Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 large onion
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 large russet potatoes
- 6 cups hot water divided
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 2 to 3 cups kale
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon MSG or Accent
Instructions
Prep
- Slice the bacon crosswise into quarter-inch strips.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into small bite-size cubes.
- Peel and mince the garlic.
- Remove the stems from the kale. Chop the kale into small pieces.
- Combine the chicken base with two cups of hot water.
Cook
- In a five-quart (or larger) dutch oven, saute the bacon until it's chewy/crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pan.
- Add the sausage. Break it up and cook until brown. Remove the sausage and set aside.
- Add the diced onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute until the onion is soft.
- Add he potato, Better than Bouillon / water mix, and the remaining four cups of hot water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft.
- Mix together the cream and flour. Whisk until there are no lumps. Add the cream mixture to the soup.
- Add the thyme and MSG. Add the cooked sausage and the kale.
- Bring the soup to a near boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes,
- Top individual servings with the reserved bacon to serve.