When the temperature drops, there’s no better way to warm yourself up than with a steaming bowl of this slow cooker 5-ingredient zuppa toscana. This recipe tastes like you’re at a restaurant but requires so much less effort. All of the delicious flavors of tender potatoes and sausage are bathed in a creamy, savory broth.
This easy slow cooker zuppa toscana is a lifesaver because it uses very few ingredients to make this soup taste absolutely incredible. As the sausage slowly simmers with the chicken broth, it allows all the amazing flavors to meld together, so you don’t have to worry about standing over a simmering pot all day. This recipe is foolproof.
If you want something great for Sunday dinners, or even something with plenty of leftovers for lunch, this recipe will never fail you. Just brown the meat, chop the potatoes, and let the crock pot work its magic. You will wonder why you were ever paying restaurant prices for this soup!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
One of the things I love most about this recipe is how well all the different textures hold up as they cook. The russet potatoes get incredibly soft and buttery as they slow cook in the broth. The kale softens up enough that it disappears into the creamy soup rather than becoming completely soggy. Each bite is a wonderful blend of savory and spicy sausage, and creamy soup.
Another thing I love about this recipe is that the cleanup is so easy. Since you only use one pan to brown the sausage before adding it to the slow cooker, you won’t have a huge pile of dishes to wash after dinner. This gives you more time to relax and enjoy a nice evening while the soup cooks.
The Ingredients
To make this recipe you’ll need just 5 simple ingredients:
Mild Italian Sausage
Ground Italian sausage is the main source of flavor in this soup since it’s packed with savory flavors of fennel. This means you don’t need any additional spices. Browning the sausage first allows you to keep the fat rendered out and the meat crispier. Adding hot Italian sausage instead of mild gives you an extra kick of spice.
Russet Potatoes
Russet potatoes work best in this recipe since the potatoes help to thicken the soup as they cook. You’ll want to cut them fairly thin and make sure you scrub them off nice and clean so they cook all the way through and are soft enough to be fall-apart tender by the time it’s dinner. If you would rather have something a little more creamy that stays firm enough to hold its shape, thinly sliced Yukon golds work great in this recipe.
Heavy Cream
The heavy cream is what makes this soup so luxurious and velvety, which helps balance out the richness of the sausage and the acidity of the chicken broth. You need to add it at the very end of the cooking process and make sure you give it a good stir so the dairy doesn’t curdle or separate while it cooks in the broth. Half-and-half can be used in place of heavy cream for a slightly lighter option, although the resulting soup will not be quite as incredibly decadent.
Fresh Kale
Fresh kale gives this soup a nice pop of color and a mild, earthy flavor that complements the richness of the cream perfectly. The stems should be pulled away and the leaves torn into smaller bite-sized pieces, which ensures it cooks down nicely in the soup while still being easy to eat. If you don’t like kale, fresh baby spinach is a great alternative, just toss it in right before serving because it cooks down really fast.
How to Make It
Now that we’ve got our ingredients squared away, let’s make this seriously comforting soup in no time flat.
Brown the Sausage
Get your largest frying pan or skillet set over medium high heat. Fry the ground Italian sausage, using a wooden spoon to break it into smaller crumbles, until it is browned all the way through. Remove it from the pan and drain the excess grease.
Load the Slow Cooker
Add the drained sausage to the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Add your sliced potatoes on top of the sausage.
Simmer the Broth
Pour your whole container of chicken broth over the sausage and potatoes. Put the lid on the slow cooker and let it cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, or until the potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork.
Add the Greens and Cream
Remove the lid and stir in the chopped kale and heavy cream 30 minutes before serving. Turn the heat setting up to HIGH.
Wilt and Serve
Put the lid back on the slow cooker and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. Your soup will be ready once the kale has wilted and the broth is hot.
My Top Tips for Success
After frying your sausage, make sure you drain off any remaining grease from the pan. If you don’t, it will just rise to the top of your soup as it cooks in the slow cooker and you won’t get a creamy, velvety consistency, but rather an oily broth.
Before putting them in the slow cooker, try to slice your potatoes as thinly and evenly as possible. Any super thick potato slices will never soften completely while all the super thin slices will become mush. You’ll end up with crunchy and chewy potato pieces mixed with really soft potato chunks.
Toss in a parmesan cheese rind along with the broth and let it melt into the soup. It will release a nice salty umami taste that adds so much more flavor!
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Zuppa Toscana
Equipment
- 6 quart slow cooker
- Large skillet
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground mild Italian sausage
- 3 medium russet potatoes washed and thinly sliced
- 4 cups chicken broth 32 oz
- ½ bunch fresh kale stems removed, leaves chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the ground Italian sausage over medium high heat until fully browned. Break apart into small bits. Drain off any excess grease.
- Transfer sausage to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Slice the russet potatoes and add them to the slow cooker over top of the sausage.
- Pour the broth over the sausage and potatoes and mix together.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, until potatoes are tender enough to easily pierce with a fork.
- Stir in the fresh chopped kale and heavy cream. Turn the heat to HIGH.
- Cover and cook for 20-30 more minutes until the kale is softened and the soup is piping hot.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating
- Store leftover zuppa toscana in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freezing is not recommended after adding the heavy cream and potatoes because the dairy will separate and the potatoes will be very mushy when defrosted.
- To reheat, microwave individual servings for a minute or two. Alternatively, warm gently on the stovetop over low heat until the broth is bubbling.
What to Serve it With
- Serve this creamy soup with warm buttery garlic breadsticks for dipping.
- You can also enjoy it with an Italian style side salad that has a bit of a zesty vinaigrette.
- Serve it with a slice of french baguette.
- Garnish the bowl with bacon bits and shaved parmesan cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground turkey sausage?
Of course! Ground turkey sausage makes a great lighter option. Just remember to brown it well. You may need to add a tiny bit of olive oil to the pan since the sausage is so lean.
Can I cook this on HIGH?
Yes, absolutely. If you’re in a hurry, you can simmer the sausage, potatoes, and broth on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Add the cream and kale at the end and cook for 20 minutes or until the soup is hot.
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