Zuppa Toscana Soup

By á-6954

This delicious and hearty Tuscan soup is perfect for autumn days when you want to fill your house with the comforting aromas of bacon, onion, and fennel. It's sure to warm you up!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
• 4 ounces bacon, diced into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces, about 5 slices
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, cleaned and diced into 1/8 to 1/6-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup kale, lightly packed, chopped into bite sized pieces
• Finely shredded Romano cheese, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into 1-inch pieces and add to saucepan. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Remove sausage to a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels. Drain fat from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon. Add diced bacon to fat in saucepan, being sure to separate the pieces. Return to heat and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced onions to
and sauté mixture until bacon is cooked through—but not crisp—and onions are tender, about 5 minutes more.

Add chicken broth, water, sliced potatoes, sugar, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in half and half, kale and cooked sausage. Cover saucepan and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very tender. Use a spoon or ladle to remove excess fat from surface of soup.

Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.