This is one of my favorite soup recipes. A tuscan kale soup with spicy Italian sausage and super fresh ingredients just rocks my world. This soup has rustic flavors and is packed full of tummy filling ingredients. You should print out this tuscan kale recipe and try it tonight!
This tuscan kale soup recipe is: Gluten Free, Paleo, Low Carb and wonderfully delicious.
HEARTY AND HEALTHY TUSCAN KALE SOUP
Soup. There are good soups and not-so-good-soups. My favorite type of soup has great flavors and satisfies my hunger. No side of bread needed to fill up the stomach. Just pack up the soup with delicious, whole ingredients that are going to work well together. That's my definition of a hearty and healthy soup. This tuscan kale soup recipe is packed full of incredible ingredients that are also good for you. So, I guess this is a good soup which is also good for you. Cool.
LET'S TALK ABOUT SAUSAGE
Yes. Sausage. This is going to be the ingredient for this recipe that has the greatest capacity to change the flavor profile of the soup. There is no uniform recipe for spicy Italian sausage that is handed out to butchers across the nation. Some butchers or grocery stores are going to put in more (or different) seasonings than others. Some will put in more red pepper flakes. The sausage that I used had fairly mild sausage seasoning and a relatively high degree of heat. Just please know that all sausage is different when you are preparing your soup! Taste, adjust the seasonings and taste again. It will come out wonderfully for you too.
PICKING THE RIGHT KALE
There are a couple different kinds of kale out there, so let's make sure we're using the right one. This is not an article on all the different kinds of kale (but you can read about them on OneGreenPlanet), but we should talk about Curly and Lacinato.
Curly Kale: This is the kind of kale that we want for this recipe! When choosing your kale, make sure that it feel crisp and doesn't have any yellow spots on it. I never know what is sprayed on leafy veggies, so I try to find the organic stuff whenever I can. We're not going to use the stalks or really tough ribs. Just tear the green leafy parts off and we're good to go. One bundle of kale will be more than enough for this recipe.
Lacinato Kale: This is not what I used in the recipe, but it can be used in a pinch. Again, no stalks if you choose to use this type of kale. Tear it up into pieces and you're ready to go.
QUICK COOKING TIP: I have a couple quick cooking tips for this tuscan kale soup recipe today. Here they are:
- When you are cooking the sausage, once it starts to brown you really have to chop it up. Sausage needs work to get it to the right consistency. I use a flat blade wooden spatula to really mash it up.
- While we're talking about sausage (again), let's talk about the fat that will cook out of the sausage. There is going to be about ¼ cup (approximately) of fat that cooks out of the sausage. You can either drain it off when you've finished browning or you can skim it right off the top of the soup when it comes to a boil. I wanted to keep the fat in the pot to add some flavor to the veggies, so I just skimmed off the fat with a ladle when the soup came to a boil. Either way, it's a pretty important step. Nobody likes greasy soup.
Sometimes I feel like I should write an Ode to Tuscan Kale Soup... But for today, I wrote a recipe instead. Let's take a look.
SPICY TUSCAN KALE AND SAUSAGE SOUP
A wonderfully balanced and enjoyable Tuscan Kale Soup recipe. So good you will wish you made more!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 LB Spicy Italian Sausage
- 3 Regular Carrots, diced (approximately 1 Cup)
- 1 Spanish Onion, diced (approximately 2 Cups)
- 4 Celery Stalks, diced (approximately 1 Cup)
- 1 Shallot, diced (approximately ¼ Cup)
- 5 Cloves Garlic, sliced
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 14.5oz Can Diced Tomatoes
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 6 Cups Kale, torn and ribs / stems removed, packed
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy bottom pot on the stove over high heat. Add in the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add in the sausage. Allow to brown, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks, for 5-7 minutes.
- When the sausage is broken up and browned, add in the carrots, onion, celery and shallot. Allow to sweat for 5-6 minutes. Then add in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in the tomatoes and cook until the juice has been absorbed.
- Add the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a boil. While the soup is boiling, skim the fat off the top with a ladle. It will pool in the middle of the soup. Once skimmed (to the best of your ability!) reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes have passed, add in the kale. Simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve hot and happy eating!
Notes
Even though we added in MORE red pepper flakes to the soup, most of the heat gets washed out with the other flavors in the soup.
I tried to find the spiciest Italian sausage I could, then added in the red pepper flakes on top hoping that I would kick this recipe up to a fiery hot soup.
You’ll find, as I always have, that the soup is well balanced and delicious to the last drop.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Amount Per Serving Calories 399
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram
Final thoughts on the Tuscan Kale and Spicy Sausage Soup recipe:
If you're a soup lover with a healthy appetite, this recipe will fit the bill perfectly. I just love how the flavors all mellow out together. The kale absorbs the bite from the red pepper flakes and transforms into a really rich, delicious ingredient in the soup.
If you're looking for some other good soup recipes that are good-for-you (and will fill you up), take a look at my Healthy Pulled Pork Soup or if you're looking for a more traditional soup with a modern spin, how about my Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe. There's more, but you'll have to check it out over in the categories in the right column.
I hope that you enjoy this rustic Tuscan Kale Soup. Happy eating!
[…] GET THE RECIPE […]
That looks hearty and delicious.
Hi Jeff:
It is. Try it out one day, I guarantee you'll love it.
Take care,
Scott
This looks so delicious! I love how hearty and thick it looks. Thanks so much for sharing!
Elaine
Hi Elaine:
It's absolutely delightful! Did you get a chance to make it?
Thank you for stopping by.
Have a wonderful day in the kitchen!
Scott
This looks like the ultimate comfort food dish! I have to agree that it looks wonderfully delicious!
Hi Andrea:
Oh yeah, it's perfect for cold winter days, my wife and kids love it!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Take care,
Scott
I was not so successful in removing fat by boiling soup then having it pool in middle. It didn't happen. I would definitely make this wonderful soup again, though. Next time might make day ahead and put in fridge, then remove fat from top next day before warming.
Hi Carolyn:
Yes... this fat removal method is hard. I learned it from a chef who worked for me at my catering company. Typically, you will get the MOST fat removal by cooling the soup to room temperature first, then placing in the fridge and removing the hardened fat from the top after it cools completely. Hope this helps.
Thank you for writing and have a wonderful day today!
Scott
I had this at a restaurant and fell in love, I had to make it myself. I found your recipe online and yours was so much better! Thank you for sharing! Defiantly going to be a staple soup in my house 🙂 Delicious!
Hi Darleen:
There's something so satisfying when I hear that one of my recipes becomes a staple recipe in someone's kitchen. I truly appreciate it.
Have a great day in the kitchen!
Scott
[…] 18. Spicy Tuscan Kale and Sausage Soup […]
I didn't add in any spice, but loved this soup. I substituted regular non-spicy Italian sausage. Terrific. I skimmed the fat with a skimming ladle which made it a lot easier than how you describe the process.
Hey Laura:
Yes, skimming ladle. Why didn't I think of that in the first place? Excellent tip - thank you so much.
Have an excellent day in the kitchen!
Scott
I made this soup tonight. Skipped on the celery and added white beans. Delicious!
Hi Laura,
Glad to hear you liked it and you added a little twist of your own to the original recipe. If you loved the Tuscan soup, I can't wait for you to try the Bistecca Fiorentina. You'll fall in love with it.
Thanks for sharing. Have a delightful day!
Scott