Creamy Tuscan Sausage Vegetable Soup

What is Tuscan Sausage Vegetable Soup?

You may know of Tuscan sausage vegetable soup from recent Instapot recipe posts and Olive Garden. This popularized version of zuppa toscana is from the northern region of Tuscany, Italy. Using heavy cream as a thickener, the soup is usually quite thick and rich.

The light perfume of the fennel from the Italian sausage permeates the broth ever so delicately, kissed by the gentle nip of the red pepper flake (“peperoncino” as the Italians call it).

Every bite offers something different and exciting. Some bites are full of the meaty fragrant sausage, while some are sweet and refreshing because you’re getting carrot and kale.

Without a doubt, this will become one of your go-to soup recipes. You can cook a big pot of it and it will last you several meals. So easy and so delicious! It will impress your loved ones too-they won’t even know that you’re eating fancy on a budget.

For other hearty soup recipes, check out my albondigas soup.

Flavor Hacks for Healthy Vegetable Soups

A good soup is really a labor of love that, if made from scratch, takes hours to produce. But that’s what gets you that delicious rich flavor.

Luckily we have the convenience of store-bought organic broths that save us lots of time in the kitchen. Or even use chicken bouillon cubes. If you prefer healthier, you can go without the bouillon.

If you like spice, you can use red pepper flake in this vegetable soup recipe. Heating some up in your oil before you saute is a great way to infuse your dish with its rich flavor.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this Tuscan sausage vegetable soup recipe. Hope it warms you right up!

How do I make my Tuscan sausage vegetable soup less salty?

Use low or no-sodium broth so that you have better control over the amount of salt and seasonings in your soups and stews. Season with each step of the cooking process because you do not want a bland soup, but do not over-use salt. Remember: you can always add more salt but cannot take it away.

How do I make soup thicker?

• Add starchy ingredients such as rich, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beans. As they cook, the starch will release into the soup liquid and thicken it.
• Add heavy cream
• Create a slurry of corn starch and water or a roux to thicken your soup. This method is used for cream soups, cajun stews, beef stews, and gravies.

How do I prevent the vegetables in my stew from turning to mush?

Timing, timing, timing!

The veggies added to stews all require a different amount of cooking.

To prevent your veggies from turning into mush, add harder veggies first.

Carrots, celery, and other roots need at least 30 minutes to cook.

Cubed starchy veggies (e.g., sweet potatoes, pumpkin, potatoes) need about 15-20 minutes to cook.

Leafy veggies should be added last and allowed to cook for 2-15 minutes depending on their density. Spinach requires 1 minute to cook, whereas kale would require 10-15 minutes because it is much more fibrous.

Tuscan Sausage Vegetable Soup

A hearty and delicious soup with sausage, kale, and potatoes.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 lb Italian Sausage casings removed
• 4 carrots peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 1 sweet onion diced
• 2 quarts reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp red pepper flake
• 3 Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 bunch kale stems removed; leaves roughly chopped
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1/2 tbsp garlic salt or to taste
• 1/2 tbsp seasoned salt or to taste

Instructions

 

• Heat a 6 quart stock pot on medium heat. Add oil. When oil is shimmery, add in Italian sausage. Cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes, breaking up sausage into small pieces. When sausage is brown, remove from pot and set aside.
• Add diced carrot, celery, and onion into the pot. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Then add chicken stock, bay leaves, and red pepper flake. Bring to a boil with high heat, then reduce fire to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Once diced vegetables are softened, add in kale and potatoes. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
• Then add in heavy cream. Add garlic salt, and seasoned salt to taste. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Keyword hearty soup, Tuscan sausage vegetable soup, Zuppa Toscana