I love soups for a lot of reasons but mainly they are easy and typically lower mess because I try and keep everything to one pot. They are also perfect for sneaking in some flavors or veggies that you normally wouldn't normally eat but in the recipe mixed in you don't even notice it! You can also make most soups ahead of time and they are still just as good as the day you made them so you could make the night before instead of day of if you have a crazy one coming up. Win Win Win!!
One soup that I really love is the Zuppa Toscana Soup from Olive Garden. What you may or may not realize is that soup has a cream base which makes it a no go for around here. I try and make it a general rule to find a substitute for anything that requires cream so I thought I would give it a whirl in this recipe. I have made this 3 times now and although you do notice if you have had the original that the thickness is not necessarily there the overall taste IS the same and it is chock full of kale which is a super food AND as a bonus I promise that the kale is not the center of your attention as you are eating this dish. It is tasty and you are sneaking in some healthy greens.
Lightened Up Zuppa Toscana
1 1b lean turkey sausage
- I use the kind in the breakfast section
1 Medium white onion
- chopped however you like but I prefer finely in this recipe
2 cloves of garlic-minced
- we use garlic alot so I buy the kind in the jars in the produce section already minced
4 Cups Chicken Broth
- For Chicken and Beef Broth I buy the Orrington Farms brand Chicken and Beef Broth BASE. It is the section with the bullion cubes and mixes. You mix it with water and make your own. To me it tastes better and more fresh that what comes in the cans. Not to mention there is no opening and can and storing half in the fridge if you happen to not need it all or keeping 15 cans on hand because you never know when you will need broth. Be sure to pay attention to the water to teaspoon proportions because if not it will be too salty so you do need to measure.
2 medium to large russet potatoes
- chop these into slices and then I quarter the slices
3 Cups of baby spinach or Kale
- Some people just absolutely cannot do kale and if not that is OK. Spinach makes a great substitute. I like to keep a bag of baby spinach and kale in the freezer. It is so easy to chop and work with that way. Make sure on baby spinach to pull off or cut of the little stems and for Kale make sure you don't get any spines in there. Take those out and toss them.
1 TO 1/2 Cups Milk
- We drink 1% so that is what I used and it tasted just fine! I do not always add the full amount of milk. The milk cuts the saltiness of the broth so you may want to try a cup and see how the taste is and go from there. That is kind of a personal decision. There is some leeway in there.
It always looks like more ingredients than it is because I try and add in tips and tricks as I go and share things that make it easier to keep certain items on hand like the frozen greens and the broths. That way you have these items but don't feel pressure to eat spinach or kale in everything for a week so it doesn't go bad.
Directions:
Brown the sausage and get broken into crumbles and add in onion and the garlic until the sausage is done and onion tender. Add chicken broth you prepared and the potato and bring to a boil. Maybe takes about 10-15 minutes. You just need the potato to be fork tender. Once that is done reduce the heat to medium and add in the milk to heat thru and then add in the green of choice. I serve with a small sliver of grated Parmesan IF I have it on hand. If not the taste is just as good. It is really filling with the mix of ingredients you have so it can be a main meal and that is generally how I use it.
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