Zuppa Toscana

                                                 Chilly weather where you are? 

No problem when you have a bowl of warm Zuppa Toscana soup. It's the perfect comfort food for your meal.  

“Zuppa” means soup in Italian. “Toscana” refers to the Tuscany region of Italy. Therefore, “Zuppa Toscana” translates to “Tuscan soup” or “Tuscan-style soup.” Traditionally, this soup is made with lots of veggies, beans, potatoes, olive oil, spices, Italian bacon, and Tuscan bread.

The Olive Garden restaurant made Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan soup) extremely popular. It is a creamy soup made with Italian sausage, bacon, tender potatoes, garlic, and kale. It is rich, hearty, and flavorful. No wonder it's so popular.
Cook's Notes:
Zuppa Toscana doesn’t have any grains or glutens in it, which is a plus if you are gluten-free. It also contains a hearty helping of kale or spinach and potatoes, onions, and garlic, all of which provide essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs every day. And chicken broth is good for your hair, skin, nails, and your immune system.
I admit though, that the sausage and heavy cream are not so great for you but they do provide protein and calcium. You can work around this by substituting a leaner Italian meat sausage, like chicken or turkey. You can also use fat-free half-and-half or a plant-based cream or milk (like coconut), though this soup won’t be as thick and rich if you choose to do so, though still delicious. 

Cooking Tip:

Make sure you have all ingredients chopped and measured out beforehand to make assembly easier.  Note the soup thickens as potatoes absorb the liquid.  
Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon chopped
• 3/4 lb. Italian sausage (about 1 cup) 
• 1 cup diced sweet onions 
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
• 6 cups chicken broth, low-sodium 
• 3 medium russet or yellow potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/4″ thick pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups chopped kale, ribs removed or spinach leaves stems removed
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon pieces over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until crispy. Stir occasionally so the bacon doesn’t stick or burn. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the Italian sausage to the pot and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the onion to the pot and cook until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the broth, potatoes, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and reduce to low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
• Add the cooked bacon and sausage to the pot. Stir in the heavy cream, kale or spinach, and Parmesan cheese. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
  
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm.