Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana (which means Tuscan soup), is one of the heartiest and most delicious soups I make.  It's definitely a cold weather entree that will warm you from head to toe.   This is a copycat recipe from the soup of the same name served at Olive Garden.  I've changed it up some, to make it a tad bit healthier than the original, but just remember, it does have sausage (and bacon), potatoes and a little something to make it creamy, so, well, what can I say?  It's one of Mark's favorites, so, I make it and we enjoy it.  It's essential that you have some bread to go with this.  Trust me, you're not going to want to waste a single drop and good bread can help with that.

Making soup is therapeutic for me.  I love starting out with a big pot and then chopping and adding ingredients one by one, until I have put together something that is so much better than the individual parts.  The sound of a slow simmer and the fragrance that fills my house as it cooks puts me into relaxation mode.  I make a pot of soup every week.  Yes, even in the summer.  I love it. And because soup seems to grow in the pot, I always have plenty for lunches or the freezer, or maybe to share with someone who needs a little love.

This soup begins with bacon, and really, is there a better way to begin?  I chopped a couple of thick slices into small dices and let it cook over a low heat, nice and slow, until it's golden brown.  In fact, as a general rule, soup shouldn't be rushed, so take your time with each step.  

While the bacon is cooking (stir often and keep a close eye on it), I took two links of hot Italian sausage and removed the outer casing.

Next, I broke it apart with my hands.  I removed the bacon from the soup pot onto a paper towel lined plate.  I drained most of the fat from the pan.  Then I added the sausage to the pot, stirring to break apart the meat, and cooked until it was nice and browned.

At this point I like to taste the sausage to see how spicy it really is.  I usually end up adding red pepper flakes to up the heat level a little more.  We like it spicy!

When the sausage has browned, I remove it from the pan and add it to the plate with the bacon.  Depending on the amount of fat in the pan, I might drain some of that off, making sure I leave enough to sauté the onions and garlic.  I chop a medium sized onion and add that to the soup pot, stirring often, because I don't want the onion to brown, just soften up nicely. 

I add a couple of cloves of minced garlic when the onion is almost finished. 

Now it's time to add the potatoes.  I usually use four of five medium sized potatoes and leave them in nice sized cubes.  I will cook the soup until they're tender, but I like to bite into a potato, rather than have them cook to mush.

I add the potatoes to the onions and garlic in the pot, covering all of that with a mixture of chicken broth and water.  I like to cut the broth with water because the soup is so rich.  Then I cover the pot and let it simmer until the potatoes are tender.  Stir from time to time to keep things from sticking to the bottom. You can always add more broth or water if the soup starts to become too dry. I add the meats back to the pot, about half way through the cooking time. 

Right before serving, I stir in some chopped kale and milk.  The recipe calls for cream, but I think half and half does the job just fine.  It only takes about a half a cup to make the soup creamy, but you can add as much as you need to bring the soup to the consistency that you like.  

Yum!  Looks pretty good, huh?