Better Than Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana
photo by Jeremiah Comer
- Ready In:
- 1hr 5mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Yields:
-
2 gallons
- Serves:
- 12
ingredients
- 1 lb ground mild Italian sausage
- 4 -6 russet potatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1⁄4 cup real bacon piece
- 10 cups water, divided
- 7 teaspoons organic better than bouillon chicken base
- 1 bunch fresh kale, stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- shredded pecorino romano cheese (optional) or parmesan cheese (optional)
directions
- In a large pot on medium-high heat add the ground sausage and crushed red pepper flakes. Using a spatula, break up the sausage until it is fully cooked through. Pour the cooked sausage into a large bowl and set aside.
- In the same pot add the olive oil, chopped onion, and real bacon pieces until the onions become translucent and begin to brown (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of water to the pot and stir well to get all the sweet onion flavor from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken concentrate and stir to combine. Add the remaining 8 cups of water.
- Add potatoes and cook until fork tender. You may wish to add more salt, but be careful because the chicken base is very salty. Taste for saltiness after each addition.
- After the potatoes are done, add the cooked sausage back into the soup. Skim off most of the fat from the sausage that floats onto the surface using a large spoon.
- Add the fresh kale and stir in to allow the leaves to soften slightly. It will seem like too much, but it will cook down with time.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the heavy cream. Stir.
- Add freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
- Garnish each serving with shredded parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, if desired.
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Reviews
-
WOW!!! This stuff was so addicting! The broth was out of this world. The potatoes, sausage, and kale are a wonderful flavor and texture combination! I ended up using the real bacon pieces used for salads, and it was perfect and made it so simple. I've tried other versions of this recipe, but the quality ingredients with this one turned out with the best flavor. This one is definitely a keeper.
-
AMAZING soup!!!! Made this one night last week and my husband is making me make it again this week. Very easy recipe to follow and very flavorful!!!! My husband does not eat leftovers but he definitely are this the next day for lunch. The best part is most the ingredients I already have in my house so it doesn't require a costly grocery bill to make. Hope you enjoy it like we did!
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Jeremiah Comer
Pompano Beach, Florida