Zuppa Toscana

 I had some leftover kale from a salad and I went looking for recipes. And I found a great one!

This was a delicious soup, in spite of the fact that I totally forgot to add the heavy cream at the end. I could blame the fact that it's holiday time and everything is so hectic. But I really can't because this happens to me even at the calmest of times. The crumbled sausage? That had to be sliced because partially thawed Italian chicken sausage doesn't crumble too easily if you forget to take it from the freezer in good time. I did manage to get the casing off but I guess if I was slicing it didn't matter anyway. Then I almost killed Grandma again with the pepper. One half teaspoon was probably more because I wasn't paying attention, it just might have been a tad much. Even the kids had more to drink with dinner! And the sausage was the spicy kind. But everyone loved this one. Even grandma, with a lot of water on the side. Definitely a keeper.

Zuppa Toscana
Source: Annie's Eats
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 lb. Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 russett potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cups cannelini beans
2 cups fresh kale, chopped or torn in small pieces (stems removed)
5 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk (use heavy cream if you want a richer tasting soup!)
Salt and pepper

Place a large stockpot on the stove over medium heat.  Remove the sausage from the casings and crumble into the pan. Cook until well browned.

Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large plate lined with paper towels; set aside.  Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté about 5-7 minutes, until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add the potatoes, beans, kale, and chicken broth to the pot. 

Return the sausage to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through. Stir in the milk or cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Joining 

Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

Tweet