Easy Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana
This crockpot Zuppa Toscana is the ultimate cozy, comforting family dinner after a busy day. It’s inspired by the classic Olive Garden soup, with Italian sausage, potatoes, and kale, but I’ve added beans, sundried tomatoes, and a few extra spices to boost flavor and make it even heartier - a rustic, home-style twist on a restaurant favorite. I hope you'll love it!
Servings: 5 to 6
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion any kind
- 1 pound Italian pork sausage sweet or spicy bulk, or regular sausages in their casings
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 medium potatoes (or 2 larger ones - red, Yukon Gold, or all-purpose will hold their shape) diced into small chunks about 1cm square.
- 1 can cannellini beans
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried mixed Italian herbs (or a mix of thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, bay - any or all of these)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste - ½ teaspoon might not be enough for you, so taste and adjust at the end)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth (stock)
- 4 cups kale (I like pre-washed and bagged baby kale. If using another type, wash it and remove any tough stalks.)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped into pieces
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan optional, sprinkled over each bowl of soup, to serve
- fresh bread or toast with olive oil and salt to serve (optional)
Instructions
- If your crock-pot has a saute function, add a drizzle of olive oil to the bowl, then saute the onion for a minute or two. Add the crushed garlic and the sausage (squeezed out of their casings if using regular sausages) and cook, stirring and breaking up, for a few minutes or until lightly browned. Alternatively, you can do this in a frying pan or pot on the stovetop, then transfer to your slow cooker. This step simply seals in the flavors and prevents a greasy soup.1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 pound Italian pork sausage
- Add the diced potatoes, beans, paprika, Italian herbs, salt and pepper, and chicken broth. Slow cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.3 medium potatoes, 1 can cannellini beans, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon dried mixed Italian herbs, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 4 cups chicken broth
- 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the kale, heavy cream, and sun-dried tomatoes.4 cups kale, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- Stir the soup well. Serve out into bowls, and sprinkle around a tablespoon of grated parmesan over each bowl (if you like). Fresh bread or toast drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt is great for dipping!⅓ cup grated parmesan, fresh bread or toast with olive oil and salt
Notes
Storage instructions: Cool the soup, then store covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Not really suitable for freezing, unless you freeze it without the cream, then add the cream when reheating. If the soup seems too thick after reheating, simply stir in a little extra broth, cream or milk.
To make gluten or dairy free: This soup can be naturally gluten-free, but sausages, broth/stock and even seasoning blends can contain gluten. So check the ingredients of these carefully. To make dairy free, you could use coconut cream/milk instead of heavy cream. Oat cream, soy cream, cashew cream or another kind of dairy free cream would work, too. Also skip the parmesan, or use pangrattato instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 724kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 1937mg | Potassium: 1327mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1856IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 6mg
