Tuscan Potato Soup
Inspired by Zuppa Toscana, this luscious one-pot potato soup with sausage is dinner-level hearty but easy to make!
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage (remove casings, if packed in casings)
- 1/2 sweet or white onion , diced
- 1 leek , chopped (white and light green parts only)
- 1/2 cup diced celery (about 2 ribs)
- 6 cloves of garlic , minced (or 3 teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (such as Better Than Bouillon)
- 1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes , sliced into 1/4" thick chunks
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- 1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach (stems removed), coarsely chopped or julienned
- kosher or coarse sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Suggested toppings:
- crumbled bacon
- grated pecorino cheese
- chopped chives
- sour cream
Instructions
- Heat a 4 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium, and add the sausage. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking up large chunks with your spoon or spatula, until browned. Transfer the sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate to rest.
- The sausage will have given off fat and moisture: drain the pot of all but about a tablespoon or so of liquid.
- Add the onions, leeks, and celery to the pot and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and let saute for a minute more, until fragrant. Return the reserved sausage to the pot.
- Deglaze the pot with the white wine, stirring and gently scraping up the fond that has collected on the bottom of the pot, mixing it into the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat (it might become a little pasty; that's okay). Thin with a splash of broth and stir to loosen.
- Add the remaining chicken broth, chicken bouillon, potatoes, and Italian seasoning. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir well. Let the soup come to a gentle boil, then lower the heat slightly to maintain a medium simmer.
- Cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Test a chunk of potato against the side of the pot: it should easily smash when pressed with a spoon or spatula.
- Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Stir in the dairy and the baby spinach. Let the heat of the soup wilt the spinach (it will only take a minute or two).
- Taste, and add salt and black pepper, a couple of pinches at a time, until the soup meets your preference.
- Serve the soup with the suggested toppings on the side, so your guests can each add their favorites.