It is a favourite and I hadn't really tried to mess with a good thing. So we just didn't have it. But that kind of sucked. So a few nights ago I decided I would try to hack the recipe to suit my cleaner eating ideals.
SUCCESS!!!
Getting back on track…
Zuppa Toscana
6-8 slices bacon chopped small
1/2 lb ground pork
3 tsp breakfast sausage spice blend (Find Recipe HERE)
1/4 tsp cayanne
1/2 tsp fennel
1 onion chopped
2 gloves garlic crushed
2 cartons organic low sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
1/2 tsp herbamare (aka secret weapon)***
3 russet potatoes chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch kale washed and chopped in whatever size you like
In the bottom of your soup pot start browning the ground pork and sliced bacon, sprinkle in the breakfast sausage spice, cayenne, and the fennel.
Remove cooked ground pork and bacon from pot (set aside in fridge). Drain some of the fat leaving a few tbsp in the bottom of the pot. Brown up the onion and garlic IN the bacon fat (yes, it's true).
Once onions and garlic are smelling lovely add in the 2 cartons of chicken broth and 4 cups water. Mix in the 1/2 tsp herbamare *** Add in the chopped potatoes. Let the soup simmer until the potatoes are soft. Turn down lower. Add the cream. Add the pork and bacon back in. Add the kale.
Once the kale has wilted you can serve the soup. Usually I chop the kale into bigger pieces and then take a scissor to it in the kids' bowls. I also like to put some shredded parm on top if I'm feeling saucy.
***A note on herbamare: okay this stuff is pretty awesome. In short it is a sea salt that has been infused with all things lovely and savoury. In reality it is sea salt that has been infused with cress, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and MORE…so it is a perfect sub for chicken oxo in the recipe, it brings all the flavour without the NASTY! I use it in soups, sprinkled on veggies, roast potatoes, etc. It is quite salty so use sparingly.
