Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Zuppa Toscana Soup {Olive Garden Copy-Cat}

Last week, my Mom and youngest sister came to town, and we spent the afternoon together. We did some shopping, then went to the Olive Garden for lunch. Mom and I both had the Zuppa Toscana soup, and it was amazing! We contemplated how we could recreate it at home. After browsing the web, I realized there are many recipes out there to make it yourself. Most of them are very similar, so I just took the main ingredients as a base, and added a bit of this & a bit of that. :)


Ingredients

2 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. package spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
6 slices bacon, cut in half inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, diced
32 oz. chicken broth
3 large russet potatoes, halved then sliced in 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 c. half & half
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese


Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.
Add sausage and cook thoroughly.
Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to scoop sausage onto a paper towel to drain.
Pour out the sausage fat, and add bacon pieces to the pan.
Saute for about 5 minutes.
Add onion and saute another 5 minutes. Bacon should be cooked and onions softened.
Add chicken broth, potatoes, sugar, and seasonings. 
Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer. Stir in sausage and half & half.
Cover and simmer 15-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
Skim excess fat off the top with a large spoon.
Stir in kale about 5 minutes before serving.
Garnish each bowl with finely grated cheese when serving.


(Directions with Photos)

Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.
Add sausage and cook thoroughly.


Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to scoop sausage onto a paper towel to drain.


Pour out the sausage fat, and add bacon pieces to the pan.


Saute for about 5 minutes.


Add onion and saute another 5 minutes. 


(While that cooks, scrub your potatoes well. Cut them in half lengthwise and slice them in 1/4 inch slices.)


It's done when the bacon is cooked and the onions are softened.


Add chicken broth, potatoes, sugar, and seasonings. 


Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer. 
(By the way, you have no idea how hard it is to get a picture of boiling water and steam.) :)


Stir in sausage and half & half.
Cover and simmer 15-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
{Taste and add more seasonings, if needed.}


Skim excess fat off the top with a large spoon.
Stir in kale about 5 minutes before serving.


(This soup may not look very appetizing, but believe me, you will not regret making it!)


Garnish each bowl with finely grated cheese before serving.






1 comment:

  1. Love this recipe! My only suggestion would be to add Kale to the list of ingredients so people would know how much to use. I ended up finding another recipe on Pinterest and pulled the amount from them.

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