Suppa Toscana

prep time:: 5 min
total time:: 45 min

Serves 4

This is a copycat recipe for a popular Italian restaurant soup. Except, I think mine is better. It’s not very Tuscan except perhaps because it uses Italian sausage and kale. It’s also easy to make and tastes great.

ingredients

1 lb. mild Italian sausage – preferably ground not links
2 strips bacon, cut into thin strips
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 C water
2 medium Russet potatoes, diced (do not use Yukon Gold)
1/3 C Half-n-Half
2 C kale, chopped (can substitute Swiss chard)

directions

Sauté sausage in a large pot over medium heat; when cooked, drain fat and remove sausage from pot and set aside. In the same pot, add bacon and cook until almost crisp; add onion and garlic and cook until onion is clear about 3-5 minutes. Add water and chicken bouillon cubes along with spices, potatoes and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are very tender and easily break apart. Use a spoon to gently stir and break the potatoes apart. Add cooked Italian sausage, half-and-half and kale stirring and mix well; heat about another 2-3 minutes then serve.

notes

Make sure to use grainy Russet potatoes, not waxy potatoes like Yukon Golds. Photo note: Hank the dog keeps watch while we're at anchor on a rainy afternoon.

Source: Don Chase