Zuppa Toscana...It's a Win!

Tonight was an experiment. I wanted to see if I could recreate the Zuppa Toscana soup they serve at Olive Garden. Maybe even a lighter version. It turned out very well. The entire family came back for seconds, and some for thirds. There is just enough left for me to have for lunch tomorrow!

No I didn't make the bread. It's store bought sour dough with big chunks of garlic baked in.

1 pound of Italian sausage (I used chicken, but any kind would work)

4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp (Turkey bacon would work, but won't be quite as tasty)

2 large brown onions, chopped 

3 leeks, white parts only, washed and chopped

5 cloves of garlic (BIG cloves) chopped

3 cups of Kale, chopped (you have to remove the stems first they are very tough)

8 small red potatoes, washed and cubed (I leave the peel on that's where all the nutrition is, plus it looks pretty)

6 cups of chicken broth

6 cups of water

2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes

Black pepper to taste

1/2 cup of cream

I cooked  the sausage in a large pot until cooked through,(if you use pork sausage you will need to drain the fat off), then I added the leeks and onions. Let it all saute together, giving it the occasional stir, until the onions were transparent and the leeks cooked down. While these were cooking I fried the bacon until it was crisp, then crumbled it in with the sausage and onions.

Turn the heat way down under the pan you used to fry the bacon, if it's too hot you will scorch the garlic and make it bitter. Cook the garlic in the bacon fat for just a minute or two to release the fragrance. Once the garlic is softened, drain it, and add it back to the pot with the onions. The tiny bit of bacon fat that goes with it adds flavor without a lot of added cholesterol. For those of you who don't do pork, turkey bacon, fried in a touch of oil, will work as a substitute. 

Add everything else but the cream. I didn't include salt in the recipe, the bacon and sausage both have salt in them. Cover it and simmer on medium low until the potatoes are cooked through and the flavors start to meld, about 30, 40 minutes. Right before serving add the 1/2 cup cream, give it a good stir. A little fresh ground black pepper on top, and it's ready. 

For those of you who keep kosher, it's pretty darn good without the cream added, but if you're not, it great with it. That small amount of cream adds just enough richness to make the soup absolutely delicious. This one is definitely a keeper.