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Browsing Category: Italian Recipes

Ryan’s Zuppa Toscana Soup

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zuppa toscana soup
Zuppa Toscana Soup

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Ingredients

1 lb of Italian or Greek sausage (use hot or mild depending on your taste)
4-6 slices of pancetta or bacon cut into 1/4 inch bits
1 white or yellow onion diced
3 large potatoes largely diced
1 sprig fresh tarragon roughly chopped (optional)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half (optional)
3 cloves of minced garlic
1.5 cups of heavy cream
8 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of kale or fresh spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions

  1. Heat heavy pot or dutch oven (link is to my favorite low-cost dutch oven) over stove to medium-high heat. Cook sausage until browned. Set aside.
  2. Cook pancetta or bacon in the pot until crisp. Drain bacon fat leaving a few teaspoons or tablespoons.
  3. Stir in garlic and onions. Cook about 5 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
  4. Pour chicken broth in pot that already has the onions and garlic. Set to high and bring to boil.
  5. Add potatoes and tarragon and continue to boil until they are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
  6. Reduce heat and stir in the sausage, heavy cream, tomatoes, and kale. Stir until evenly distributed and sausage is heated through.
  7. Add to bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan

 

Cutting Calories?

If you wanted to make this dish lighter, buy extra lean sausage and turkey bacon or similar.  Substitute potatoes with eggplant.  Reduce the amount of heavy cream and increase the amount of chicken broth.  Or, do what I do: reduce your portion! Would you prefer a longer so-so experience, or a shorter AMAZING experience? :)