Zuppa Toscana

By Taylor Wallace, PhD, CFS, FACN

Purchase the cookbook here.

Ingredients

  • 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
  • 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
  • 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Accent seasoning (i.e., monosodium glutamate [MSG]), optional
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 large russet baking potatoes, washed and sliced in ¼-inch slices
  • 2 (8-ounce) cans chicken broth
  • 1 envelope chicken bouillon
  • 1 quart water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with enough water to form a paste
  • 2 cups kale, packed
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, tempered

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon, drain, and set aside. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until brown and crumbled. Add the onion, garlic, Accent seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook until the onions are translucent and soft.
  2. In a soup pot, add the sausage mixture and the potatoes, chicken broth, chicken bouillon, and water. Cook on medium heat until the potatoes are done, stirring constantly. Then add the cornstarch paste and simmer for another 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and sprinkle in the kale and cooked bacon. Slowly pour in cream while stirring. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.

Food Fact

MSG is a flavor enhancer used commonly by food scientists. Glutamate is naturally found in many foods, like tomatoes, walnuts, mushrooms, and meat. So don’t be scared of the name: it’s perfectly safe and effective for maximizing flavor.

  • Calories: 543
  • Fat: 38 g
  • Protein: 21 g
  • Sodium: 977 mg
  • Carbohydrate: 29 g
  • Fiber: 4 g