top of page

Prep time

15 Minutes

Prep time

30

Serves

​

Ingredients

Ingredients

Scale1x2x3x

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage (I recommend spicy)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
  • 1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
  • 5 to 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 to 3 cups chopped fresh kale
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  • 6 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

Zuppa Toscana

Rene Cleveland

January 26, 2026 at 12:39:40 AM

I was introduced to this soup from my dear friend and long-time mentor during our tenure as English teachers at CMR HS in Montana. Mr. Scott C. is a philospher and poet and a fisherman, now, I hear. He is also a pretty good cook.

 

This version of the recipe was sourced from gimmiesomeoven.com and my pintrest board.

Instructions

  1. Cook sausage in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a separate plate, reserving 1 tablespoon grease in the stockpot for later*, and discarding the excess grease.  (I actually like to briefly rinse my cooked sausage in a strainer to remove even more excess grease.)  Set aside.
  2. Add onions to the stockpot (with the grease), and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add the potatoes, chicken stock, and cooked sausage, and continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Stir in the kale and cream, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve warm, garnished with the bacon bits.

 

bottom of page