Zuppa Toscana Soup

When I was in college I worked at Olive Garden. I loved working there and my love for Italian cuisine came alive. An instant hit was their Zuppa Toscana soup. I’m not a huge Italian sausage fan, but this soup balances that flavor very nicely. I did create this recipe based on OG’s original recipe but changed a few things to make it more my own. Hope you enjoy it!

INGREDIENTS

5-7 slices of bacon

1/2 lb hot Italian Sausage

5 medium russet potatoes, washed and thinly sliced

2 cups kale, chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 qt water

2 cans chicken broth

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

4 medium cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper 

grated Parmesan for sprinkling 

DIRECTIONS

On a greased cookie sheet, lay bacon flat and bake for about 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Flipping with a fork halfway between. Drain bacon, and crumble. 

 In a pan over medium high heat, cook sausage until it's heated thoroughly, and there's no pink. Drain very well on a paper towel (or else you'll have grease floating in your soup.) Set aside. 

In your soup pot over medium heat, cook the potatoes, onion, garlic, chicken broth, and water until potatoes are cooked through. 

Throw in cooked sausage, half the bacon, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes. 

 Add in kale and cream. Let soup heat through and serve with the other half of the bacon. Sprinkle with Parmesan. 

I enjoy visiting our local farmer’s market. Using fresh and organic ingredients really makes a difference in the flavor of your recipe. Some of my recipes call for pre-made ingredients to save time but can easily be substituted for the most natural and organic ingredients. This photo was taken at the Spotsylvania Farmer's Market.