Zuppa Toscana
Hearty and creamy! This soup combines salty bacon, spicy sausage, fluffy potatoes, and crunchy greens to bring you a delightful bowl of local flavors. North Iowa has many pork producers, but look for the ones selling direct-to-consumer; you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the improved flavor and quality. Ingredients with an asterisk (*) are available seasonally right here in North Iowa! Click on select ingredients to find them nearby or stop by your local farmer’s market.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage* or ground pork seasoned with 1 tsp parsley, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 3/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp fennel seed, 1/4 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4-6 slices bacon*
- 1 1/2 lbs potatoes* chopped
- 1 onion* chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic* minced
- 4 cups chicken broth* or broth of choice
- 1 cup kale* or Swiss chard leaves, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt + pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese shredded, optional for serving
Instructions
- Cook bacon in soup pot or skillet. Allow bacon to crisp before removing it from the pan. Set aside to crumble for serving later.
- In the same pan cook sausage or ground pork (if using ground pork add seasonings now). Cook, breaking sausage into small chunks, until meat is browned. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
- Drain grease from pan making sure to keep back 1 Tbsp. Add onions and sauté until fragrant and translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. If you have been using a skillet, transfer everything to soup pot or slow cooker, including cooked sausage.
- Add potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
- Stir in kale and cream. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with crumbled bacon and shredded parmesan cheese.
Slow Cooker
- Complete steps until moving cooked onions and meat to slow cooker. Add potatoes and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6 hours.
- 30 minutes before serving add kale and cream. Taste soup and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with crumbled bacon bits and shredded Parmesan cheese if using.
Notes
Photography by Sierra Buchholz
Nutrition
Calories: 565kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 17gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 1258mgPotassium: 809mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 944IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
