One of my favorite holiday traditions growing up was having soup for dinner on Christmas Eve after going to church. It was always the perfect warm, cozy dinner to share with close family and was an easy way that my mom could make it beforehand and just heat it up when we got home. This Zuppa Toscana recipe for me is the perfect Christmas Eve soup as it’s warm and creamy but not too heavy and has a little kick to it. Plus, a little extra bacon and parmesan cheese on top makes it feel fancy for the holidays. So, whether you are looking for a soup to be the star of a holiday meal or just needing something warm and delicious for a weeknight dinner this recipe is a great one to give a try. It makes 4 bowls of coup so you could easily double it if having family or friends over.
Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground hot Italian sausage
- 4 slices bacon
- 1/2 large onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 cups diced baby yellow potatoes
- 2 cups baby kale
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or other large pot cook the sausage over medium-high heat until browned. Remove the sausage from the pan and place in a bowl with a paper towel.
- Chop the bacon into 1-inch sized pieces. If you want to save time cook the bacon in a separate skillet while the sausage is cooking. Otherwise, you can cook it in the dutch oven after cooking the sausage. Cook until crispy and then remove from pan and set aside.
- While cooking the sausage dice the onion and cut the potatoes into 1-inch sized pieces. If you like a lot of potatoes I recommend doing the full 3 cups. Otherwise, you can scale back a little and do 2 cups.
- Add the onion to the pot. You should have enough grease from the sausage in the pan, especially if you cook the bacon in that same pan. Cook the onion for 5 minutes. In the last minute add the minced garlic and stir until it starts to become fragrant. Add the flour and stir until the flour is no longer white.
- Add the potatoes and chicken broth to the pot. Stir to combine with the other ingredients. Keep on medium high heat until it begins to gently boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
- Add cream and kale to the soup. Stir until all combined and continue cooking for 5 minutes. The kale should be fully wilted. Ladell soup into bowls and top with shredded parmesan cheese and the crispy bacon. Serve with garlic knots or your favorite bread.
- Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
