Tuscan kale & sausage soup

A healthier take on my favorite creamy, cozy soup!

It is autumn here in the States and you know what that means… it’s officially soup season! I’ve been counting down the days for when it would be cold enough in North Carolina to whip out my dutch oven and make soup. If you know anything about North Carolina, you know that we often experience all four seasons in one day! Mother nature sure likes to keep us on our toes around here. But now that it’s been in the 50s lately, I figured it’s officially soup time.

I am not being dramatic when I say this is probably the best soup I’ve ever had. I look forward to it all year long… and so does my mom! It’s a classic Zuppa Toscana soup (think classic Olive Garden soup) but with a slightly healthier spin on it. I am all for adding heavy cream in my soups, but if you can find a way to make it a tad more guilt free and still taste amazing, why not?! That’s where the full-fat coconut milk comes in. I promise you won’t even miss the cream once you’ve tried it! I also use arrowroot starch to thicken it up to a creamy, velvety texture. This hearty soup also has a ton of flavor thanks to spicy Italian sausage, crispy bacon and tons of good herbs. Be sure to serve it with your favorite crusty bread, perfect for sopping up all that flavor. Read on for the full recipe below!

Tuscan Kale & Sausage Soup

This creamy tuscan kale, white bean, potato and sausage soup makes for the perfect re-heatable meal in the fall or winter time. Pair it with your favorite crusty bread to sop up all the flavor in this cozy dish!

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 8

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 4 strips bacon, diced
• 1 pound Spicy Italian sausage
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 fresh carrots, sliced into rounds
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 4 tbsp arrowroot starch
• 1 bag small yukon gold potatoes, quartered
• 1 can cannellini beans, washed
• 64 oz chicken broth, low sodium
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 5 cups fresh kale, washed & gently torn into large pieces

Method

 

1. Heat a large dutch oven or cooking pot over medium heat and cook diced bacon until crispy. Once cooked, set bacon aside on paper towel-lined plate. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease form the pot.
2. Next, brown the Italian sausage, stirring and crumbling it as it cooks.
3. Once cooked, add the onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the onion becomes soft and somewhat translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the arrowroot starch over the mixture and stir until combined. Add the diced potatoes, beans and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
6. Once the potatoes are soft, add the coconut milk and kale. Let the soup mixture simmer until the kale is soft and wilted.
7. Last but not least, stir in the crispy bacon. Top soup with shaved parmesan and cracked pepper to taste for even more flavor!

Did you end up making this yummy soup? Let me know if you enjoyed this cozy recipe as much as I do, and be sure to tag me over on Instagram, @la.dolce.limone. Enjoy!