Creamy Zuppa Toscana Soup (Printable)

Hearty Tuscan-style soup with sausage, potatoes, kale, and creamy broth. Pure comfort in a bowl.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casing removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
05 - 3.5 oz curly kale, stems removed and chopped

→ Broth & Dairy

06 - 4.2 cups chicken broth
07 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Oils & Seasonings

08 - 2 tbsp olive oil
09 - 1 tsp dried oregano
10 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

12 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
13 - Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook until evenly browned and no longer pink, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
02 - Add the diced onion to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add the sliced potatoes, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
04 - Stir in the chopped kale and continue simmering until the leaves are wilted and tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
05 - Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Warm the soup through gently without bringing it to a boil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The creamy broth tastes like it took all day but you can have it on the table in under an hour.
  • It reheats beautifully so making a double batch is basically a gift to your future self.
  • You probably have most of the ingredients sitting in your kitchen right now.
02 -
  • If you let the soup boil after adding the cream it can break and look curdled, so keep the heat low and patient.
  • Slicing the potatoes thin is the trick to getting them tender quickly while also releasing just enough starch to thicken the broth.
  • This soup is even better the next day when the flavors have had time to mingle and settle overnight in the fridge.
03 -
  • Use a potato that is starchy rather than waxy because those thin slices will partially dissolve and give you that velvety texture without adding flour.
  • Strip the kale leaves from the stems over the trash bin and chop them roughly because uniform pieces cook more evenly and feel better to eat.

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