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Close-up of opaque pale beige Zuppa Toscana broth featuring golden droplets of rendered sausage fat and half-moon sliced potatoes.

The Ultimate Creamy Zuppa Toscana Recipe

Master the art of making creamy, restaurant-quality Zuppa Toscana at home. Featuring tender sliced potatoes, browned Italian sausage, red bacon bits, and wilted kale in a rich, pale beige broth.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon 115g, chopped
  • 1 lb mild or hot ground Italian sausage 450g
  • 1 medium yellow onion 150g, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic 15g, minced
  • 4 cups chicken broth 960ml
  • 3 medium Russet potatoes 600g, scrubbed and sliced into half-moons
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream 240ml, room temperature
  • 3 cups dark green kale 100g, destemmed and chopped
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 25g, for garnish
  • 2 tbsp fresh curly parsley 10g, finely chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch Oven A heavy-bottomed pot prevents the cream from scorching.
  • 1 Chef's Knife Essential for cutting the potatoes into uniform half-moons.

Method
 

Cooking Instructions
  1. Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add chopped bacon. Cook for 5-7 minutes until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving about 1 tbsp (15ml) of bacon fat in the pot.
  2. Add the ground Italian sausage to the pot. Cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it apart until deeply browned. Do not drain all the grease; retain about 2 tbsp (30ml) of rendered fat.
  3. Add the diced onion to the sausage and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits. Add the half-moon sliced potatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until fork-tender.
  5. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and chopped dark green kale. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until the kale is wilted and the broth is an opaque pale beige.
  6. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish with the reserved red bacon bits, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and chopped curly parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

Tip 1: Leave a little rendered sausage fat in the pan to achieve a highly flavorful, authentic broth.
Tip 2: Make sure heavy cream is at room temperature to prevent curdling.