Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients (~2-3 servings)

• 1/2 lb ground mild Italian sausage
• 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
• 1 cup baby golden potatoes, halved or quartered
• 16 oz (2 cups) low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 bunch Lacinato kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Brown the Sausage

Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, swirl to coat, then add the sausage and diced onion.

Cook for ~5-7 minutes, breaking the sausage apart, until it is browned and the onion is translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Drain off any excess fat from the sausage mixture.

Slow Cook the Soup

Transfer the cooked sausage and onion mixture to the basin of a slow cooker.

Add the potatoes, seasonings (oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes), and the chicken stock. Stir to combine.

Secure the lid and cook on LOW for ~5-6 hours or on HIGH for ~3-4 hours. The soup is done when the potatoes are fork-tender.

Finish the Soup

Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the chopped kale. The residual heat from the soup will be enough to wilt and cook the kale in a few minutes.

Just before serving, stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust any seasonings, adding more salt or red pepper flakes if needed.

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

This is a slow cooker version of the Zuppa Toscana soup. It’s a creamy, slightly spicy broth that combines Italian sausage, potatoes, and kale. Browning the sausage and onion in a skillet first is the key step to building the flavor base before letting the slow cooker do the work.

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 6 hours hrs

Total Time: 6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 lb ground mild Italian sausage
• ▢ 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 yellow onion diced
• ▢ 2-3 garlic cloves minced or grated
• ▢ 1 cup baby golden potatoes halved or quartered
• ▢ 16 oz low-sodium chicken stock 2 cups
• ▢ 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1/2 bunch Lacinato kale stems removed and roughly chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

• Brown sausage and onions in skillet over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Drain excess fat.
• Transfer sausage mixture to slow cooker.
• Add potatoes, seasonings, and chicken stock. Stir.
• Cook on LOW 5-6 hours until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in chopped kale and let wilt for a few minutes.
• Finish with heavy cream and adjust seasonings.

Notes

Can also cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours if preferred.