We’ve had a considerably mild winter for most of December and January. Then February hit and it was as if Elsa herself gained control of the weather and decided to freeze everything in her path! So, I went into hibernation mode, dusted off the crock pot, and brought back all of our favorite winter soups.
The family and I all agree that crock pot Zuppa Toscana is the soup of all soups. Its creaminess and robust flavors with a slight kick of spice, warms our hearts and our stomachs. I’ve made this for years, and it’s my go to recipe when I want to take a meal to a family or my small group. I always get raving reviews and text messages asking for the recipe. If you are looking for a crowd pleasing, comfort meal, this soup checks those boxes and more! It can of course be eaten and enjoyed anytime of the year, not just those cold winter months.
Be sure to read the directions before you start assembling the soup. There are some ingredients that aren’t added until the very end!
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds mild ground Italian sausage (hot if you like the spice)
6-7 large yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
40-48 ounces chicken broth (enough to cover the meat and potatoes in crock pot)
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced, dried onion
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
½ tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (will give it a kick of spice)
1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt (1 tsp if using table salt)
¾ cup heavy cream
2 heaping tablespoons flour
3-4 big handfuls fresh baby spinach (You can use kale but I prefer spinach)
Shredded Parmesan cheese (garnish-optional)
Crock Pot Liner (optional for easy clean up; I use these)
Instructions
- Place sausage and minced garlic in medium skillet. Cook on medium-high until browned and crumbled, chopping sausage as it cooks. Drain excess grease and set aside.
- Peel and cut potatoes into approximately 2 inch thick cubes. Be sure to rinse the potatoes in cold water thoroughly after peeling and cutting. Drain excess water and set aside.
- Add sausage to the bottom of the crock pot. (For easier clean up, use a crock pot liner and place in pot before adding ingredients.)
- Add potatoes right on top of the sausage, but do not stir.
- Add minced onion, Italian seasoning, oregano, black pepper, red pepper, and salt right on top of the potatoes.
- Pour enough chicken stock into the crock pot and over all of the seasonings (to get them mixed without stirring) to just barely cover the potatoes.
- Cover crock pot with a lid and cook on low for approximately 7 hours, or on high for approximately 4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Mix ½ cup of the heavy cream with 2 heaping tablespoons of flour. Stir until the mixture is smooth and free of big lumps. Note-it will get thicker the more you stir, so try to stir as little as possible. If it does get too thick and is still lumpy, you can add a splash or two of chicken stock to loosen it up.
- Add this mixture to the crock pot, along with the remaining ¼ cup of heavy cream.***
- Stir the mixture, cover, and let it continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
- Add spinach and stir.
- Continuing cooking for about 5 minutes, or until spinach is tender. You can taste the soup at this point and add additional salt to your liking.
- Serve and top with Parmesan cheese as a garnish. (Optional)
***If using kale, you will want to add the kale right after adding the heavy cream, and let it cook for about 30 minutes or until it is tender.
Happy eating!