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Simple Recipes for Every Day

Zuppa Toscana

Bowl of homemade zuppa toscana soup with sausage, potatoes, and kale, topped with Parmesan and served with crusty bread
  • Serves:  6
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  40 min

Ingredients

  • 10 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder, (optional)
  • 2 large russet potatoes, peeled, sliced into ½-inch rounds, and quartered
  • 2 medium zucchini, (about 1 pound), halved and sliced into ½-inch-thick half-moons
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 bunch curly kale, stemmed and roughly torn
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, for serving

Method

  1. Place the bacon in a large skillet. Set the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon crisps and the fat is rendered, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the fat in the pan. 
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the plate with the bacon.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat to the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chili powder, potatoes, and zucchini. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. 
  4. Add the sausage and about three-quarters of the bacon to the soup. Stir in the heavy cream, kale, Parmesan and salt and cook, stirring, until the kale is wilted, 2 to 5 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. 
  5. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the remaining bacon, more Parmesan, and red pepper flakes.