Quick n Easy Zuppa Toscana Soup

Making Olive Garden’s traditional Zuppa Toscana Soup at home is incredibly simple! You can make this amazing meal on the stovetop or in the crock pot, and it’s even better than the restaurant version! Bonus: It works with a Crock Pot and hob!

By Stephanie

 Ingredients For Quick n Easy Zuppa Toscana Soup

1. One pound of mild or hot ground Italian sausage
2. One spoonful of butter
3. One little yellow onion, chopped
4. three minced garlic cloves
5. One tsp of hot sauce
   One tsp soy sauce (you can also use Worcestershire sauce)
6. three tsp flour
7. Five cups of chicken stock
8. One cup of heavy cream
9. Three to four small russet potatoes, approximately one pound in weight.
10. Three cups of coarsely chopped kale

Seasoning:

1. One tsp EACH: dry parsley, mustard powder
2. Half a teaspoon Dried oregano and dried basil, each
3. One optional pinch of red pepper flakes

Serve:

with Grated Parmigiana
Finely Diced Beef

 Instructions For Quick n Easy Zuppa Toscana Soup

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute and shred the sausage until cooked through, about 10 minutes. After reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings, set aside the sausage. If you don’t have any drippings, you can use one extra tablespoon of butter.
2. Add the onions to the soup pot along with the butter and drippings. Simmer for about five minutes over medium heat, or until tender. Simmer for a further minute after adding the garlic, spicy sauce, soy sauce, and spices.
3. After adding the flour, mix constantly for two minutes, or until the smell of raw flour is eliminated.
4. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly. In the same way, add the heavy cream. After bringing to a boil, lower heat to a simmer.
5. After cleaning, pat dry the potatoes. Slice them into 1/4-inch pieces after cutting them in half lengthwise. Include the cooked sausage and potatoes in the soup.
6. Simmer the potatoes for a further ten minutes, or until they are almost soft. Add the greens and boil for an additional five minutes.
7. Spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle with minced bacon, grated Parmesan, or red pepper flakes. Present!

TIPS:
Enhancers of Flavour: In this dish, the flavours of the mustard powder, spicy sauce, and soy sauce are accentuated rather than overtly tasted. This soup isn’t spicy or hot because of the hot sauce. Usually, I use hot sauce made by Frank.

Sausage: If you’re not into spice, mild Italian sausage will do in Zuppa Toscana, but hot Italian is the traditional choice. Jimmy Dean Original Pork Sausage is my particular favourite.
Instead of cooking the sausage on medium-high heat, this recipe cooks it over medium heat, which makes it extra juicy and provides enough drippings to produce a flavorful roux.
Cheese Garnish: I enjoy adding freshly grated Belgioioso Parmesan cheese to portions of this soup.

Slow Cooker Method:

• Please take note that this method does not call for the use of flour.
• As directed by the hob method, complete steps 1 and 2. With the exception of the potatoes, kale, and heavy cream, transfer everything to the Crock Pot.
• Cook for 3–4 hours on HIGH or 5–6 hours on LOW.
• For the final forty-five minutes, add the potatoes. Cook without overcooking, just until fork tender.
• If the heat isn’t already on low, turn it down. Add the heavy cream and greens and whisk slowly. After five minutes of full heat, serve!

Storage instructions:

• Put in an airtight container, freeze for up to three months, or refrigerate for up to three days.
• While cream-based sauces don’t often return to their previous consistency when warmed or frozen, this one does. If you intend to freeze the potatoes, take care not to overcook them.