Zuppa Toscana Soup & Bacon Gouda Croissant Grilled Cheese
This Zuppa Toscana Soup paired with a Bacon Gouda Croissant Grilled Cheese is the ultimate comfort food combination. A rich, creamy soup loaded with Italian sausage, crispy bacon, tender golden potatoes, and kale, finished with freshly grated Parmesan. Served alongside buttery, golden croissant loaf grilled cheese stuffed with smoky bacon, melted mozzarella, and Gouda. It's hearty, cozy, and packed with everything you love about comfort food. The perfect meal for a chilly evening when a bowl of something warm and a really good grilled cheese just hit differently.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Zuppa Toscana Soup
- 16 oz bacon chopped
- 4 –5 mild Italian sausage links
- 5 cups chicken broth unsalted
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups golden potatoes peeled and sliced
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp garlic minced or paste
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp parsley dried
- 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
Bacon Gouda Croissant Grilled Cheese
- 8 slices croissant loaf
- 4 –6 slices of bacon cooked
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup Gouda cheese shredded
- Unsalted butter for cooking
Garnish
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley
Instructions
Zuppa Toscana Soup
- To a larger pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, render down the chopped bacon until cooked. Once crispy, set aside and remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
- Add the Italian sausage and break into pieces as it cooks. Once the sausage starts to brown, stir in the onions and garlic. Allow to cook for 2–3 minutes until the onions become translucent.
- Sprinkle in the flour, stir, and let it soak up the bacon fat. Add the sliced potatoes and chopped kale.
- Deglaze the pot with the unsalted chicken broth and heavy cream. Season with onion powder, black pepper, oregano, parsley, and salt.
- Cover and lower the temperature to medium-low. Cook for 20–30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened.
Bacon Gouda Croissant Grilled Cheese
- To one of the slices of croissant loaf, layer mozzarella cheese, Gouda cheese, and bacon. Top with another slice of croissant loaf.
- To a pan over medium-low heat, add some butter and toast each sandwich on both sides until golden brown and the filling is melted and gooey. Once cooked, serve immediately.
Assemble
- Once the soup is cooked, remove from heat and finish with a heaping amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the crispy bacon from earlier. Stir and serve with the bacon Gouda croissant grilled cheese. Enjoy!