Toscano Soup {Slow Cooker Monday} Recipe
Kale, potatoes, sweet Italian sausage, and cannellini beans are slow cooked to perfection to produce a zesty concoction that will make your taste buds wanting more!
This recipe strikes a high resemblance to Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscano Soup. I'm not sure what is in their recipe, however, this one comes pretty darn close to theirs!
Even though Husband Man and I {heart} Olive Garden, we equally enjoy creating similar copy cat dishes at home. There's just something about making that favorite restaurant meal in the comfort of your own kitchen that makes it worth the time and effort. Plus, being adventurous in the kitchen is always fun!
We aren't huge kale eaters in this house and as you can guess, this recipe calls for 3 cups of it. The first time I made this soup, everyone in the household had to hold their breath at some point because we were not aware of the distinct smell that it can have when it hits the cooking stage.
Of course, with Husband Man being from the South, he was used to it. It seemed to remind him of the collard greens his grandma and mama used to make. The kids and I, however, were not big fans.
In the end, the taste definitely outweighed the smell. We found ourselves eating at least two bowls of this stuff. Yes…it was that addicting.
What's awesome is that this soup cooks in your slow cooker. I'm sure you can probably make it on the stovetop, however, why do that when you can just throw everything into your handy dandy crockpot at 9 am and not worry about it until 5 pm? That's how we do it at our house and it saves mommy tons of time. True story.
So the next time you are craving Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscano Soup, make this version instead. Your wallet and your taste buds will thank you for it :)
(Serves 8-10)
Ingredients:
- 2 medium russet potatoes, cut into cubes
- 1 lb. of sweet Italian sausage, browned and drained
- 3 cups of chopped kale
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup of water
- 1/4 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup of canned cannellini beans, drained
- 1/2 cup of evaporated milk
- Shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
Directions:
1. Add potatoes, sausage, chicken broth, water, and red pepper flakes into the slow cooker.
2. Stir until well combined.
3. Cover and cook on low 6 and 1/2 hours or on high for 4 and 1/2 hours.
4. Stir in the 1 cup of cannellini beans and 1/2 cup of evaporated milk for an extra 30 minutes.
5. Top each serving with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with garlic breadsticks and a salad.
Recipe Source: Adapted from the magazine: Fix-It and Forget-It Slow Cooker Magic, 2008 edition