Hi All! Happy Monday! With the crazy Spring weather in the mid west, I have a hankering for some soup. Normally in April I start craving burgers and brats because it's baseball season, but the weather can't seem to make up it's mind yet.
While the last few weeks of chill are lingering in the air, I had thought I'd share this dish to enjoy. I found the original recipe on food.com, titled "Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana". I was intrigued. I like this soup, and the 5-star rating perked my interest.
I followed the recipe only making a couple of minor adjustments to suit my own palette:
-I used 4 small red potatoes. This is what I had on hand. But, I prefer reds or Yukon gold potatoes because they seem boil up creamier. However you can use 2-large russet potatoes as well.
-I also seasoned the sausage with dried Rosemary, Thyme, Basil and Oregano. I didn't measure, to be honest, but I would estimate 1 - 2 teaspoons of each seasoning to the sausage.
-I skipped onion and opted for Penzey's Sunny Paris Seasoning. This has quickly become one of my favorites for cooked vegetables, scrambled eggs, deviled eggs and this soup. I like the milder flavor of shallots and chives over onions personally, and whenever I can pass on chopping and onion I take it!
The link for Penzey's Sunny Paris Seasoning is here:
Here's the recipe, adapted from Food.Com's Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana (By Cycle Michael)
1 pound Italian Sausage. (I used Jimmy Dean Mild, and added my own Italian Spices.)
4 small red potatoes, sliced in half and then in 1/4 inch slices (this helps speed up cooking time)
Penzey's Sunny Paris Seasoning, to your liking
2 -3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
1 15 ounce can of northern beans
3 Tablespoons, sun dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
2 Cups of kale or Swiss Chard, chopped
2 Cups water, 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Soup Base
1 Cup Whole Milk
1 Cup Half and Half
A Dutch Oven or soup pot, brown and crumble sausage.
Add water and soup base.
Toss in potatoes, beans, dried tomatoes and kale
Add milk and half and half
Simmer until potatoes are tender
Toss in Bacon to finish
Garnish with Parmesan cheese.
A good wine to try with this soup is Noble Vines 181. You can read a little more about it here:
181 Merlot
Enjoy!