The January bitter cold has officially hit us here in Virginia, and whenever it gets super cold, all I crave is a warm bowl of soup. When it comes to soup, I like mine hearty and chunky. This Vegan Zuppa Toscana is perfect for a really cold night where all you want to do is curl up on the couch and watch movies. With hickory vegan bacon, meatless Italian sausage, and loads of fresh curly kale, this soup is sure to please.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 links of vegan Italian sausage (the key here is to make sure you have Italian sausage to get that fennel flavor. I used No Evil Foods brand!)

• 1 package of Sweet Earth Foods Benevolent Bacon or 5 slices of any vegan bacon

• 1 onion

• 2 medium potatoes

• 1 bunch fresh kale

• vegetable broth or bouillon (at least 6 cups worth)

• ¾ cup plain vegan creamer or plant milk (I used soy milk because I feel like it’s the thickest.)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp garlic

• crushed red pepper

• salt 

• pepper

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Chop up the vegan sausage and bacon into bite size pieces and sear in the oil until crispy (maybe about 5-10 minutes).

2. While waiting for the sausage and bacon to cook, chop up an onion and saute until translucent in a stockpot with the rest of the oil. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.

3. Dice the potatoes (with skin) into ½ inch chunks. Mix the potatoes with the onion mixture and place a cover on the pot to steam the potatoes for about 10 minutes.

4. Wash and de-stem the entire bunch of kale and chop into medium pieces.

5. By now, the potatoes should be a little softened. Place 6 cups of vegetable broth and the sausage and bacon into the stockpot. Then, add the plant milk or plain creamer and let the soup come to a boil.

6. Add the kale and cover again for another 20 minutes or so.

7. Serve with crusty buttered bread or add vegan cheese on top!