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 FoodNetwork 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 both sliced and sautéedand added at the end and as loose sausage after tearing off the casings. 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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 720mgPotassium: 674mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3919IUVitamin C: 51mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 2mg
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