Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Soup)

I love Zuppa Toscana.  It is happiness in a bowl, and a soup from Olive Garden.  I have developed a sort-of addiction to it, friends have offered to stage an intervention.  I'm game, as long as they serve Zuppa Toscana there!  It's so bad, if I get hungry for it and my freezer stash is empty, I head straight to OG for a fix!  I searched Pinterest for a recipe that sounded like a winner, and I didn't change it too much!  Special thanks to Bless This Food http://blessthisfood.blogspot.com/2010/10/zuppa-toscana.html for bringing this recipe into my life!  I made this about 2 weeks ago.  The picture below was my lunch today!  I love freezing my happiness and busting it out whenever I have a craving!

You Need:
2 Lb Hatfield Sweet Italian Sausage

6-8 slices of bacon (cooked & crumbled)

2 ½ Lb Red Potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
3 or 4 Cloves Garlic

Cayenne Pepper

Pam Olive Oil Spray

1 Bunch of Kale (love), about 10-12 Cups chopped

2 Cartons Swanson Unsalted Chicken Stock

2 Cartons Water (equal parts to chicken stock)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375*.  Cut each sausage link almost in half (long ways) & spread minced garlic down the center of the sausage.  Sprinkle the sausage with cayenne pepper.  Spray the top with Pam olive oil spray.  Bake for 30 minutes.  I highly recommend making extra of this sausage for another meal.  It is heavenly!

While the sausage cooks, cut the bacon into small pieces and brown it (I give mine a head start in the microwave on some paper towels to absorb the fat – don’t walk away!  It will burn.  Just trust me on this one; I speak from a very stinky experience.)  In a large stock pot, mix the butter & bacon (crumbled or chopped) and cook until the bacon is crispy.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Remove the bacon & garlic from the pot & set aside in a small bowl. 

To the soup pot, add the chicken stock and water.  Meanwhile, wash and cut the potatoes, in half first, then into ½ inch slices.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium & simmer for about 15 min or so (until potatoes are tender).

While the soup cooks, remove the baked sausage from the casings.  Cut or tear it into bite sized pieces and drop it straight into the broth.  I use gloves because the cayenne burns!  Wash the kale (love) and remove the large fibrous stalk.  Tear or cut into bite sized pieces.

Once the potatoes are tender, add the bacon & garlic, kale & 2 cups of whipping cream to the pot.  Allow the soup to simmer for another 10-15 min or so.