Zuppa Toscana

This recipe came from a Facebook friend, who got it from Budget Bytes (www.budgetbytes.com). It sounded like a winner to me – easy to make, subtle in flavor, and very inexpensive. Budget Bytes estimated that eight servings will cost $1.04 each.

In Hawaii that probably works out to $1.50 to $2.00 a serving, due to the higher cost of ingredients, but who’s counting?

As usual, I had to do a substitution: I couldn’t find any Kale in the market, so I used baby spinach; I added about a teaspoon of garlic salt. Everything else was the same.

Ingredients

• ITALIAN SAUSAGE, ½ pound
• OLIVE OIL, few drops (I used a teaspoon of butter)
• ONION, 1 medium, diced
• GARLIC, 2 cloves, minced
• GREAT NORTHERN BEANS, 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
• SMOKED PAPRIKA, ½ teaspoon
• CHICKEN BROTH, 3 cups
• WATER, 1 cup
• HALF-AND-HALF, 2 cups (1 pint)
• RED POTATOES, 3 medium
• KALE (I used baby spinach), 1 bunch, about a half-pound
• RED PEPPER FLAKES (Optional, I left it out), pinch
• BLACK PEPPER, freshly cracked, to taste
• GARLIC SALT (My option), 1 teaspoon

Directions

1. Remove the sausage from its casing and sauté over medium heat in a large pot, breaking it into small pieces while cooking. Use a few drops of olive oil if needed to prevent sticking.
2. Add in the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are softened.
3. Add in the beans, paprika, chicken broth, water and half-and-half. Cover and bring to simmer over medium heat.
4. Peel (optional) and cut each potato in lengthwise quarters, then slice across to make thin slices.
5. Add the potatoes, kale and garlic salt to the pot, stirring to help the kale wilt.
6. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
7. Season with the red pepper flakes and cracked black pepper.
8. Serve with buttered rolls or bread.