I am very picky about black bean soup.

I mean, really picky.

If a soup is going to have a bland (albeit, fiberful) magical fruit as its main ingredient, it had better have some rockin’ good flavors to go along with it.  And of course, all the better when it’s a little on the spicy side too!

So of course, I’m here to announce that I think I finally have my own favorite recipe tweaked and ready to share with le blogosphere.  If I do say so myself, I think it’s a good one.  Like, I-might-have-gone-back-for-thirds-”good”.  :)

But to those of you who get a little anxious about the word “spicy” even being in the title, have no fear.  You can easily add in the jalapeno and cayenne gradually to taste.  But for those of you who like a little kick, this one will bring it.  And, it can also happily be made vegetarian or vegan.

Definitely a keeper!

Spicy Black Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, cored and chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• half a jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• optional garnish: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped bell peppers, shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, diced avocados

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook for 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper, carrot, garlic and jalapeno, and continue cooking another 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.  Add remaining eight ingredients (chicken broth through cayenne), and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let soup simmer for at least 10 minutes.

You can either serve this soup as is, or use an immersion blender or a traditional blender (blending in small batches) to puree the soup.  Serve warm, and garnish with suggested ingredients if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

You could also make this in a slow-cooker!

Oh my goodness — the last two weeks of life have been crazy! Between having to work 55-hour weeks while transitioning into a new job, putting in an offer on a new house, fighting through my first winter cold, and getting my first iPhone (whoo!), I have to admit that this foodie hasn’t spent much time in the kitchen.  So thus…my absence from the blogosphere.

But I’m back today!   And have a yummy new recipe to share for one of my all-time favorite meals — chicken tortilla soup!  Two years ago when I began this blog, I posted a recipe for slow cooker chicken tortilla soup, which was one of my favorite 10-minute-prep recipes, made from mostly canned ingredients.  But I also make this soup often from fresher ingredients, and love experimenting with different broth flavors.  So thought I would share with you a delicious recipe I made this week.

Without a doubt, the key to this recipe is the toasted pasillo (also known as “ancho” or “negro”) chiles.  Thankfully, these chiles are now available in pretty much any grocery store.  And have no fear — toasting these chiles is super simple and only takes a minute or two.  It’s hard to describe the chiles’ flavor, but trust me that their smoky, earthy goodness combines perfectly with the avocados, cilantro, fresh tortillas chips, and Mexican cheese.  I can’t get enough of it.  :)

If by chance your grocery store doesn’t carry pasillo chiles, you can always substitute in ancho chile powder or chipotle powder.  But I would recommend trying the new technique if you haven’t before.  (And if you have a gas stove, it’s even twice as much fun!)  Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1-2 medium dried pasilla (negro) chiles, stemmed and seeded**
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes in juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 quarts good-quality chicken broth
• 1 large epazote sprig (optional)
• 4 (about 1 1/4 pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Mexican melting cheese (like Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero) or Monterrey Jack
• 4 cups roughly-broken tortilla chips
• 1/2 cup Mexican crema, sour cream or creme fraîche for garnish
• 1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges, for serving
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro, for serving
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese, for serving (optional)

Method:

Quickly toast a chile by turning it an inch or two above an open flame for a few seconds until its aroma fills the kitchen. (Lacking an open flame, toast it in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing it flat for a few seconds, then flipping it over and pressing it again.) Repeat with second chile if desired.  Break the chile into pieces and put in a blender jar along with the tomatoes with their juice. (A food processor will work, though it won’t completely puree the chile.)

Heat the oil in a medium (4-quart) saucepan over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible, and transfer to the blender. Process until smooth.

Return the pan to medium-high heat. When quite hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly, until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and epazote, if using. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually about a generous teaspoon (depending on the saltiness of the broth).

Just before serving, add the chicken to the simmering broth. Divide the avocado, cheese and tortilla chips between serving bowls. When the chicken is done, usually about 5 minutes, ladle the soup into the bowls. Garnish with the crema, cilantro, and extra cotija cheese and tortilla chips if desired. Pass the lime separately.

**If you choose to substitute ancho chile powder for the actual chiles, add in about 1 tablespoon of ancho chile powder halfway through cooking the onion.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to substitute in shredded rotisserie chicken if you would like to save a step in this recipe!

Source:

Slightly adapted from Rick Bayless.

For the third recipe in “Zucchini Week”, I did a little experimenting.  I often toss a handful or two of spinach in my soups, but happened to have a big bunch of fresh arugula in the fridge.  So I decided to see how it would taste in a soup!  Paired with some of my endless zucchini, plus a can of white beans (I went for the fiber instead of potatoes!), it actually turned out great!

The flavor of the sauteed zucchini, onions and garlic paired wonderfully with the fresh, peppery arugula.  And while I added in an extra bay leaf and thyme for seasoning, you could really season it any number of ways.

Definitely a fun, fresh, and very green (literally!) soup for the end of summer.  Enjoy!

Zucchini, Arugula & White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• half an onion, diced
• 1 zucchini, ends removed and diced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 can white beans, drained (I used Great Northern)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (or about 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 cups baby arugula
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Method:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, onion and zucchini, and saute for 5-6 minutes or until onions are translucent and zucchini is slightly browned.  Add chicken broth, white beans, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Add arugula and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.  Then puree the soup either using an immersion blender, or if you use a blender, blend the soup in 2 batches (be careful with the heat!).  Return to saucepan and season with salt and pepper as needed.  Serve drizzled with extra olive oil, cream, and/or sprinkled with Parmesan.

Ali’s Tip:

You could season this soup a number of different ways!  More italian seasonings (basil, rosemary, etc.) would also be fun.  Or you could go the smoked paprika route.

Also feel free to substitute a soft cheese (feta, goat, etc.) in place of the Parmesan.  And if you top it with the soft cheese and swirl it gently with a spoon or fork, it can create beautiful white swirls!

It’s cabbage season again!  And to celebrate our long-awaited “cold” front here in Kansas City (well, a drop from the 100′s to the 90′s again), I decided to make some cabbage soup.  But to mix things up, thought it would be fun to include all of the yummy flavors in my favorite Chinese appetizer — egg rolls!

When I googled the concept, I realized I wasn’t the first to try this idea.  But I improvised my own recipe on the fly, and it turned out to be delicious!!  I’ve always loved a light soup filled with vegetables, but especially loved the hint of ginger, soy sauce, and (my favorite ingredient) sesame oil in this simple soup.  I also borrowed the idea from some other bloggers of frying up some egg roll (or wonton) wrappers to serve on top of the soup.  My friend, Christin, who helped me taste test said that was her favorite touch.  ;)

So if you love egg rolls, and you love simple, flavorful, and healthy soups, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try!

Egg Roll Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• half a yellow or white onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chopped fresh cabbage
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken or pork (*see note below*)
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• optional garnish: sliced green onions

Method:

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add cabbage, carrots, chicken broth, chicken or pork, and ginger, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Add soy sauce and sesame oil, then season with salt and pepper if needed.

Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with additional green onions if you would like.

Ali’s Tip:

You can use just about any kind of chicken for this (shredded or ground), or any kind of pork (shredded, sliced or ground).  Just be sure that it is cooked before adding it to the soup.

Being that it’s the middle of May and strangely freezing right now — yes, suddenly we went from weather in the 90′s back to highs in the low-50s — I’ve been craving warm soups.  So amongst some other favorite winter soup recipes I have pulled back out, I also recently gave this easy chicken tortellini soup recipe from Real Simple a try.

“Easy” is no exaggeration.  Made with fresh or frozen tortellini and shredded rotisserie chicken, this yummy soup literally cooks up in 15-20 minutes, with only about 2 minutes of that time being prep.  And it was delicious!!  I added in some extra rosemary to season the broth, which I loved.  And for any of you who love broth, I’d definitely recommend adding in an extra 3-4 cups of chicken broth (along with some extra rosemary, salt and pepper).  But otherwise, this was great “as is”!

Definitely a terrific “simple” soup to warm you up on a cold day…even if that falls in the middle of May!  :)

Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
(From Real Simple)

Ingredients:

• 4  carrots, cut into bite-size pieces
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
• 1 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
• kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 tsp. ground rosemary (or 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

Method:

In a large saucepan, simmer the carrots in the broth until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the tortellini and simmer until tender, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more; season salt, pepper and rosemary, then sprinkle with the parsley.  Serve warm.

Ali’s Tip:

This would of course also be great with different kinds of tortellini.  Also feel free to experiment with seasonings!

Sorry to have been so MIA this month on the blog!  As some of you Twitter followers have heard, I just recently put my little house on the market, which ended up being quite the project.  Holy moly.  Suffice it to say, the majority of the time I have spent in the kitchen recently has been painting cabinets and shelves, repainting the walls and trim (twice!!), replacing hardware, and cleaning galore.  And then of course, I had to remove my beloved kitchen appliances from the countertops and clean out anything unnecessary from the cabinets.  So instead of cooking, I have to admit there have been quite a few salad and Kashi pizza nights happening…  :)

Once the house went up on the market last week, though, I finally did take an afternoon to make a nice lunch.  I looked in my much-more-bare-than-usual cabinets and saw a can of coconut milk begging to be used, along with a bag of shrimp in the freezer.  So decided to pull out this recipe I had bookmarked from Martha awhile back!  The yummy ingredients had caught my eye, and I also knew it would be quick to prepare (which is now a priority, since I have to be out in 15 minutes if a realtor calls and wants to show the house).  So decided to give it a go!

Not to my surprise, it ended up being delicious!  The garlic and ginger flavors were actually much more mild than I anticipated, but harmonized well together in that wonderfully creamy coconut-broth.  And I loved the kick of the lime squeezed in at the end.  Next time I may try adding some broccoli slaw or some other veggies to the broth, but this recipe stands great on its own.  Definitely a different, quick and delicious new soup recipe to add to my list of favorites!

Coconut Shrimp Soup Recipe
(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 pound (6 to 8 medium) carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
• 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 4 ounces angel-hair pasta
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• Coarse salt
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a large (3-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Add ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, coconut milk, and 3 cups water. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth; add to pot. Bring to a boil.

Break pasta in half; add to pot. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until pasta is al dente and carrots are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add shrimp; stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat, and stir in lime juice; season with salt. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with scallions and cilantro.

Resist the temptation to add in extra pasta!  I added in about 8 oz. to mine (instead of 4 oz.) and wished I hadn’t.  It definitely soaked up more of that yummy broth than I had anticipated.  So I recommend following the recipe.  :-)

Last night my friend, David, hosted his first-annual “Tastes of the World” party.  Basically, it was a dream event for foodies!  A week beforehand, all of the guests drew a continent and a course (appetizer, main dish, dessert, etc.) from a hat, and then researched a corresponding recipe to make and share with everyone.

As you may have guessed, my continent was Africa.  And my course was actually “appetizer”, but after a quick search yielded few appetizer recipes online, I ended up going instead with African peanut soup.  I ironically had it a few years ago in a loft party just blocks from this one, and love any excuse to cook with peanut butter, so this seemed perfect.

This was a new recipe for me, but thankfully it turned out to be fantastic!  Loved the subtle peanut flavors, blended in with the vegetables and wonderful array of spices.  Everyone seemed to love it — even my friend who is anti-cilantro!  :)

So for anyone looking for a new and different hearty soup to try, I definitely recommend this one.  Also for any of you who are looking for a fun party theme idea, this was a blast!  I can honestly say I’ve never tried so many new and often unheard-of dishes all in one night.  The best part was hearing the stories and how-to from each brave cook — so fun.

Cheers to great food from all 7 continents!

West African Peanut Soup Recipe
(Adapted from Aliza Green)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger root (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh diced tomatoes)
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 3/4 cup roasted peanuts
• 6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ bunch cilantro, leaves chopped
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onion until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne. Sauté together 2 to 3 minutes to release their fragrance. Stir in the tomatoes and sweet potatoes, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.

Add the stock and peanuts, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.  (You could also do this in a blender or food processor — just be careful to blend in small batches and don’t burn yourself!)  Return the soup to the saucepan. Whisk in the peanut butter and chopped cilantro, season with salt and pepper and heat through.

Serve and garnish with additional chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, and/or tomatoes if you’d like.

Ali’s Tip:

Some recipes also suggested drizzling in 1/4 tsp. sesame oil at the end.  I may try that next time — imagine it would add a nice touch!

As many of you know, I happen to have a small obsession with roasted garlic.  And soups.  But strangely enough, it wasn’t until this year that I finally decided to try the infamous “44-Clove Garlic Soup” that has made its way around the blogosphere.

Now I have absolutely no idea why I waited.  This soup is amazing!

I actually made it for the first time a few weeks ago during Snowmageddon (the crazy blizzard of ’11).  It seems like the perfect recipe for a cozy winter day, and I loved the thought of my entire house smelling like that delicious roasted garlic.  So I bought an extra few heads of garlic and some fresh thyme the day before the storm hit (an ominous day, thanks to weather forecasting!), pulled up the long-ago bookmarked recipe from Smitten Kitchen, and began cooking as the first flakes began to fall.

Not surprisingly, the soup ended up being a complete delight!  I had read other bloggers urgings not to fear the big “44″, but I admit I was still expecting a pretty strong garlic flavor.  Not so!  I thought this soup was perfectly balanced.  The roasted (and cooked) garlic was a subtle but wonderful compliment to the creamy broth, and I loved the simple combination of thyme, Parmesan and a dash of lemon.  I also added in some shredded rotisserie chicken at the last minute, which I will definitely do again.  I may also experiment with shallots or leeks the next time around instead of onions.

So with that, I cast one more vote into the blogosphere for this delightful soup.  I will certainly be making it again soon.  :)

44-Clove Garlic (and Chicken) Soup Recipe
(Adapted from Bon Appetit, via Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• 26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) butter
• 2 cups sliced onions
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 18 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (optional)
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 4 lemon wedges

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 26 garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add roasted garlic and 18 raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken stock; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add shredded chicken and cream, and bring to simmer. Season with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Divide grated cheese among 4 bowls and ladle soup over. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve.

Ali’s Tip:

Instead of dividing out the 26 cloves for the first step, I just roasted 3 whole heads of garlic via this method.  Once the heads were roasted, I just squeezed out the garlic and continued with the remainder of the recipe.

For years, I have searched everywhere for a stellar chili recipe.  Living in the Midwest, where chili cook-offs are just about everywhere you turn, you would have thought this would be a simple task.  But somehow every recipe I’ve tried has either been a little too spicy, too sweet, too tomato-y, too smoky, too meaty, too thick, too brothy, etc.  Now granted, I know that chili is like a perfect chocolate chip cookie — everyone has their own version of what is “perfect”.  But alas, I think that this year I have finally settled on my new favorite recipe!

This one was actually inspired by my good friend, Cory.  His recipe won our chili cook-off at work this past year, and everyone has been buzzing about it ever since.  So I gave it a try, making just a few tweaks along the way.  And oh my word — it was amazing!!!  I had a group of girls over the other night to enjoy it on one of the many snowy days we’ve had this winter, and everyone gave it big thumbs up and had seconds.  Because of course, who can resist great chili?!?

At least in my opinion, this recipe has the perfect blend of everything.  It’s full of great, tender steak (or Cory also recommends using pork), a nice blend of vegetables and beans, and probably one of my favorite broths I’ve ever had.  You’ll have to check out the ingredient list — full of all sorts of goodness!  I made this on the stove and let it simmer (and make the house smell amazing!) for a few hours, but I imagine this would also work well in the slow cooker.

So if you’re looking for a new chili recipe to try for a cold winter night — or for the big game! — I highly recommend this one.  It’s definitely becoming my new default chili recipe!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1.5 – 2 lbs. lean beef or pork, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (optional)
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. chipotle powder
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz.) can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles)
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. masa harina (or you can use all-purpose flour or cornstarch to thicken)
• toppings (optional): shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped green or red onions, diced avocado, and/or chopped cilantro

Method:

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the meat (beef or pork) and cook until just browned on all sides.  Then remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In a large stock pot heat the additional 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, poblano and jalapeno peppers, and saute until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and spices and saute until very aromatic, about 1 minute more.  Add in the beef broth, water, beans, Rotel, tomato sauce, vinegar and browned meat, and stir to combine.

Simmer over medium-low heat for a couple of hours (I did two hours covered, one hour uncovered).  Then in a separate bowl, whisk together masa harina (or 3 Tbsp flour, or 2 Tbsp cornstarch) with 1/2 cup cold water.  Add the mixture to the soup and stir in to thicken.  Taste soup, and adjust seasonings to taste.

To serve, ladel soup into bowls and top with desired toppings.

Ali’s Tip:

Here are some of the standard chili “fixes”:

• If too spicy — add a little sugar, or some more water to the broth
• If too sweet — add more spices (chili powder, cumin, etc.)
• If too acidic — add more sugar
• If too watery — let it simmer on the stove uncovered for another 30-60 min
• If too thick — add more water or broth (and adjust seasonings accordingly)

Somehow, in all my 27 long years of life, I was never introduced to Olive Garden’s famous “Zuppa Toscana”…..until recently.  One of my good friends lives right by the OG, and suggested we pop over for their unlimited soup/salad lunch on our day off.  And then she insisted — as I was about to order the minestrone — that I try the “Zuppa Toscana” instead.  I actually really like a good minestrone, but decided to take her word for it.  And sure enough…

It was a match made in heaven.  :)

Oh my word.  Loved the spicy Italian sausage, the potatoes, and the delicious kale.  But I have to say that the broth was actually my favorite part.  I’m a sucker for a well-seasoned broth…and this one was.  :)  It’s creamy, but light and perfectly compliments all of the other ingredients.

So of course I had to come home and try it for myself.  I decided to lighten it up a tad and go with half and half instead of cream, and totally could not tell the difference.  (May even try whole milk next time.)  I also upped the amount of kale, just to get a few extra greens in there.  But besides that, I’m pleased to say that at least in my opinion, this tastes pretty much identical to the original!  Absolutely delicious!  And the amazing thing is that the Italian sausage pretty much takes care of all the seasoning for the broth.  Easy, and sooooo delicious.

So if you’re a fan of the famous “Zuppa Toscana”, or have yet to have ever tried it, I strongly recommend that you try this recipe at home.  I will certainly be making it again.  Very.  Soon.  :)

Zuppa Tuscana (a la Olive Garden) Recipe
(Inspired by The Olive Garden)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hot (spicy) Italian sausage
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 medium onion – peeled, chopped
• 1-2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and sliced 1/4″ thick
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 6 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half, or whole milk)
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Method:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as it cooks.  Remove from heat, drain the extra grease, set aside.

In a large pot, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add garlic and onions, and cook 3 minutes.  Then add potatoes, chicken broth, water, sausage and bacon, and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Add kale, and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes (or until the potatoes have softened.)

Add cream (or half and half) to soup, then season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

Ali’s Tip:

I imagine this recipe would also work well in a crock pot.  Just brown the sausage and bacon beforehand, and add the kale in once you get home (it will seriously wilt if you let it cook all day).