.tuscano soup.

You're probably asking, "What is tuscano soup?" It's a soup offered at Olive Garden and if you've ever had a chance to try this soup there, you know you're in for a treat. It's essentially a potato and sausage soup that is FABULOUS. This recipe is my adaptation, which I enjoy a lot more than theirs. I used to make tuscano soup at the bakery and it was talked about all over town. Everyone LOVED it. I'm sure you will too.

Begin by peeling 5-6 yukon gold potatoes. Cut in half and then slice. Set aside.

Dice one medium onion and finely mince a clove or two of garlic. Set aside.

I use two different types of italian sausage. This soup is supposed to have a little kick to it. Since I have a child in this house who can't tolerate spicy food, I use 3 of the mild sausage links, and 2 of the hot. If you want mild soup, use only mild. If you like it spicy, use all the hot. At your house, you can make it any way you want!


Cut off the tube casing and break the sausage apart. Put in a stock pot and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cook over medium high heat.

When the sausage is halfway cooked, add the onion, garlic, and potatoes. Cook until the edges of the potatoes become translucent.

Add 3 cans chicken broth and 2 cans beef broth. I use a combo to give the soup a richer flavor. At this time, put in 1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach. Olive Garden uses kale, but since I have a tough time finding kale, I use spinach. And in fact, I actually prefer spinach! Don't worry about thawing and draining. Just dump it right on in. Reduce heat and cover with a lid. Let simmer 20-30 minutes. When potatoes are fork tender this is ready to serve!

If you're not scared off by spicy food and if you want to, as Emeril would say, "kick this up another notch"... then add some dashes of crushed red pepper flakes to the pot. If you have kids in the house (like I do), then add the flakes to your own bowl and not the entire pot.

Ladle soup into a bowl, filling it 3/4 of the way up. Add a little half and half and spoon in some freshly grated parmesan cheese. I add the half and half into each bowl individually instead of the entire pot so it doesn't curdle. That's a bad thing. It also helps cool this soup down so you don't burn your tongue. ;)

Voila! Tuscano Soup Suzanne style. Enjoy!

Printable version:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg2vfjqm_12qqbdxg