cheesy zuppa toscana with tofu "bacon" crumbles________________________Like an Italian restaurant but with a vegetarian twist. Tofu bacon is optional, sort of, but if you're not a carnivore yet miss the smokiness bacon lends to dishes, I recommend you give this a try. No, it's not "just like bacon!" but it's a delicious and quite apt substitute for the adventurous.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 links vegetarian or regular Italian sausage
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 4 large russet potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- 6 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup Gouda cheese
- 2 cups kale, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup oat milk (or another fatty milk)
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
tofu "bacon" crumbles
- 1/2 block firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 2.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Start with the tofu bacon. Drain and press your tofu for at least 30 minutes, then crumble into small or medium-sized chunks and set in a bowl or storage container. In a small bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients, adjusting any seasonings to your taste. Pour marinade over tofu, cover, and let sit in the fridge at least 20 minutes but preferably 2 hours or more.
- When the tofu is ready, heat broiler to HIGH and grease a baking sheet. I would not recommend using parchment here - it typically is not made for such a high temperature. Spread tofu on pan with no overlap. Broil in 5 minute increments, watching closely and tossing frequently. Mine took about 15 minutes but this will depend on how well you drained your tofu and how hot your broiler gets. Check it very often to ensure the whole batch doesn't burn. You might get some extra crispy bits and I personally find those delightful!
- For the soup: in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium. Add sausage (vegetarian or meat) and cook until lightly browned, turning and tossing occasionally, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from pan onto a plate.
- Chances are, if you used real meat Italian sausage you have a good deal of fat in the pan - drain some of it and keep about 2 tbsp in the pan. If this is the case, omit the next splash of olive oil. If you used vegetarian sausage, add 2 tbsp more olive oil into your pot. Saute onions, carrot, and celery for 3-5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add garlic and stir for one minute, then spoon in dried oregano and dried basil. Warm for about thirty seconds, stirring to combine with the onion mixture. Toss in potatoes and water or broth. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until potatoes are fork tender but not breaking apart, about 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add half the cheese, stir, then the other half of the cheese and the milk. Finally, add kale and stir until wilted.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with tofu bacon crumbles!