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Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana

Course Soup
Cuisine Fast Food Copycat, Italian-ish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
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.