Monday, November 8, 2010

Zuppa Toscana




Whenever I go to Olive Garden for lunch, I'm always sure to get a bowl of this tasty stuff. Zuppa Toscana, with it's hearty kale and delicious sausage, you really can't go wrong. The only thing better then eating it at a restaurant, is eating it at home donning pajamas and warm fuzzy socks, whilst watching your favorite show. I also love making things like this myself because I can lighten it up without lightening flavor, like using turkey sausage, and fat free half and half. Mmmmm, delicious.

Zuppa Toscana
Adapted From Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
flakes
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
6 potato, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch fresh kale, tough stems
removed

Directions

1. Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and kale, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through.

22 comments:

Kim of Mo Betta said...

YUM! This sounds really good. I could probably eat kale if its with sausage, potatoes, and bacon!

Jennifer said...

Kale huh? I am slightly afraid of it, LOL. But I made chicken stock today and was looking for a soup to make with it, I will give this a whirl! Nice to see you are back!

Desi said...

I love that soup from Olive Garden! It is a must-have when I go there :) Now I can make it at home, yay!

Julie said...

That's my favorite soup there too...your version looks awesome :)

Judy said...

Yum, this definitely looks delish. Thanks for posting.

The Blonde Duck said...

That sounds so good for cool fall days!

Kristin said...

I just had this for the first time at my baby shower the other day! It was so delicious!

Claudia said...

My son is addicted to this soup. I've been looking at ways of lightening it - did the fat-free half and half work? - I noticed you put in heavy cream. Maybe evaporated milk...bookmarking this for certain!

Reeni said...

This sounds incredibly delicious! And this is one I haven't made at home yet! It's in my near future, for sure. Thanks for the inspiration!

Lara said...

mmm, I love Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana. :)

Kim said...

I'm really on a kick with greens lately and would love a bowl of this right now. Hey - I'm even wearing my pajamas :)

Cathy said...

Wow, I love this soup and am so happy to have the recipe. I agree with you about liking to have a favorite meal at home where it's cozy, especially on a cold, rainy night.

Peggy said...

This soup sounds so tasty! I love the combination of kale and sausage and I bet the potatoes and bacon just sent this over the edge!

Erica said...

I am soup OBSESSED right now! This looks great. I'd like to make a vegetarian version too. Its always nice to lighten up a restaurant favorite at home. I bet this would be fabulous with a piece of crusty bread

Alissa said...

Mmmm this looks so good! Way to go recreating restaurant food at home!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

I've really gotten where I prefer to eat my favorite dishes at home. I've gotten comfortable and confident enough to make them myself AND exactly how I like 'em.

I've never tried that soup at OG but that's because I'm too busy with stuffing myself with salad and breadsticks. :)
~ingrid

MaryBeth said...

This is my all time favorite soup...I make it at home very often just so I can have it more often. Kale does not scare me and I simply love it in this soup...

Pam said...

This soup is one of my very favorites! YUM.

Debbie said...

I've never had this soup but it looks and sounds delicious. I love kale in soup.

Barbara said...

I've never had this, Teresa! What a lovely comforting soup! Of course, bacon never hurts!

Heather S-G said...

Fantabulous! This sounds amazing...kale is my fave :D Now, where's my breadsticks?

Barbara Bakes said...

So great to have a recipe for this soup to make at home. Glad you posted it. It sounds perfect for the season. I like using the fat free half and half too.