Zuppa Toscana Creamy Italian Soup (Printable)
Creamy Italian-style soup with crumbled sausage, tender potatoes, and wilted kale in a garlic-infused broth.
# What you'll need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
→ Pantry and Dairy
06 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
10 - Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# How to make it:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking it into crumbles with a spoon, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
02 - Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the sliced potatoes and pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
04 - Stir in the chopped kale and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until wilted.
05 - Lower the heat and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Simmer gently for another 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot, accompanied by crusty bread if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sausage does most of the heavy lifting, so you get deep flavor without standing over the stove all afternoon.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day when the potatoes have soaked up all that creamy broth.
- It freezes beautifully, which means you can stash half of it for a night when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
- If you boil the soup after adding the cream it can break and look curdled, so keep the heat gentle and patient once the dairy goes in.
- Thin potato slices are the secret to the broth thickening naturally as some of them dissolve during the simmer.
03 -
- Remove the sausage casings by slicing down one side with a sharp knife and peeling them off with your fingers, it is faster than trying to squeeze the meat out.
- Let the soup rest off the heat for ten minutes before serving, because the texture transforms as it cools slightly and the flavors settle into something rounder and more cohesive.