Ingredients (~10 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs hot Italian sausage (bulk, no casings)
- 1 1/2 large yellow onions, chopped (~2 cups)
- 9 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 12 cups chicken broth (3 quarts)
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 3 lbs red potatoes, washed and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 6 cups baby kale, arugula, or spinach
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Brown the Sausage and Render the Fat
Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break it apart with a wooden spoon.
Cook for ~6-8 minutes until the meat is well-browned and crisp edges have formed. You want to render out the orange chili-spiked fat; if there is more than 3 tablespoons of grease in the pot, spoon some out, but leave enough to sauté the vegetables.
Bloom the Spices in the Pork Fat
Add the chopped onions and garlic directly to the sausage and fat. Cook for ~4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes, white pepper, and a heavy pinch of black pepper. Let the spices toast in the hot fat for 60 seconds to release their oils.
Simmer the Potatoes
Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the bouillon base. Add the sliced potatoes; ensure they are submerged in the liquid.
Bring the pot to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for ~35-40 minutes. The potatoes are done when they offer zero resistance to a knife; they should be soft enough to almost dissolve on your tongue but still hold their shape in the spoon.
Enrich the Broth
Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream. Simmer gently for 5 minutes to bring the temperature back up, but do not let it boil vigorously or the cream may split.
Taste the broth. It needs to be salty enough to season the potatoes and the greens you are about to add.
Wilt the Greens When Serving
Do not put the kale in the pot. Instead, place a large handful of raw greens into the bottom of each serving bowl.
Ladle the piping hot soup directly over the greens. Stir once; the residual heat will wilt the leaves perfectly in about 30 seconds.
Spicy Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
Ingredients (~10 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs hot Italian sausage bulk, no casings
- 1 1/2 large yellow onions ~2 cups, chopped
- 9 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 12 cups chicken broth 3 quarts
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 3 lbs red potatoes washed and sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 6 cups baby kale arugula, or spinach
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown sausage in large pot over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until crisp.
- Add onions and garlic, cook 4 minutes until translucent.
- Stir in red pepper flakes, white pepper, and black pepper. Toast 60 seconds.
- Pour in chicken broth and bouillon. Add sliced potatoes.
- Bring to boil, then simmer 35-40 minutes until potatoes are very soft.
- Reduce heat, stir in heavy cream. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Place raw greens in serving bowls.
- Ladle hot soup over greens, stirring to wilt.
