A traditional zuppa Toscana is already hearty, meant to fortify the peasants who first made it. This is a supercharged version with a ton of sausage in it. I make this around twelve times a year. I love it. My kid loves it. It hits every note you want it to hit. The pork fat renders, imbuing the soup with flavor, while the beans add a creamy texture and the kale adds loads of nutritional content. But this soup is more about the liquid-to-solid ratio than it is about any specific ingredients. So I officially give you agency to fuck with this recipe. Don’t have kale? Use escarole or spinach or Swiss chard or whatever you can. Want less lemon? OK! It took me three or four times making this soup to get the balance I like. Bring it to a friend. Take it to a grandparent. It’s an instant friendship soup. – David Nayfeld