Zuppa Toscana

After making that chicken tikka masala, I had a bunch of leftover half and half. I didn't really know what to do with it. When my parents came down for the weekend, my mom brought me a bunch of potatoes from the farmer's market. Cream, potatoes, Italian sausage in my freezer...Zuppa Toscana, the most glorious soup from Olive Garden!

Zuppa is super easy to make. Brown sausage and crushed red pepper, remove from pan, saute onion, garlic, bacon. Add broth and water, add potatoes, add cream, add kale. Done. I didn't use kale in this go-round as I already had the rest of the ingredients on hand and didn't feel like making a special trip out to the store just to get kale. A word to the wise however, only add as much kale as you're going to eat right then and there. The soup reheats wonderfully, the kale however gets gross and soggy. I find that when I reheat my soup, I just add a handful of fresh kale before I heat things up in the microwave (or stove). It usually works out pretty well.

(Zuppa's official photograph)

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1 large diced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons bacon pieces
4 cups water
2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch of kale

1. Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

2. In the same pan, saute bacon, onions, and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, or until the onions are soft.

3. Add the chicken broth and water and heat until it starts to boil.

4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about 30 minutes.

5. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.

6. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve.