Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Soup)

Creamy, hearty Tuscan soup with spicy Italian sausage, tender potatoes, and wilted kale in a Parmesan cream broth. A home-kitchen sausage and potato soup with a creamy finish.

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: About 33 minutes, plus bringing to a boil | Total: About 43 minutes or longer | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage (hot or mild — casings removed)
• 4 slices bacon, chopped (or 4 oz pancetta)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 medium russet potatoes (~1.5 lb), sliced into ¼-inch half-moons
• 4 cups kale, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces (about ½ bunch)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan for serving
• Crusty bread for serving

Substitutions: Turkey sausage for a lighter version. Yukon Gold potatoes instead of russets (hold their shape better). Half-and-half instead of heavy cream (slightly thinner). Spinach or escarole for kale — add at the very end since they wilt faster. Skip bacon and use 2 tbsp olive oil if you want.

Instructions

1. Crisp the bacon (5 min) — In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, leave the fat. Set bacon aside for topping.
2. Brown the sausage (5 min) — Add sausage to the bacon fat, break into crumbles. Cook until browned and at least 160°F internally (165°F for turkey sausage). Remove to a plate, leaving about 1 tbsp fat in the pot (drain excess if greasy).
3. Build the base (3 min) — Add olive oil and onion. Cook 2-3 min until softened. Add garlic and red pepper flakes — cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Simmer the potatoes (15 min) — Pour in chicken broth and add potato slices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and simmer 12-15 min until potatoes are fork-tender.
5. Add greens and sausage (3 min) — Return sausage to the pot, stir in kale. Simmer 3-4 min until kale is wilted and tender.
6. Finish with cream (2 min) — Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and warm through (don't boil hard or it can separate). Season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve — Ladle into bowls, top with crispy bacon and grated Parmesan. Crusty bread on the side for dunking.

Chef's Tips

• Don't boil after the cream — keep it at a gentle simmer once the cream goes in to prevent curdling.
• Slice potatoes thin and even — ¼-inch half-moons cook fast and stay tender. Thicker slices need more time.
• Kale > spinach here — kale holds up to the broth and reheats without turning to mush. If using spinach, add it off the heat at the very end.
• Render the fat for flavor — building the soup in the bacon and sausage drippings is where the depth comes from. Don't drain it all.
• Even better day two — flavors deepen overnight. Reheat gently on low; add a splash of broth if it thickened up.
• Freezing note — the cream broth can separate slightly when frozen. If meal-prepping, freeze before adding cream and stir it in fresh when reheating.

Dietary Notes

Cream and Parmesan contain milk; ordinary bread contains wheat. Check sausage and broth for gluten. Check ingredient labels and cross-contact information for allergies.

Cooking Safety

Pork/beef sausage needs 160°F and poultry sausage needs 165°F. Keep raw meat and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat foods; wash hands and clean work surfaces after handling raw meat.

Safe cooking temperatures.

Safe Handling

Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below, within 2 hours of preparation (1 hour above 90°F). Use within 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F; bring soups and sauces to a rolling boil when reheating. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

USDA leftover handling guidance.