Zuppa Toscana

Have you been to Olive Garden and eaten Zuppa Toscana?  Yes, then you know how amazing that soup is.  This is my attempt.  I made up this recipe a few years ago and it isn't exactly the same, but I like it and wanted to share.  We are heading into Autumn here in New York.  Yes, we have seasons, unlike my home town in California.  The weather is cooling down and I am happy to be making soups in response to the cold.  For my family and friends in California, not enjoying the cool weather yet, maybe this soup can still give you some comfort.  

Comfort in a bowl.  Try it and you will see.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Breakfast Sausage
4 cloves Garlic
5 thin skinned Potaoes (Eastern or Red potatoes)
6 cups Vegetable Broth (Chicken Broth can also be substituted)
1 bunch Kale
1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Clean potatoes and kale and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Brown sausage in a stock pot over medium heat.

Pour broth into pot, add potatoes and garlic and cover and bring to boil and cook
until the potatoes are tender.

Add kale after potatoes are tender.  Cook for another 3 minutes.

Turn off heat, add cream, and stir.

Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 lb. Breakfast Sausage

4 cloves Garlic

5 thin skinned Potaoes (Eastern or Red potatoes)

6 cups Vegetable Broth (Chicken Broth can also be substituted)

1 bunch Kale

1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Process:

Clean potatoes and kale and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Brown sausage in a stock pot over medium heat.

Pour broth into pot, add potatoes and garlic and cover and bring to boil.  Cook until the potatoes are tender.

Add kale after potatoes are tender.   Cook for another 3 minutes.

Turn off heat, add cream, and stir.

Enjoy!

White Bean Vegetable Soup

Today it has been really cold and my fridge/freezer is still broken so I need to use a lot of vegetables all at once.  What better way than to make my own vegetable broth and soup.  Good news I'm going to explain the quick brining method for beans too.

Soup and flaky layered biscuits (recipe found here), what else could you possibly want to
eat on a cold day?

 Ingredients for brining small white beans are: 4 quarts boiling water, 3 tablespoons coarse salt
(Kosher Salt will also work), 1 lb. white beans.

 Add salt to boiling hot water in a large lidded container, stir to dissolve.  Add beans and let
sit for 1 hour, VOILA.  You now have brined and soaked beans.  Remove half the beans and
save for a later day.  I'm trying to not make soup for an army today.

 Ingredients for vegetable broth are: Dried onion (or 1 whole fresh onion if you have one),
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 pint of Baby Bella mushrooms,
3 stalks of celery, 2 bunches of green onions, 1 1/2 cups baby carrots or (4 regular sized carrots),
and 8 cups water.

 Cut mushrooms into quarters.   Cut celery into 4 inch pieces.   Cut roots off green onions and
cut into 4 inch pieces.  Add all ingredients to the pot of a pressure cooker or a large 6-8 quart
stock pot with lid.  Set pressure cooker to high for 15 minutes, or cook on stove in pot for 1 hour.  Allow vegetables to steep in broth if you have the time for at least 2 hours.

 Drain beans and put back into lidded container.  Place colander lined with cheesecloth or
coffee filter.  Pour vegetable broth onto beans, press vegetables with back of spoon to release all the broth you can.  Now place beans and vegetable broth in pressure cooker and set to high for 20
minutes, or on stove top in 6-8 quart stock pot with lid and cook till beans are

 tender (about 1- 1 1/2 hours).

 Vegetables for our soup include, but are not limited too: 1 zucchini, 2 ears of corn, 2 potatoes,
1 cup baby carrots (2 large carrots), 2 stalks of celery, and 2 cups whole tomatoes in puree.

 Cut corn off cob, dice carrots and celery, peel and dice potatoes, and using scissors or a knife
dice the tomatoes.

 Add vegetables to cooked beans and broth in pressure cooker pot or 6-8 quart stock pot.
Cook soup on high for 1 minute, or on stove top till vegetables are tender.

Again I ask you, (if you happen to be experiencing a cold day) doesn't this meal look delicious?

Enjoy!