Zuppa Toscana with Turkey Sausage is delicious and nutritious! This Italian soup is made in a slow cooker and perfect for busy weeknights!
Zuppa Toscana
Zuppa Toscana literally means “soup made in the style of Tuscany”. It is both a creamy and brothy soup. I have tried many variations of this Tuscan soup, but personally, this is my favorite! Making this soup in a slow cooker or crockpot makes life easier, but it also allows the flavors to meld together really well.
Just so you know, this yummy Tuscan soup is a little spicy, which you can easily adjust to your personal preference. Personally, I love the “heat” in this soup. It really warms me up on a chilly day!
I like to enjoy my soup with some homemade Parmesan Garlic Bread, which is great for dipping! This soup also reheats really well in the microwave, so the leftovers make a great lunch. I actually think the soup gets even better after being refrigerated overnight. I love it when that happens!
Zuppa Toscana Ingredients
Zuppa Toscana is made with nutrient packed ingredients including turkey sausage, potatoes, and kale. It is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, and manganese.
Kale is also a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, vitamin E and several dietary minerals, including iron, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. I use to think that I did not like kale, it is a texture thing for me. Surprisingly, I love it in soup! The texture of the kale changes and it works really well. If you really do not like kale, you can use spinach instead, which is also very nutritious and a great alternative.
Here is what you will need…
- turkey sausage
- russet potatoes – washed, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- kale – chopped or torn into bite-size pieces and tough stems removed. Spinach is a great substitute!
- Vidalia onion – chopped
- olive oil
- minced garlic
- chicken broth
- heavy cream
- cayenne pepper
- crushed red pepper
- Italian seasoning
- kosher salt
- seasoning salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Note: The printable recipe is located at the end of this post. Please visit The Scoop for my latest posts or you can search or browse my Recipe Index to find more yummy recipes.
How to make Zuppa Toscana in a Slow Cooker
First, spray your crockpot or slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Wash, peel and chop your potatoes into bite sized pieces and finely chop your onion. Add the potatoes to the slow cooker and season with the seasoning salt, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and cayenne pepper. Brown and break up the turkey sausage in the spicy oil. Once the turkey sausage is cooked through, add the chopped onion and saute with the sausage for 3 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and saute for one more minute. Add the sausage mixture to the crockpot.
Add the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper to the crockpot. Then, pour the chicken broth over everything. Place the lid on crockpot and cook on high for 3 – 4 hours or on low for 5 – 6 hours. The potatoes should be tender when finished.
Add the kale to the crockpot. Then, slowly stir in the heavy cream. Set the crockpot to low, cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Serve hot and maybe enjoy your soup with some yummy bread. I hope you enjoy the Zuppa Toscana!
Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. Turkey Sausage
- 3 medium russet potatoes washed, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- 5 cups kale chopped or torn into bite-size pieces and tough stems removed.
- 1 Vidalia onion chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Spray your crockpot or slow cooker with non stick cooking spray. Wash, peel and chop your potatoes into bite sized pieces and finely chop your onion. Add the potatoes to the crockpot and season with the seasoning salt, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and cayenne pepper. Brown and break up the turkey sausage in the spicy oil. Once the turkey sausage is cooked through, add the chopped onion and saute with the sausage for 3 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and saute for one more minute. Add the sausage mixture to the crockpot.
- Add the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper to the crockpot. Then, pour the chicken broth over everything. Place lid on crockpot and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours or on low for 5 - 6 hours. The potatoes should be tender.
- Add the kale to the crockpot. Then, slowly stir in the heavy cream. Set the crockpot to low and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Notes
- You can add another cup of chicken broth if you would like your soup to be more "brothy".
- This soup is a little spicy, but you can easily adjust the spice to your personal preference or omit the cayenne if you do not like any spice. If you are unsure, I recommend starting with 1/8 teaspoon, then do a taste test prior to serving and add more if desired.
- If you do not like kale, you can use spinach as an alternative.
(This recipe was originally posted on December 5th, 2017 and has been updated with a new recipe card.)
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Absolutely delish. I used twice as much chicken broth and Curley kale.excellent recipe, TY!
Thank you so much for the compliment, Kim! I’m glad you enjoyed the Zuppa Toscana!
This soup was really good! I think it tastes better than Olive Garden but healthier and I loved making it in the slow cooker. The kale definitely tastes better in soup and slow cooked like this. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed the Zuppa Toscana. Thank you for the compliment and I absolutely agree about the kale!
Just made turkey zuppa tonight. It’s got some kick with the amount of cayenne from the recipe, I will use less next time for the kids. I love it. I used spinach. Make this for your man!! Warming and easy in the crock pot.
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the soup! Yes, it is a little spicy for kids. When I make it for my daughter, I use less cayenne in the main batch and just sprinkle a little extra into my own bowl. That way we are both happy.