I love soup. I eat it in the fall. I eat it in the winter. I eat it in the spring. I love soup so much, I even eat it in the summer…though chilled soups are much better at times like that. The weather is a little dreary today, and even though it’s April, it made me think of soup. So here’s a look at one of my favorites, stolen right off the menu from Olive Garden: la zuppa toscana.
So, I’ve been in love with this soup for as long as I can remember…creamy stock, crumbly potatoes, savory sausage and onions, and crispy kale. The problem I keep running into though is that a) it’s not listed on the gluten free menu at Olive Garden and b) they stopped putting the large amounts of kale in the soup that made me love it in the first place.
This soup is simple and homey and so fast to make…and it makes me want to say “buon giorno” or “ciao bella” (or something equally Italian) while I stand in front of my stove.
You will need:
1 sleeve of Jimmy Dean (or brand of your choice) sage sausage
3 large Russet potatoes
1 large white or yellow onion
2-3 Tbps. minced garlic (3-4 cloves?)
kosher salt
black pepper
bunch of kale (though how much you use is up to you, haha!)
half-and-half (I use fat-free Lake o’Lakes)
chicken bullion
Cut your potatoes into ½ to ¾ inch pieces. Boil them in the chicken stock you make from the bollion (5 cubes to 10 cups of water...or 3-4 tsp of Better Than Bullion Chicken which is so definitely better than bullion since it's gluten-free and delicious...it comes in a highly viscous form in a jar at your grocery store) in a large soup pot until mostly tender.
While waiting for your potatoes, brown the sausage with the onions and garlic. I usually use less garlic if the onion smells particularly strong, but that’s a judgment call on how much you love onions and garlic. I personally could probably fend off vampires with my garlic consumption each week, but I know that some people don’t love it as much as I do. Make sure to drain the sausage as (I love Jimmy Dean anyway) it’s pretty greasy.
When the potatoes are mostly tender, add the sausage/onion/garlic concoction to the pot. Stir and simmer for two or three minutes. Add enough half-and-half to make it creamy but not terribly thick (usually up to a full cup…I eye-ball it since too much makes it pretty heavy). Here’s where you want to start tasting this heaven-sent yumminess (if you haven’t already). Salt and pepper to taste (I don't usually add a lot of salt because the bullion is pretty darn salty).
Now, let’s talk about the kale…I like mine pretty crunchy, and if you don’t, now is the time to start ripping the kale into half-dollar sized pieces and throwing it in the pot. If you are a crunch lover like me (everything else in the soup is soft), put your ripped kale in the bottom of each person’s soup bowl just prior to serving. Allowing the hot soup to soften the kale for a minute or two gives just the crunch and texture that I’m looking for.
This soup refrigerates well for up to five days. The cream in the half-and-half will separate as will the fat from the sausage, but heating it up makes it all blend together again. The soup also freezes well for up to four months. It’s great to pull out to thaw one morning when the temperature isn’t going to be quite as warm as you wanted (reheat on the stove or in the microwave).
I guess all that’s left to say is BUON APPETITO!
