Zuppa Toscana

1 bunch Kale, cut into bite-sized pieces

12 whole Red Potatos, cubed

1 whole Onion, Chopped

1-1/2 pound Italian Sausage

1/2 pound diced bacon

1 tsp. garlic

1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)

2 cups Chicken Broth (1 15 ounce can)

2 cups Milk

4 cups Half-and-half

Fresh Or Dried Oregano

Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

• Prepare the kale and set it aside.
• In a medium pot. boil sliced potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.
• In a large pot, crumble and brown the Italian sausage with the bacon and onion. Drain as much as the fat as you can. Stir in the red pepper flakes, garlic, oregano, chicken broth, milk, and half-and-half. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, a splash of heavy cream for richness, then stir in the kale. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, then serve.

We had this soup at Olive Garden and it was fantastic! This recipe is a combination of my memories of the event combined with these two recipes. (Mostly the Pioneer Woman version but with less kale, more bacon and garlic.)

I did thicken it a little with cornstarch before adding the potatoes, but that's probably just my preference.