Zuppa Toscana... Lynnie style
Zuppa Toscana...Lynnie style
I love soup!! This recipe is wonderful and easy… great for family gatherings or dinner! Enjoy this lighter version of the classic recipe.... flavored with turkey Italian sausage & bacon, potatoes and kale and a wee bit of spice. Yummy and hits the spot on chilly days!
Zuppa Toscana ... Lynnie style
Yield: 6 – 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound Sweet Italian turkey or pork sausage
4-5 slices regular or turkey bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound medium Yukon gold potatoes, ~ 7-8 potatoes halved
8 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken soup base
2 cups low fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped fine
1/2 bunch kale, chopped (~2 cups)
Season to taste
Equipment needed:
6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot
Cutting board
Chef knife
Paring knife
Rubber spatula
Dry and liquid measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Wire whisk or fork
Soup ladle
Did I say “I love soup?” Whenever my hubby and I go for soup and salad… this is the soup! I made a few adjustments to a copy cat Olive Garden recipe to reduce the fat content. I make it all the time at home now! So, flavorful you won’t miss all the extra fat. Super easy to prepare and can adjust the spice. Great recipe for company and special occasions as well. Always a huge hit and never many leftovers either... grab your soup kettle and let’s cook!
Prepping the sausage….
I always buy Italian turkey sausage in link form, as I use it for many recipes and it is pre-portioned and freezes easily. You can buy the sausage in bulk as well, but if in link form the first step is to remove the sausage from its casing. Pretty simple process! Either squeeze the meat out of one end or I usually take a paring knife and slice down the center of the link. The sausage meat pops out very easily.
Preheat Dutch oven over medium heat for 3 – 5 minutes. Place sausage meat in bottom and sauté until it begins to brown, but still slightly pink. While the meat is cookIng, cut bacon into thin lanyards (strips), chop the onions and mince the garlic. Add these to the pot and continue to sauté until the bacon turns golden brown and the onions are softened and aromatic, about 8 minutes.
I’m all about dovetailing activities, also as I cook to improve efficiency… so while the meat and onions are sautéing, wash the potatoes. I use Yukon gold potatoes as I love their rich flavor and color compared to russets. I have used other potatoes before, so it you can't use them, it's not a big deal. I also leave the skins on, rather than pealing, as Yukon gold potato skins are thin... adds extra fiber and color too!
Slice the potatoes uniformly, about 1⁄4 inch thick and set aside.
Now it’s time to add the liquid…
First toss in the sliced potatoes into the pot. Then combine the soup base to the measured water and add to the meat mixture. You can use pre-made chicken broth if you’d like, but I always have soup base on hand and it’s cheaper than broth. Takes up less cupboard space as well.
Add the seasonings... bring soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes or until potatoes are slightly tender. Potatoes will continue to cook for a bit more, so don’t overcook them or they will fall apart.
While the potatoes are cooking, you can ready the kale and milk slurry. First, remove the fibrous stems from the kale and chop into small pieces.
The milk slurry will thicken the soup. To make the slurry, add the 1/3 cup of flour to the 2 cups of milk and stir until smooth using a wire whisk or fork.
Almost finished!
Add the milk slurry to the simmering soup and cook until soup thickens slightly. This will occur when soup starts to come back to a boil. Don't boil it though... it's a dairy product and "low and slow" is the motto for best results.
Add chopped kale and red pepper… stir well. The kale & peppers add such a great color contrast... don't you think? All about meal appeal! Now turn heat off and allow soup to set for a few minutes prior to serving. Taste your final product and adjust the seasoning, salt and pepper, as desired.
Dinner is ready! Doesn’t it smell and look wonderful? Make a few toasted cheese sandwiches or crusty bread… My favorite open faced cheese sandwich with this soup is provolone and grated parmesan on crusty bread. Also, cut up fresh fruit, vegetables or a make a salad and you have created a nutritious, balanced dinner or lunch... ENJOY!!