This easy zuppa toscana soup is creamy and flavorful, bursting with hot sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale, and a creamy broth. This homemade version has all your favorite flavors like that classic restaurant soup, without having to leave the house. It's satisfying, nutritious, and popular with the whole family!
10small potatoesroughly 5-6 cups diced, yellow or red; I like these varieties, so I don’t have to peel them, like you would a russet
1whole bulb of garlicminced
1lbItalian sausagethe “Hot” variety
8cupschicken broth64 ounces
6cupskalestems removed and leaves chopped
1cupheavy cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat a large Dutch oven, or large stock pot, over medium heat.
Chop up bacon and add to the pot. Stir occasionally, until crispy.
While the bacon is cooking, dice up an onion, potatoes, and mince the garlic.
Strain extra bacon grease off. I like to use a fine mesh strainer and strain it into a jar to use for cooking at a later time.
Place the pot back on the stove and add onions. Sauté for a few minutes until soft.
Add garlic and sausage. Break it up using a spatula, then allow to brown.
Once that is nicely cooked through, add diced potatoes.
Pour broth into the pot and bring to a simmer.
Allow to simmer until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Remove the stems and chop the kale. Add to the pot along with heavy cream.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Use a heavy soup pot with a thick bottom. This helps the heat to distribute more evenly and can help to prevent your soup from burning on the bottom while cooking.
If you are on a budget, you can easily use half the amount of sausage and save the other half for another meal, like sourdough breakfast strata.
We like to substitute bone broth for classic chicken broth in recipes whenever we can. It is packed with nutrients and is super easy to make at home. Learn how to make your own bone broth at home here.
I like to use small varieties like yellow and red potatoes because they don't have to be peeled, this can be a great time saver! However, you can use peeled russet potatoes if you would like.
Substitute spinach for kale if you don’t have any on hand. Just wait until right before serving to add the spinach, so it doesn’t completely dissolve.
We love to use cream that we skim from our jersey cow, it is luxurious! If you want a dairy free option, try using one that has milder flavor and that tends to be creamier like cashew milk or oat milk. It wont have the exact same texture, but it will still be delicious.