Sunday, December 19, 2010

Zuppa Tuscana

After a recent visit to the Olive Garden, my dad reiterated his affinity for their "Zuppa Tuscana." Every time we go there, he orders it. Without fail. Every time. I've been dabbling in soups for a bit, so I thought I'd try to recreate their soup recipe and see how it went.

As per usual, I went online to do some research. There were a plethora of custom variations available, but none seemed to be "dead on," so to speak. So I did what I usually do: take my favorite parts of each recipe, combine them, then add my own touches.

My variation on the recipe itself is remarkably simple and inexpensive to make. Since I'm a huge fan of outdoor cooking, I decided to make this entire recipe in my camp-style Dutch oven out on the patio. I think it adds an extra dimension of flavor that you really can't get any other way. I have, however, prepared the instructions for traditional indoor equipment.

Anyway, without further ado, here's what you need to do to recreate my version of this well-known and well-loved soup.

Ingredients
(1) 16 oz package Smoked Zesty Italian sausages
2 Potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4C Chopped Onion (sweet, preferably)
1 Tbs white sugar
6 Slices Applewood-Smoked Bacon
1 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
2C Kale/Spinach (spinach, in my case; more readily available), washed and shredded
2 Tbs Chicken soup base/bullion
1/8C beef stock
1 Quart water
1/2C Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Pinch of Kosher salt

Method

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees
  • Place sausage links onto a baking sheet, then bake for 25 minutes
  • Cut cooked sausage in half lengthwise, then into 1/2 inch slices
  • Place onion and bacon slices in a cast-iron pan, then cooked over medium heat until onion is almost clear
  • Remove bacon and crumble, then set aside. Then add sugar to onions. Stir until it absorbs, then remove from heat.
  • Add garlic to onions, cook one additional minute. Add chicken soup base, water, and potatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and heavy cream. Simmer another 5 minutes.
  • Serve hot
And there you have it. My folks and I ate the entire pot of this terrific soup within the first hour it was done. We all had seconds. Hope you will too!

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