As much as I love my soups, I just realized that I only have shared 1 or 2 on this blog - for shame! I usually have soup at least 2 or 3 times a week, either as the main course or as a side for dinner. One of my favorites, along with clam chowder and tomato soup, is this spicy Tuscan soup. I discovered this soup years ago at Olive Garden and never turned back. Here is my version with spicy sausage, tender kale, creamy potato, and cannellini beans.
Spicy Tuscan Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces hot Italian sausage crumbled
- ½ red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 medium potatoes cut into ¼-inch thick matchsticks
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 14 ounce cannellini beans with juices
- 2 cups kale roughly chopped
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the crumbled sausage and saute until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the chopped red onion and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the potato, chicken stock, cannellini beans with its juices and the sausage. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
- Add the chopped kale and cook for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
As good as the original spicy Tuscan soup is, I like to believe this version is a tad better. With ingredients like kale, cannellini beans, and no heavy cream, it doesn't taste as heavy as the original dish.
Start by sauteing the aromatics and spices including the red onion, garlic, and red chili flakes. You can omit the red chili flakes if you want a milder soup and even use mild sausage if you prefer. You can also easily make this soup vegetarian by using vegetarian sausage. I don't recommend omitting the sausage completely since it does add all the flavor to the soup.
Add the potatoes, beans with its juices, sausage, and chicken stock to the pot and cook until the potatoes are tender. I like to use the juices from the canned beans because there's a ton of flavor there. It also helps thicken up the soup just a touch. Add the kale and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or until the kale is tender.
Give the soup a final taste and get ready to dig in. I kid you not, I ate up this spicy Tuscan soup in ten minutes it was so delicious! Although I used coconut milk, the coconut flavor was not as overpowering as expected. The flavorful spicy sausage and bitter kale balance out each other while the potato adds extra creaminess. Easy to make and oh so tasty!
For more soup inspiration check out this chickpea stew with spinach and sausage!
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