Tuscan Spinach Soup
My Tuscan spinach soup is the perfect soup on a cold winter or fall night. I packed this hardy spinach soup full of vitamins and minerals, which is comparable to the Zuppa Toscana soup served at the famous Olive Garden franchise. That soup is one of my favorites when I go there to have their special soup, salad, and breadsticks meal.
I am not a huge fan of kale. And the husband is not a fan of Italian sausage. Unfortunately, both ingredients are what the original recipe calls for. I had to substitute those ingredients for the entire family to love it. I replaced the Italian sausage with ground beef and the kale with spinach. It tastes very close to the original recipe. So much so, in fact, that only a few people I fed it to could tell the difference. This soup is great in the early spring, when my spinach harvest is abundant.
Plus, this hearty soup was cooked in a slow cooker. I don’t think I have ever made a soup recipe any other way but in a slow cooker. Slow cooking melds all the flavors together as one in a great soup.
Cost to make this recipe.
I have calculated the total cost to make this soup at around $11.53 for about six servings, or $1.92 per serving bowl. Growing my spinach and making my chicken broth can help reduce the price of this soup for the family. Including growing the potatoes, onions, and seasonings, a homesteader can reduce the cost to around $5.02 for six servings or $0.84 per serving. That is over half the price reduction. Not bad, in the least.
Similar recipe to try
Recipe adapted
I adapted this recipe from the Top Secret Recipe cookbook. All images and text are all my own and original to Vintage Mountain Homestead.
Tuscan Spinach Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth, …[$2.10]
- 3 cups white potatoes, diced…[$0.50]
- 3 cups spinach, …[$2.75]
- 1 lb Italian sausage, …[$4.00]
- ½ large onion, diced…[$0.25]
- ½ tsp. salt, …[$0.04]
- ½ Tbsp. dry oregano, …[$0.26]
- ½ Tbsp. dry basil, …[$0.26]
- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper, …[$0.39]
- ¼ tsp. black crushed pepper, …[$0.23]
- ½ cup heavy cream, …[$0.75]
Instructions
- Brown the meat and onions in skillet over medium high heat. Drain grease from meat mixture and put into slow cooker.
- Clean and cut all the vegetables, spinach and potatoes and place into slow cooker.
- Next, add all the seasonings and chicken broth to slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Before you are ready to serve, add cream, mix and cook for another 30 minutes.
Tuscan Spinach Soup
Cooking Methods
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth, …[$2.10]
- 3 cups white potatoes, diced…[$0.50]
- 3 cups spinach, …[$2.75]
- 1 lb Italian sausage, …[$4.00]
- ½ large onion, diced…[$0.25]
- ½ tsp. salt, …[$0.04]
- ½ Tbsp. dry oregano, …[$0.26]
- ½ Tbsp. dry basil, …[$0.26]
- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper, …[$0.39]
- ¼ tsp. black crushed pepper, …[$0.23]
- ½ cup heavy cream, …[$0.75]
Instructions
- Brown 1 lb Italian sausage and ½ large onion in skillet over medium high heat. Drain grease from meat mixture and put into slow cooker.
- Clean and cut all the 3 cups white potatoes and 3 cups spinach and place into slow cooker.
- Next, add all the seasonings (½ tsp. salt, ½ Tbsp. dry oregano, ½ Tbsp. dry basil, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper, and ¼ tsp. black crushed pepper) and 6 cups chicken broth to slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Before you are ready to serve, add ½ cup heavy cream, mix and cook for another 30 minutes.