CopyCat Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden)
This isn't really a mystery soup. There are lots of copycat recipes for it out there, and mine isn't very different from any of them. I'm not so much trying to blaze trails here as much as I am just encouraging more people to make this really awesome soup.
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped bacon fat trimmed
- 4 uncooked links of Italian sausage milk or spicy, your call, casing removed
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 medium garlic cloves minced
- 1 qt of chicken stock
- 1 qt of water
- 2 large russet potatoes washed and sliced into half-moons about 1/4 thick
- 1/2-1 tsp red pepper flake depending on desired spice level
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 kale leaves thick rib parts removed, leaves washed thoroughly and cut into 1 inch pieces
- salt TT
Instructions
- Preheat a 5 qt stock pot on medium/medium-high heat. Add the bacon to the heated pan and cook until beginning to crisp.
- Add the sausage and break it up using a wooden spoon. Cook thoroughly.
- Remove pan from heat and drain and remove all put approximately 1 Tbsp of grease from the pan.
- Place the pot back on medium heat. Once the meat begins to sizzle again, add the chopped onion and bay leaf, and sauté until onion begins to become translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté until aromatic. Add the chicken stock and water, then bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes and red pepper flake, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- About 5 minutes before it's time to eat, add the cream and stir, then add the kale. Cover the pot and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.