Description
A creamy and hearty Zuppa Toscana soup with spicy Italian sausage, crispy bacon, kale, and tender potatoes in a rich, savory broth. Perfect comfort food for cozy nights.
Ingredients
1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage (mild can be used)
8 slices bacon, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp flour (or substitute with cornstarch)
32 oz chicken stock
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 bunch kale, de-stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
1. Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly, then drain and set aside.
2. In the same pan, cook bacon until crisp, remove it, and drain excess grease, leaving about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons in the pan.
3. Sauté diced onion for 5 minutes, adding garlic in the last minute.
4. Stir in flour and mix until combined.
5. Transfer sausage, onion, and garlic to a slow cooker.
6. Add diced potatoes and pour in chicken stock (and water if needed) until everything is covered.
7. Cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until potatoes are soft.
8. In a small bowl, mix heavy cream with flour or cornstarch, then stir into the slow cooker with the kale.
9. Cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.
10. Add salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes to taste.
11. Top with reserved bacon before serving.
Notes
Use mild sausage for less spice.
Substitute cauliflower for potatoes to reduce carbs.
Refrigerated diced potatoes can save prep time.
If the soup has too much grease, skim off the top after resting for a few minutes.
Mash some potatoes or add a cornstarch-cream mix to thicken the soup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup Recipes
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American-Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 1180mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 90mg