Jason went to WrestleMania with some friends on Sunday, so Rookie and I had the house to ourselves. It was quiet but sublime. I did some chores in the morning and then spent the afternoon messing around in the kitchen while watching “Julie & Julia” for the umpteenth time.
Despite being a sunny 72 degrees, I decided to make this hearty Tuscan soup and bake my first sourdough boule. So what if I had to stand over a hot stove, crank up the oven and break a small sweat? I was in the mood for healthy comfort food.
This dish comes together fairly quickly once you’ve prepped the ingredients. That’s because while traditional Tuscan soups often include dried cannellini beans, which require an overnight soak and hours of simmering, this version features diced potatoes, which take a fraction of the time to cook yet lend a similar creaminess. When the soup’s done, serve it with a basket of crusty bread for dunking.
Recipe adapted from Woman and Home.
- ⅔ pound hot Italian sausage, removed from its casing
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes
- 1 15 oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups packed torn kale leaves
- Asiago cheese, shaved (for serving, optional)
- In a large pot over medium heat, brown sausage, breaking it into bite-size pieces with a spoon. Once sausage is browned, remove from pot and set aside.
- Add onion, carrots and celery to pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add potatoes, tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, white wine and cooked sausage. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.
- Add kale and simmer until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with Asiago cheese, if using.
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