Foodie Fridays: Easy Zuppa Toscana

When I was visiting my family in Pennsylvania last week, my brother mentioned a soup recipe he discovered recently that was both simple to make and satisfyingly delicious to eat.  I did not have time to get his recipe from him, but I remembered the simple list of ingredients he mentioned and managed to find a similar recipe online.

I did of course modify this recipe slightly, using fully cooked sausage crumbles instead of Italian sausage like my brother did.  I added Italian seasoning to the soup since the crumbles do not have a lot of added herbs and spices.  I also used a bagged baby kale blend instead of regular kale, just because it is so much easier!  My version is still quite easy to make, and the soup is just as tasty as my brother claimed.  This dish would be perfect for lunch or dinner on a winter's day, and I am even thinking about serving it on Christmas Eve.  Give it a try and see what you think!

Easy Zuppa Toscana

1 bag (9.6 oz.) Jimmy Dean Sausage Crumbles (see Notes)
1 T. olive oil
1 bag (20 oz.) Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes (any flavor)
6 C. chicken stock or broth
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 bag (5 oz.) baby kale blend (I used Fresh Express)
1 C. (8 oz.) heavy cream

Cook the sausage over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until heated through.  Remove from the pot and set aside.  Heat about 1 T. olive oil in the pot and add the potatoes.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.  Return the sausage to the pot.

Add the stock and Italian seasoning.  Bring the soup to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Stir in the baby kale blend by the handful and cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted.

Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cream, and heat through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (I used unsalted stock, so I added about 1/2 tsp. salt).  Remove from the heat and serve.  Serves 4-6.

Notes: I used turkey sausage crumbles, but you can substitute 1 lb. of any sausage you prefer for the crumbles (if using uncooked sausage, be sure to cook until no longer pink).  Also, since I don't care for large potato chunks in my soups, I used a potato masher to coarsely mash the potatoes after adding the cream.