Zuppa Toscana Soup

1. Crisp the bacon. Set a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot and pour off the rest. If your bacon is very lean and you don’t have much fat left, add 1 tablespoon olive oil before the sausage.

   

2. Brown the sausage. Add the sausage to the pot and cook over medium-high, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. If there’s a lot of fat, spoon off the excess, leaving a couple tablespoons for flavor.

   

3. Build the base. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

4. Simmer the potatoes. Add chicken broth, water, sliced potatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender and a knife slides in easily, 12 to 15 minutes (a touch longer if your slices are thicker).

   

5. Add kale, then cream. Stir in the kale and simmer 2 to 5 minutes, until tender to your liking and bright green. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and warm for 2 minutes without boiling.

   

6. Finish and serve. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and heat. Add lemon juice a little at a time to wake everything up. Ladle into bowls and top with the crispy bacon. If you’ve got it, a little grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper are great here too.

   

Matt’s tiny soup trick: If the soup tastes flat, it usually needs one of two things: a pinch more salt or a squeeze of acid. Add either in small steps, taste, repeat.