Zuppa Toscana

The original zuppa Toscana comes from the farmhouses of Tuscany, where cooks stretched humble ingredients into meals that sustained families through cold winters. American chain restaurants discovered it and made it famous, though they stripped away much of what made it honest. We're putting that back.

The foundation is sausage, and not just any sausage. You want the spicy Italian variety with enough fennel and red pepper to announce itself without shouting. Brown it properly, building fond on the bottom of your pot that will become the soul of your broth. The bacon is optional only in theory. In practice, those smoky, rendered bits transform the soup from pleasant to memorable.

Tuscan kale, also called lacinato or dinosaur kale, has darker leaves and a more robust texture than the curly variety. It holds up better to simmering and tastes of the earth in a way that feels appropriate for this peasant soup. If you can't find it, curly kale works, though you'll lose some authenticity.

This is comfort food in its purest form. The kind of soup that makes you feel cared for, whether you're nursing a cold or simply seeking warmth on a gray evening.