The Hungry Swimmer: Zuppa Toscana Soup

Happy September everyone! As the weather gets cooler and the leaves begin to change, we all know what that means … It’s soup season.

This will be the first of many soup recipes, I know that for sure. If you’re as big of a soup guru as me, you will find this recipe irresistibly rich and creamy this fall. There is no better feeling than coming home and enjoying a nice warm bowl of your favorite soup. And I promise you, this one will leave you happy and full!

So, what is Zuppa Toscana soup? That’s a great question. When I first saw this recipe, I had no idea what it was or how it came to be. Don’t worry, I’ll give you the inside deets. The word “zuppa” means soup in Italian. The word “Toscana” is referring to the Tuscany region of Italy. Therefore, this translates to Tuscan-style soup. Traditionally, in Italy, this soup is filled with potatoes, beans, veggies, Italian bacon, olive oil and spices. But the American version is a bit different. Instead, we fill ours with Italian sausage, bacon, heavy cream, potatoes and kale.

Because of the cream, butter and potatoes, this recipe is more on the heavier side. This makes it a great meal, trust me! With approximately 20 grams of protein per serving, this recipe, especially for athletes, will be beneficial in replenishing at the end of a long day.

As always, if you decide to give this recipe a try, please tag me @rubyfaye99! I would love to see your end result and what you think!

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound of spicy Italian sausage
• 4 Tbsp of unsalted butter
• ½ white onion, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 4-5 yellow potatoes – cut into bite-sized pieces.
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 cups chopped kale

*Optional: top with bacon/ bacon bits and parmesan cheese! 

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, saute spicy Italian sausage until browned, 5-6 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.
2. In the same pot, add butter and onions and saute over medium heat. Once browned, add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
3. Add chicken broth, water and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Once potatoes are soft, stir in the kale, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Lastly, add the spicy Italian sausage we set aside at the beginning!
4. Serve warm and garnish. Enjoy!

Yields: 4 servings

Storage:

This soup is freezable! But I would advise eating it within 3 weeks of freezing it. The kale could potentially start to brown if stored longer.