Restaurant Zuppa Toscana at Home with Aussie Ground Beef
In paid partnership with True Aussie Beef and Lamb.
About now all you want to do is go to your favorite restaurant and have that comforting bowl of soup. BuT wait, you can’t go to a restaurant and as far as that comforting bowl of soup the canned soup shelf is empty. Gosh Darn that Covid-19 virus has changed the way we dine, shop, and eat.
Fortunately, I have a solution! Zuppa Toscana, the restaurant soup you have been craving, can be made at home! I have made a copycat recipe for you with lean Aussie Grassfed Ground Beef! So healthy! So easy!
Zuppa Toscana literally means, "Tuscan soup". Classic Zuppa Toscana normally is a soup made from kale, zucchini, cannellini beans, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, tomato pulp, extra virgin olive oil, salt, powdered chili, Italian bacon and served on toasted Tuscan bread.
The North American restaurant version is made with Italian sausage, crushed red peppers, diced white onion, bacon, garlic puree, chicken bouillon, heavy cream, potatoes, and kale and is much richer than the original.
My copycat restaurant version has a nutritional boost! Fatty pork sausage has been substituted with nutritious Aussie Grassfed Beef seasoned to taste like sausage seasonings! YaY! Side-note: The sausage seasoned ground beef is tasty as a replacement for any ground pork sausage dish! Double-YaY!
And speaking of substitutions, in my recipe you will see an Instant Pot method of cooking beans or you can substitute with canned beans.
I have added carrots for nutrition and that eye-catching appeal. AND I have cut down on the cream by adding cornstarch to help in thickening the ZUPPA! I know you are going to absolutely love this soup! It truly is a family keeper.
During my Covid-19 cooking days I will continue to write recipes with lots of choices of ingredients. You might find frozen cubed hash-brown potatoes in your store while I find fresh potatoes. I might use frozen spinach cuz I grabbed the last package at the grocery store while you find fresh spinach or kale. You get the picture….recipes need to be written with choices now! Geesh!
A Merry Memo:
I hope this comforting bowl of soup will do just that comfort you during this stressful time!
In closing, bless you and your family with optimum health! ~Merry
Stores that carry Aussie Grassfed Beef are Vons, Pavillion, Aldi’s
For more Covid-19 Creative Cooking check out True Aussie on the web and social media!
Heck with that Covid-19
we're making restaurant ZUPPA TOSCANA at home
and enjoying every healthy spoonful!
Sausage Seasoned Aussie Grassfed Beef Zuppa Toscana
(restaurant copycat)
Ingredients:
Sausage Seasoned Aussie Grassfed Ground Beef:
1 pound Aussie Grassfed Ground Beef
1 chopped onion, white, yellow, or sweet
1 teaspoon rubbed sage or 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon granulated garlic or 3 teaspoons grated fresh garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder or 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1/8 teaspoon red pepper powder
Soup:
1 pound dry Northern White Beans or 2 (15.5) drained white beans
4 slices of bacon or 1/4 cup bacon bits, or 1/2 cup cooked chopped bacon or ham hock
2-3 cups chopped potatoes (skin on) or 2 cups frozen Potatoes O’Brien
1/2 sliced carrots, minis or standard, frozen or canned
4-6 cups low sodium chicken broth
4-6 cups fresh baby spinach or 3 cups frozen spinach or 1 head of kale, chopped with ribs removed
Milk slurry: 3/4 cup warm milk with 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Cooked Sausage Seasoned Aussie Grassfed Beef
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Method:
To Make Sausage Seasoned Ground Beef:
INSTANT POT METHOD:
Adjust Instant Pot setting to sauté button. When the pot is hot sauté onions and chopped uncooked bacon, stirring occasionally, until bacon is cooked through and onions are translucent. Remove the bacon and onions and set aside.
Rinse the non-presoaked white beans, and place in Instant Pot with 6 cups water. Adjust the Instant Pot setting to 25 minutes under high pressure or press the Beans/Chili button and set 25 minutes. Note: If a ham hock is used cook with the beans.
When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to release for 10 minutes. Untwist the lid and add potatoes, carrots, cooked bacon, and 3 cups of chicken broth, and cook under high pressure for 4 minutes.
Release pressure quickly and stir in sausage seasoned ground beef and the milk-cornstarch slurry. Press the sauté button and continue to cook for about 3 minutes or until the the potatoes are soft and soup has thickened. Add spinach and stir until spinach has wilted.
Check soup for seasoning. If desired, add chicken broth to desired texture. Stir in vinegar and black pepper right before serving.
Flavor boosters:
Lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh thyme or dried,
additional red pepper flakes, fresh sage, fresh parsley
SOUP POT METHOD WITH CANNED BEANS
Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Add the ground beef, onions, and all ground beef spices, breaking up beef with spatula, until browned and no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to the same bowl as the bacon.
Add to soup pot the potatoes, carrots, and beans and 6 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil then simmer until potatoes are cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
Stir in the milk-slurry and cook over medium until soup has thickened. Add seasoned ground beef, bacon, and spinach and cook until spinach has wilted. Kale will take at least 3 minutes and spinach takes only 2 minutes. Taste and add extra seasoning as desired.
Stir in the vinegar just before serving.
