Zuppa Toscana

It is raining and has been most of the day.  One of those icy February chill you to the bones rain.  It is staying on the trees and causing the bushes and leaves to droop.  It looks and feels like winter.  So what better for dinner than a wonderful hearty bowl of soup.  This is one of my favorite things about cold winter days.

This recipe was inspired by the soup served at Olive Garden. I loved it so I searched out recipes and then tweaked it to make it mine.

The recipe follows:
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper - use your own "hot meter"
1 large white onion, diced
4 Tbsp. bacon pieces - optional (and consider precooked for ease)
2 tsp. garlic puree or 1 fresh clove - mashed
8 -10 cups water ( I usually use 8)
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup heavy cream (or 1 cup half and half)
1 lb. russet potatoes, thin sliced (about 4 large potatoes - do not peel)
1/4 bunch fresh kale - torn off stems

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot or dutch oven.  Drain excess fat, refrigerate while preparing other ingredients.  I put the sausage in a colander over a bowl when it cools - any excess grease will drain off.

In the same pan saute bacon (chop before cooking), onions and garlic over low-med. heat for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and semi-transparent.  Add chicken bouillon and water and heat until it begins to boil.  Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about 20 minutes.  Add the heavy cream to the pot on a low heat and cook until heated (do not boil).  Stir in the sausage and kale, stir and heat until heated through.

Brown the ground sausage until completely cooked.

Cut potatoes in half and then half again, slice thin.

Saute onion, bacon and garlic.

After potatoes cook, add sausage and kale.

Finished product!  Enjoy.

Serve with hard rolls or any crusty bread and a salad.  It will warm you through and through.