Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup

By RJamoralin

This is The Olive Garden's recipe, from their cookbook. It has been cut down to make a more reasonable size. I have made this for several years, and everyone who has tasted it, loves it. It is a hearty meal in itself, or it can be served with salad and bread. This is especially good on a cold winter night!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 large diced white onion
• 4 tablespoons bacon, pieces
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste
• 10 cups water
• 5 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb sliced russet potato (about 3 large)
• 1/4 bunch fresh kale, cut in small pieces

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

1 Sautee the sausage and crushed red pepper flakes
in pot.
2 In the same pan, sauté bacon, onion, and garlic for
approximately 15 minutes or until the onions are
soft.
3 Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then
add it to the onions, bacon and garlic in a large
stock pot. Cook until boiling.
4 Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an
hour.
5 Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated. 6 Stir in the sausage.
7 Add kale just before serving.
8 Notes: I make this soup slightly different.
9 I sauté the sausage and onion in a skillet.
10 In a stockpot (sometimes large crock pot,) I put 1
1/2 teaspoons salt, the red pepper flakes, garlic, 6
tbsp bacon bits (Oscar Meyer Real Bacon Bits)
water, bouillon, and potatoes. (I use 10 medium
size potatoes, peeled and cut in small pieces).
11 When the sausage and onion are done, I add it to
the stockpot, and cook till the potatoes are soft.
12 Then I add either 1 bunch of Kale, or a 16 oz. bag
of prewashed and cut Kale, and cook until the Kale
is tender, about 15 minutes.
13 Then I add the cream, and simmer for about 10
minutes.
14 This amount fills a large stockpot; the only
difference being that my version has much more
vegetables in it.
15 This is comfort food at its finest.
16 (Kale can be found in the produce department of
most grocery stores).