Spicy Chorizo Zuppa Toscana

I was gifted some kale from my sister’s garden … and I just dreamed of making a sausage, potato, & kale soup … I said this to one of my friends and they said … “oh, you mean Zuppa Toscana, like Olive Garden?” … uh, yeah. I hadn’t thought of that, somehow (I very rarely go to Olive Garden anymore, so I don’t think of things like that), but …

I wanted MY Zuppa Toscana to have a little kick to it. Not a freaking super-hot soup, but just enough to give it a little tingle on your tongue and help clear your sinuses out a bit. And I really love chorizo. So when (a while ago) I found some chorizo at Aldi, I snatched it up. I know, it won’t be as good as my dad’s venison chorizo, but I was guessing it’d be tasty.  And it is pretty good! Much better than most chorizos I find at the grocery store here.

The chorizo alone wasn’t enough of a kick for me, though, so I had to add a little bit of hot pepper as well. You can skip that part if you are averse to hot peppers … or add more if that’s your thing. Feel free to experiment with amounts and adjust the recipe to your liking. That is what cooking is all about, after all! Let your own taste buds rule your kitchen.

Spicy Chorizo Zuppa Toscana

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 2 1/2 quarts of soup or more 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• 1/2 Tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, peeled & chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled & chopped fine
• A few fresh rosemary leaves, chopped fine
• 1 – 3 small sweet mini peppers (or 1/2 of a red bell pepper), chopped fine
• 1/2 – 1 jalapeno, chopped fine (optional)
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 red or golden potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks (about 5 – 5 1/2 cups)
• 5 oz. Greek cream cheese (or Neufchatel)
• 1 cup of milk (I used 2%)
• 1 oz. freshly shredded Asiago cheese (or Romano or Parmesan)
• 3 pre-cooked chorizo sausages, sliced and chopped (or 1 1/2 cups loose cooked chorizo or other hot sausage)
• 4 – 5 ribs of kale, stems cut out, chopped (about 3 – 4 cups of kale)

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Instructions

1. Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary and saute until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the pepper(s) and cook briefly.
2. Stir in the broth, bay leaf and potatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and tender.
3. Take about 1 cup of the potato/broth mixture and put it in a blender. Add the Greek cream cheese, milk and shredded cheese and blend until smooth. Pour this mixture back into the soup pot, then stir in the chorizo and kale.
4. Enjoy hot with a bit more shredded cheese on top and toasted garlic bread on the side.

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Foodie Friends Friday, Foodie FriDIY and Fitness & Food Linkup.