Why I love this sausage and kale soup
I’ve been going a little soup crazy over the past few weeks. I know I’m completely ready for fall to hit, and I wanted to get my fall recipes in order so you guys have lots of options when you’re ready.
Last week, I shared a new healthy favorite – white turkey chili – and this week, I’m revamping two soup recipes from archives. This sausage and kale soup (aka zuppa toscana) and my minestrone soup.
I swapped the evaporated milk in this recipe for my favorite almond cooking milk to make it completely dairy free, and I’ve added white beans for a little extra protein and texture.
This recipe is a great option for meal prepping, since the ingredients hold up well in the fridge, and you can even substitute turkey sausage for a healthier meal. In fact, I normally do make it with turkey sausage, I just didn’t have it this time.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
Equipment
- Dutch oven or stockpot
Ingredients
This recipe calls for almond cooking milk. It is a shelf stable product and can be found in near the evaporated and condensed milk at your grocery store. If you can’t find it, you can easily substitute canned coconut milk and achieve a similar result.
To make this recipe gluten free, you’ll need to make sure you broth and sausage are also gluten free.
How to make sausage and kale soup
Sauté the sausage and vegetables. Heat a large pot to medium and brown the sausage, breaking it into pieces as you go.
Next add the onion and garlic, and continue cooking until the onion is translucent.
Simmer the kale and potatoes. Add the broth, potatoes and kale. Increase the heat and bring it to a boil.
Cover the pot and allow the kale to wilt and the potatoes to soften.
Thicken the soup. Mix the cornstarch and almond cooking milk together and stir it into the soup.
Add the beans and let the soup simmer until the broth has thickened.
FAQs about zuppa toscana (sausage and kale soup)
Can you use kale stems in soup?
You can use kale stems in soup, but I would avoid any of the really large stems because they are unpleasant to eat. The stems are best used with making broths, when you would remove them before eating. Small pieces of stems should be fine in this recipe.
Can you freeze zuppa toscana?
You can absolutely freeze this soup. As with all freezing, you can lose some of the texture when reheat. If you’re planning on freezing the whole thing, leave out the almond milk/thickener and add it when you reheat.
How long will homemade soup last?
This soup should last for about 1 week in the fridge. That is assuming you used fresh ingredients. Always use your best judgment before consuming anything.
What’s the best container to freeze soup in?
I like to freeze soup in large plastic containers (because that’s what I have), but you can use mason jars, ziplock bags, etc. Anything that is freezer friendly will work. Just be sure not to overfill them since the soup will expand when frozen.
More dairy free soup recipes:
More fall favorites:
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion - chopped
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes - cubed
- 1 bunch kale - chopped
- 1/2 cup almond cooking milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 15- ounce can cannelini beans
- Salt & pepper - to taste
Instructions
- If necessary, remove sausage from its casing.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot to medium. Add sausage and cooking, breaking into pieces as you go, until no longer pink – about 5 minutes.
- Add onion and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent – about 5 minutes
- Increase heat to high, and add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft.
- Reduce heat to medium, add kale and white beans. Simmer until kale is tender – about 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk almond cooking milk and cornstarch together. Stir into soup and let soup continue cooking until it has thickened – about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and season with salt & pepper to taste.
