, sliced thin
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Cooking Fats:
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Instructions
- Warm the butter or olive oil in a spacious cooking vessel over moderate temperature, introducing the Italian sausage and thoroughly browning while fragmenting with a culinary tool. Transfer the caramelized meat to a separate dish.
- Utilize the identical pot to sauté finely chopped onions and minced garlic until translucent and fragrant, approximately 3 minutes.
- Stream chicken broth and water into the aromatic mixture, gently nestling sliced potatoes within the liquid. Allow the contents to gently bubble and simmer until potato pieces become effortlessly pierceable with a fork, around 15 minutes.
- Reintroduce the previously cooked sausage into the liquid landscape, accompanying it with roughly torn kale leaves. Let the ingredients intermingle and develop flavor profiles for an additional 5 minutes.
- Enhance the soup’s richness by introducing heavy cream, creating a luxurious texture. Sprinkle red pepper flakes for subtle heat, then calibrate seasoning with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Allow the soup to harmonize its flavors through a brief, gentle simmer lasting 2-3 minutes, ensuring complete temperature integration.
- Ladle the steaming soup into serving vessels, optionally adorning with delicate Parmesan shavings or crisp bacon fragments for textural contrast and visual appeal.
Notes
- Sausage Selection: Choose a high-quality Italian sausage with robust flavor for the best taste profile in this hearty soup.
- Kale Preparation: Wash and chop kale thoroughly, removing tough stems to ensure tender and easy-to-eat greens in every spoonful.
- Cream Consistency: Add heavy cream at the end to prevent curdling and maintain a smooth, silky texture throughout the soup.
- Spice Customization: Adjust red pepper flakes based on personal heat preference, starting with a small amount and increasing gradually.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This soup tastes even better the next day as flavors continue to meld, making it perfect for meal prep and leftovers.
- Dietary Modifications: Substitute dairy-free cream alternatives for a lactose-free version, or use plant-based sausage for a vegetarian adaptation.
- Potato Tip: Cut potatoes into uniform sizes to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the soup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg