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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Spicy Tuscan Soup



The days for comfort food are dwindling down and with temperatures on the rise I knew I had to get in just a few more of those homey recipes before I start focusing on some lighter fare for Spring. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before how much I adore soups. I like them actually year round, reserving some of the heartier ones for the cooler months and reaping the benefits of the wonderful produce available in the spring and summer for creating fresh and light tasting ones.

I found the recipe for this soup a couple of years ago on Tasty Kitchen. The description mentioned that this soup comes pretty close to one that Olive Garden serves. Not being a fan of any chain restaurant, I actually can't vouch for this statement since I have never eaten there before. However, the ingredients sounded interesting and unlike any soup I had in my repertoire, so I gave it a go.
This dish has become a family favorite ever since the first time I made it. This is a nice "stick to your ribs" kind of recipe, which is perfect, especially on those cool evenings.



Talk about a pork feast. Spicy breakfast sausage, red onions and bacon add tons of flavor, especially when paired with garlic, Yukon gold potatoes and kale. The liquid base of this soup comes from chicken broth. I used a homemade one (I usually have some in my freezer) which adds some nice depth, but even a quality store bought kind will do the trick and works very nicely, especially when short on time. A little bit of heavy cream added during the last few minutes of cooking adds richness and rounds out this fantastic soup.

The first time I made this recipe, I really wasn't sure how Kale would go over with the family, but everyone ended up loving it so much, that I have been increasing the amount of Kale by quite a bit more. This in turn really helps me justify the health factor of this dish. ;-)
This soup has it all. Flavor, spice, and creaminess without being too heavy. When paired with a nice loaf of bread or some bread sticks, it makes for a wonderful quick weeknight meal. Friends of ours who have actually eaten the Olive Garden version before thought this was even better than the original. I would say that is quite the compliment.



Spicy Tuscan Soup
~makes 6 servings~

Ingredients:
1 pound spicy breakfast sausage
1 whole medium red onion, diced
3 slices bacon, diced 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
4 Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 lbs.), peeled and diced 
6 cups chicken broth  
4 cups loosely packed Kale, cleaned 
1/2 cup heavy cream 
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste  


Preparation:
Crumble sausage into a dutch oven over medium-high heat until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add red onion and bacon to dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium and cook until onions soften and bacon begins to crisp. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the diced potatoes and chicken broth. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until potatoes are almost done. Return crumbled sausage back to the dutch oven.

Add the kale and let simmer for another 5 minutes or until kale is wilted and soft. Add heavy cream, warm through, but don't boil.  Serve immediately.

Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen

37 comments:

  1. Anything with kale in it is always a winner for me, especially if it's mixed with all sorts of porky goodness. This looks exceptionally comforting.

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  2. I felt the same way I served my family kale for the firts time, but they loved it as well.
    Soup will be still in season for much longer here in Colorado. Heute ist so richtiges Deutschlandwetter, nebelig, feucht und sehr kalt. Sehr ungewoehnlich fuer CO. Perfekt fuer ein Teller Suppe.
    Thanks for a new recipe.
    Kirsten

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  3. I don't do meat, but this recipe looks rich and comforting!

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  4. This soup looks REALLY good to me. I just recently discovered kale, believe it or not, and I absolutely love it!! I used to make a soup years ago that had sausage and cream in it (lost the recipe) and this looks like it will be even better than my much-loved old/lost recipe. I'm printing this out, thank you!

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  5. This looks so good, Susi and I love the changes you've made to it. A pork feast indeed!

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  6. What a gorgeous soup and it looks so comforting. I just adore kale in soups. :)

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  7. At least Northern AZ gets a few more weeks of cooler weather. I hate to see the heat come and the baking recipes go back on the shelf. Your soup sounds lovely. I just recently learned that my family likes kale in soups, too.

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  8. I love soup too! My mom said that I was always her soup kid. She could feed it to me for lunch and dinner if she had to! lol This reminds me of her White Bean Tuscan Soup - looks really delicious!

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  9. Oh this is so comforting and healthy at the same time..nicely done, wonderful photos too!

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  10. I like soups year round too! I know this might sound weird, but fresh tomatoes from the garden make the best tomato soup for summer time. Throw some basil and fresh mozzarella on top? YUM...this soup looks delicious too, the colors are so pretty!

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  11. I wish my husband would eat kale...this looks so great.

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  12. This looks so full of flavor, and what a great list of ingredients. Personally I enjoy Olive Garden.

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  13. That looks really delicious, a complete meal in a bowl as far as I am concerned. Or maybe a slice of garlic bread for dipping.

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  14. YUM! We make one a little differnt...

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  15. This looks so wholesome and filling, i love a chunky soup!

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  16. Beautiful soup, Susi! The guys in my family would love a pork feast :)

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  17. I like your new look! Lots of us are getting makeovers:) Your soup looks so good, and I love the addition of the kale.

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  18. Wow. I am so hungry. This is bad. I'm glad you fit in a nice soup before it got warm, although it's still snowing here.

    Laura

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  19. Nothing like a good "stick to your ribs" soup! This looks delicious and beautiful photos.

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  20. Susi, that soup sounds perfect. I love kale in soups. It keeps a bit of a bite without overwhelming the soup. And, the pork sausage and bacon too, well, sign me up!

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  21. I saw that kale a mile away, it's one of my favorite greens in soups. This sounds wonderful. We eat soup all the time, so i will make this soon.
    -Gina-

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  22. just discovered your blog Susi! Looks great...although it really isn't tuscan...
    oriana from Tuscany!

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  23. This is my favorite soup at the Olive Garden! Thanks so much for the recipe..I can't wait to give it a try! :)

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  24. Mmm this looks delicious! I have to admit, Olive Garden does soups much better than they to pasta, and all of the spin-off recipes from there I've tried have been great. This one looks like it will be too!

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  25. I've been on a soup kick lately, and have been looking for new recipes to try. This one looks so yummy, I'll have to add it to the list:)

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  26. Hey Susi-girl, this looks great. I know, the Hubs and me aren't big fans of chains either, but especially Olive Garden. We always make fun of their dorky commercials...

    With that being said, this looks super yummy. I'm always trying to find ways to incorporate some power greens into our meals. This is a great way! I would have never thought breakfast sausage. I love me some breakfast sausage!

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  27. That is one beautiful bowl of soup Susi! Loaded with some of my favorite things - I know I would love it!

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  28. Aren't we lucky to have a short "comfort food" season?? I'm not much of a comfort food person, but on occasion, it's just perfect. The soup looks so good, and I'm happy to hear that your family did ok with the kale. My husband is veggi-phobic and has moved my kids that direction as well. Not sure kale will make the cut, but I'm going to give it a go!

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  29. Wow, this looks like it would really hit the spot right now! Love all the GREEN!

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  30. Wow, love this soup....so tasty with the sausages and the kale on it just makes it perfect :-) Beautifully done!

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  31. Warm and comforting bowl of soup.I am all for greens in soup--- so much flavor and nutrition!!!
    Awesome recipe

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  32. That looks BETTER than the OG recipe! Great job, love the kale - it's a vegetable that is so hot right now! Great job, gorgeous photos!

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  33. Susi, I'm just coming back to say I made this soup tonight and all I can say is oh my God! We LOVED it!!! So so good. I made a buttermilk herb bread to go with it. I'll be posting this soup on my blog in the next couple of weeks and will give you full credit. An absolutely wonderful soup - thank you!!!

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  34. This sounds like a wonderful meal for one of these chilly "almost spring" nights we've been having. I love kale, and have some in my refrigerator right now! :)

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  35. SO glad you liked my soup!! I love when people like it!

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