Zuppa Toscana Basil Pesto Lemon (Printable)
Hearty sausage, potatoes, and kale simmered in a bright lemon-basil pesto broth for a comforting Italian soup.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 14 oz Italian sausage, mild or spicy, casings removed
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
05 - 5 oz kale, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
06 - 1 large carrot, diced
07 - 14 oz canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
→ Broth
09 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
10 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
→ Basil Pesto
11 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
12 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
14 - 1 clove garlic
15 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
16 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Other
17 - 2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
18 - Salt and black pepper to taste
19 - Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
# Directions:
01 - Combine basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for later use.
02 - Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned throughout. Drain excess fat if needed.
03 - Add onion and carrot to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
04 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
05 - Add diced potatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
07 - Stir in kale, cannellini beans, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes until kale is wilted and tender.
08 - Stir half the basil pesto into the soup. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired. Reserve remaining pesto for garnish.
09 - Ladle soup into bowls and top each portion with a spoonful of reserved pesto.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- The lemon pesto broth creates an incredible brightness you never expected from potato soup
- It comes together in under an hour but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
- The recipe is naturally gluten free and easily adaptable for vegetarian friends
02 -
- Do not skip browning the sausage well those crispy bits create the deep savory base
- The pesto goes in at the end because high heat destroys basil fresh vibrant flavor
- Reserve some pesto for serving because that final garnish makes each bowl special
03 -
- Taste your broth before adding salt since sausage and Parmesan are both naturally salty
- Use a microplane for the lemon zest to get only the bright yellow part avoiding bitterness