Zuppa Toscana: As close to Olive Garden as you're gonna get

If you were to ask Moe what his favorite meal that I make would be his most definite answer would be: Zuppa Toscana. Yes the soup from Olive Garden. The man can literally eat a whole pot if no one were here to stop him. Thanks to Pinterest (greatest thing since well....anything) I was able to find a great base recipe for this yummy soup.

Now when it comes to soups I don't mind making them but I feel that they are best meant for fall and winter seasons when its chilly out and you just want to have something yummy and warm hit your belly and because of this I tend to not make many soups in the spring and summer months. Another reason is who really wants to be sitting over a hot stove making soup in 80/90 degree weather when the grill is calling you name. 

So come fall the soups recipes come out to play. 

This one in particular is a Sopt Family favorite and not just cause moses loves it so much. Its filled with all the rustic goodness you can imagine: Italian sausage, potatoes, garlic (lots of it i don't skimp), cream, kale, and well of course bacon (!).  Its hits your belly and your soul with warmth and goodness in a way where you can't say no to a second bowl.  

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground Italian sausage

5 russet potatoes sliced pretty thinly 

5-7 slices of bacon chopped up

1/2 a yellow onion chopped 

2 cups of kale

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

28oz of chicken stock

1 quart of water

3 cloves of garlic

red pepper flakes (its up to you on how much heat you want)

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan cheese top off soup

How To: 

• Cook your sausage in a large pan. Once cooked through talk it out of your plan and transfer onto a paper towl covered plate. 
• Cook your bacon pieces then transfer them onto a paper towel covered plate as well. 
• Chop up your onion and your garlic. Then throw them into a large pot with your potatoes, chicken broth and water and cook on medium heat until the potatoes are cooked though. 
• While the potatoes are cooking its time to prep your kale. Chop up your kale into bite size pieces. We love kale to i always tend to put in a but extra. 
• Once the potatoes are cooked through add the sausage, bacon, red pepper flakes and salt & pepper (to taste) and simmer for another 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. 
• By now the potatoes will start to break into even smaller pieces. This is where you want to lower the heat to low and stir in your heavy whipping cream and kale to the pot. 
• Let the soup heat through and then enjoy!