Zuppa Toscana

This is another great find on pinterest.  It is described as better than Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana!

All I can say is soup is really really good this time of year and this soup was definitely really really good!

I will make a few changes next time I make it, and there will be a next time!

I will use less sausage.  We like to have more soup than sausage.  If you like lots of sausage, leave it the same. 

This is definitely a soup to add to my cold weather list! 

Zuppa Toscana

(found on pinterest via

www.steaknpotatoeskindagurl.blogspot.com)

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 lb hot (I used mild) Italian Sausage (I will do 1/2 lb next time)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups (32 oz) chicken stock
• 3 cups potatoes, cubed
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 cups kale, in bite size pieces (didn't have this, added shredded zucchini instead)
• 1 cup heavy cream (used just whipping cream)
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• kids liked saltines too!

In a large pot, cook the bacon until crispy.  I like to use my kitchen scissors and cut the bacon before I cook it!  That way it is already diced.  Drain your bacon grease.  Add your sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks.  Once sausage is browned and crumbled, drain off the grease leaving a little to saute the onions in.  I put the sausage and bacon aside on a plate.

Cook the onion in the remaining small amount of grease.  Saute until translucent; add the minced garlic and saute a little longer.

Stir in your potatoes, sausage/bacon, and chicken stock (or I used bouillon).  Season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add your kale (or zucchini) and cream.  Bring to a simmer.  Top each bowl with Parmesan cheese!

Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

My camera has been hijacked by my husband! So I don't have a picture of this soup, but I wanted to post it in case there were some of you out there that got sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) from bountiful baskets and didn't know what to do with them!

This soup had great flavor, it was easy and it used the sunchokes and spinach that I got from my basket! It was rated with 4 stars on all recipes and had great reviews! My kids looked at it and weren't exactly sure about it! Luckily I was prepared for this and wasn't in one of my "You better eat this" moods!

We liked it and would make this again, if I got sunchokes again! I may even purposefully buy some!

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Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

(www.allrecipes.com)

• 4 slices turkey bacon, diced (I used regular bacon and 5 slices! If you cut it with your kitchen scissors it makes dicing really easy!)
• 1 (16 ounce) package turkey sausage, casings discarded, coarsely chopped (I used beef sausage, since that is what I had~I cut to bite size pieces)
• 1 lb Jerusalem artichokes, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 6 small white potatoes, peeled and halved (I cut into bite size pieces)
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped (I didn't add since I didn't have any)
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves~I like garlic!)
• 1 quart chicken stock (I used almost 2 qts, to make it more soup than stew!)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• (For fresh herb substitution use 1 tsp dried to every 1 tbsp fresh. I did this!)
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch ground paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on our soup!

Place the bacon, sausage, artichokes, potatoes, celery, onion, leek, spinach and garlic in a large saucepan. Pour in chicken stock ~ this is where I added more. The stock didn't cover the veggies and I thought it could use more liquid! Add parsley, basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a simmer over med-high heat. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer 45 minutes.

Stir the flour into the 1 cup water until no lumps remain. Stir into the simmering soup, and continue simmering, covered, 30 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally! If you added more liquid, you may need to add more flour if you want it thick!