Zuppa Tuscana Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage - (mild can be substituted)8 slices bacon, diced - (divided)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 Tbsp flour - (cornstarch can be substituted)
32 oz chicken stock
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 bunch escarole or kale (a couple of handfuls) - de-stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces
Salt and pepper, - to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes. - optional
Directions
Brown the Italian sausage. I like to use spicy sausage links and remove the casing, but you can also use bulk Italian sausage if you prefer. Use a wooden spoon to crumble the sausage as you cook it, then drain it very well, getting as much grease off of it as you can. Remove to a plate.
Fry the bacon right in the residual grease from the sausage. This adds plenty of flavor! Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to the plate with the sausage.
Cook the onion and garlic in the bacon grease. Again, boosting the flavor here! If you have a ton of grease after cooking the bacon, drain off all but about 1 1/2 Tbsp.
Add the flour to the cooked onion and garlic, stirring to mix it all in. This is going to thicken your soup slowly, as it cooks.
Add liquid and potatoes. I like to use chicken bone broth or chicken stock, but you can use broth if you prefer. When you add the liquid, make sure to stir well, so the flour is mixed in with the liquid and doesn’t clump up.
Boil potatoes until tender. Don’t cook them TOO much, you want them tender when pierced with a fork, but not mushy.
Stir in cooked sausage and bacon. This keeps the meats nice and crispy.
Add cream and kale. Stir well and let the escarole or kale wilt.
Enjoy!!
