Tuscan Sausage, Potato, and Bean Soup | Copycat Zuppa Toscana | Comfort Food Recipes

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: milk + cornstarch

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

Italian sausage

🥗Healthier: turkey sausage

💰Cheaper: pork sausage

Turkey sausage offers lower fat content while still providing flavor.

kale

🥗Healthier: spinach

💰Cheaper: cabbage

Spinach is more tender and widely available.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast offers a cheesy flavor without dairy.

Over medium heat, warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Crumble the Italian sausage into the pot and use a spatula to break it up into bite size pieces. Cook the sausage over medium heat, stirring often, until it begins to brown. Drain any excess oil from sausage and return it to the pot. Add in the bacon bits, diced potatoes, garlic, and chopped onion. Saute it all together for about 5 minutes.

Add in the flour and stir into the sausage mixture until it is absorbed. Fold in the chopped kale, white pepper, crushed red pepper, and stir. Finally, pour in all of the chicken broth. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow the soup to gently simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At the 45 minute mark, add the beans to the soup, bring pot back to a boil and gently simmer for 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat, remove pot from the burner and stir in the cream or half and half.

Serve this flavorful soup hot, topped with a few teaspoons of shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish. Enjoy!

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens