Hearty Tuscan Soup (Zuppa Toscana)

from ButterYum

makes 4-6 hearty servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage

• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices (or dice if you need them to cook faster)

• 2 large carrots, peeled and minced

• 1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon

• 5 cups chicken broth (homemade is best - try my easy recipe here)

• 3 cups chopped kale (no stems)

• 1 cup heavy cream

• salt and pepper to taste

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• optional: 28 ounces canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Remove sausage from casing if purchased in link form.

2. In a large pan, heat oil and brown sausage until cooked through, breaking up large clumps as you go; remove from pan and reserve.

3. In same pan, saute onions in the rendered sausage fat until translucent; add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more.

4. Add potatoes, carrots, sausage, bacon, and chicken broth; simmer over medium heat for 20-30 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are tender.

5. Add chopped kale; simmer for another 10 minutes.

6. Stir in heavy cream and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

7. Stir in chopped parsley and optional cannellini beans just before serving.

Note

• For an even more hearty version, add a can or two of rinsed and drained cannellini beans about 5 minutes before serving.