Barb’s “Healthy” Zuppa Toscana Recipe

This is our take on the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana recipe, we simply love that soup and could eat it all day. There is nothing better than Olive Garden’s soup and salad combo… except for maybe when they are offering their bottomless pasta promotion haha! I’ve also been growing kale in my garden and eyeing up them up for some sort of dish. My homegrown kale was perfect for this soup!

“Zuppa Toscana” translates to Tuscan soup, and it’s a broad-based term. The Olive Garden version is completely from the classic recipe of zuppa Toscana, considering the classic one calls for kale, zucchini, cannellini beans, potatoes, and a host of other ingredients that aren’t found in their soup or mine. I will have to try making a classic zuppa Toscana some time. All things considered, this recipe probably needs a whole other name but I will call it “healthy” zuppa Toscana for now because there’s less sodium in my version, and I subbed yam for potato.

Yam Zuppa Toscana Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Italian sausage links, mild or spicy work best
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 slice of bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 large onion, sliced or diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 cups of water, or broth
• 2 medium to large yams, thinly sliced
• 1 cup of milk or cream, coconut milk works too
• Salt and pepper, to season
• A handful of kale

Instructions

1. Break up and cook the sausage completely through with the red pepper flakes in a dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, and then scoop out the sausage and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in the same dutch oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. Scoop out and set aside. Scoop out some of the oil and drippings, just so there is enough to help cook the onions.
3. Cook the onions and garlic, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. 
4. Slowly pour water or broth into the dutch oven. Add the yam and simmer until it is tender about 20 minutes. 
5. Once yam is tender, reduce the heat and stir in the cream or milk. Add in the cooked sausage. Heat everything thoroughly and stir in the kale just before serving.