Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage (Spicy recommended)
• 3 garlic (Cloves, minced)
• 1 white onion (Medium, peeled and diced)
• 1.5 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (Diced)
• 5 cup chicken stock (Use 5 to 6 cups)
• 2 cup fresh kale (Chopped; use 2 to 3 cups)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• fine sea salt (To taste)
• black pepper (Freshly ground, to taste)
• 6 bacon (Pieces, cooked and crumbled)

Steps

1. 1

   Cook the sausage in a large stockpot over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, until browned and cooked through.

2. 2

   Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a separate plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the grease in the stockpot for later and discard the excess. The author notes that the cooked sausage may also be briefly rinsed in a strainer to remove more excess grease. Set the sausage aside.

3. 3

   Add the diced onion to the stockpot with the reserved grease. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

5. 5

   Add the diced potatoes, chicken stock, and cooked sausage. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer.

6. 6

   Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

7. 7

   Stir in the chopped kale and cream. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

8. 8

   Season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

9. 9

   Serve warm, garnished with the cooked, crumbled bacon.

Notes

For extra heat when using mild sausage, the author suggests adding a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. For a vegetarian variation, use plant-based sausage and vegetable stock and omit the bacon. The page also describes Crock-Pot and Instant Pot options, but the provided authoritative structured instructions contain only the stovetop method.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main
• comfort food
• stovetop
• one-pot
• Italian-inspired