Zuppa Toscana

This winter my favorite soup, Italian Wedding Soup has been challenged by this recipe for Zuppas Toscana. I LUHHHVE it. Like so much. Previous to this winter I had never tried it. I had not even ever had the original version at Olive Garden.

Shock. Gasp.

No I do not live under a rock. I just never go to Olive Garden. Okay, so I hardly ever get out. Ha!

There were so many people telling me I needed to try it, that I gave into peer pressure and I decided to finally make Zuppas Toscana. 

Friends, I slurped it greedily out of my bowl and then I proceeded to lick my bowl. Then I had another bowl and repeated the previous process. Then I had another bowl the next day for lunch. People, that means I ate it for leftovers. You know me and leftovers. So...that is basically my must-eat-this-it-will-be-heavenly stamp of approval.

This soup has Italian sausage, potatoes, spinach, and bacon. Basically a few of my dearest loves are all in this soup. Only the most divine ingredients for me. Seriously it is no wonder I love this soup.

This soup is hearty enough for winter, but light enough to be made in all the other seasons. This is an all year kind of soup. If you have never made it, then I very strongly recommend the recipe for this bowl of goodness.

So let's recap shall we--

-never had Zuppas Toscana before

-made it

-loved it

-had it for leftovers

-if you haven't had it, make it

That is it in a nutshell.

Enjoy friends!

Zuppa Toscana

adapted from The Recipe Critic

5-6 pieces of bacon, cut up

4 potatoes

6 cups chicken broth

1 onion, finely diced

1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 lb mild Italian sausage

2 cups heavy cream

2 1/2 cups roughly chopped spinach

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a frying pan. Remove pieces once they are cooked, but before they are really crispy. Set aside on a paper towel. 

Peel the potatoes. Slice each potato in half lengthwise and then cut each half into 1/4" slices. Add the chicken stock to a large pot. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the potatoes into the boiling broth.

As the potatoes cook, saute the Italian sausage into a pan. Cook just short of being completely cooked. Drain off the fat. Add in the garlic and onion. Saute the mixture together until the sausage is golden and the onions are translucent. 

Once the potatoes are tender, add in the sausage mixture and the spinach. Let the mixture boil for a couple of minutes. Long enough for the spinach to start to wilt.

Reduce the heat and add in the cream, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook until the soup is heated through.

Top with bacon and serve.

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