Recipe
Vegetarian Zuppa Toscana
I love this soup, especially during cold weather. It’s comfort food for me. This is my adaptation of a “copycat” recipe I found on the Food Network for the soup by the same name served at The Olive Garden.
I have used several different veggie sausages for this soup. Tofurky makes a good Italian sausage which I have used two ways: sliced and sautéed, and as loose sausage after tearing off the casings and breaking it up. Impossible also makes terrific veggie sausages. I especially love their loose sausage, although it is hard to find. Gimme Lean is also a good option.
The trick with any veggie sausage is to fry it up in a bit of oil and to stay with it so it doesn’t stick. If it does stick, you can add just a bit of water, wine, or stock to unstick it. If you have a good nonstick pan, use it. Otherwise, cook it in your soup pot.
Overview
While the original calls for sausage and bacon, I make the vegetarian version with Impossible sausage or Tofurky.This bowl was topped with a bit of fresh grated parm and homemade sourdough croutons.
Ingredients
1 package. Italian veggie sausage
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T olive oil
6 cups vegetable broth
½ tsp. smoked paprika
6 cups curly kale, stemmed and chopped
2.5 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½” cubes (leave the skins on)
¾ cup heavy cream or half and half
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 large white onion, ¼” dice
Instructions
Step 1
Heat the oil over medium low heat and add the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika. Cook, stirring frequently until the sausage is browned. Remove to a plate. (If you have a good nonstick skillet, use it. If not, do this in your stock pot).
Step 2
Add the onions to the oil in the stock pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes before adding the garlic. Continue to sauté for a few minutes. Then add the potatoes, the crushed red pepper, and the stock.
Step 3
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until the potatoes are cooked, about 12-15 minutes.
Step 4
Increase the heat slightly. Add the kale, the cream or half and half, and the sausage and cook until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and serve.
Vegetarian Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 14 oz. Italian veggie sausage
- 2 T olive oil
- ½ tsp. smoked paprika
- 2.5 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes cut into ½” cubes (leave the skins on)
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large white onion ¼” dice
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 6 cups curly kale stemmed and chopped
- ¾ cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 tsp. white vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium low heat and add the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika. Cook, stirring frequently until the sausage is browned. Remove to a plate. (If you have a good nonstick skillet, use it. If not, do this in your stock pot).
- Add the onions to the oil in the stock pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes before adding the garlic. Continue to sauté for a few minutes. Then add the potatoes, the crushed red pepper, and the stock.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until the potatoes are cooked, about 12-15 minutes.
- Increase the heat slightly. Add the kale, the cream or half and half, and the sausage and cook until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and serve.