Zuppa Toscana Recipe

What You’ll Need To Make Zuppa Toscana

• Italian Sausage: The hearty base of the soup, adding protein and giving the soup richness and that signature savory-spicy flavor (either mild or spicy sausage is fine, depending on your preference).
• Yellow onion, carrots & garlic: Create a flavorful base for the soup.
• All-Purpose Flour: Lightly thickens the broth so the soup feels a little more substantial without being too heavy.
• Chicken broth: The liquid base that ties everything together, adding depth and savoriness.
• Yukon Gold Potatoes & baby spinach: Yukon Golds have a naturally creamy texture that soaks up the flavorful broth, making the soup hearty. The spinach goes in at the end, adding freshness and a pop of color.
• Salt, Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Add balance, seasoning, and heat to the dish.
• Heavy cream & Parmigiano Reggiano (or Pecorino Romano): The finishing touches—cream makes the broth richer, and the grated cheese adds a salty, nutty punch that rounds out the flavors.
• Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step 1. Cook the sausage. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces as it browns, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a colander in the sink to drain, leaving some drippings in the pot for the vegetables.

Step 2. Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion and carrots to the reserved drippings and cook over medium heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 3. Add the flour. Sprinkle it over the vegetables and stir until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.

Step 5. Add the potatoes and seasonings. Stir in the potatoes, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Pro Tip: Cut your potatoes into evenly sized chunks so they cook at the same rate.

Step 6. Add the sausage and spinach. While the soup simmers, blot the drained sausage with paper towels to remove excess grease. Add the sausage back to the soup along with the spinach. Simmer a few minutes until the spinach wilts.

Easy Ingredient Swaps For Zuppa Toscana

This soup is endlessly adaptable, so don’t be afraid to play around with ingredients depending on what you’ve got on hand. A few ideas:

• Swap the sausage: Use turkey or chicken sausage in place of pork.
• Toss in extra veggies: Diced bell peppers or mushrooms would be great; just sauté them first. If you want to swap out the spinach, kale or Swiss chard would work well. (Because they’re both sturdier than spinach, add them a little earlier so they can soften up.)
• Add beans for heartiness: White beans (like cannellini or great northern) give the soup one more layer of texture and add a creamy bite.