Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients

4-8 slices of bacon

1 white onion

1 lb of Italian sausage (mild or spicy)

1 cup of heavy cream

4-6 cups of chicken stock

One bunch of kale

3-4 russet potatoes

Directions

1. Cut bacon, onions, and potatoes into bite size cubes

2. On medium high heat, add enough olive oil so bacon doesn’t stick

3. Add bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes

4. Add onion and sweat for 5-10 minutes (I usually work on taking the stem off my kale or cleaning/slicing the potatoes and stir it every 2-3 minutes

5. Add sausage and brown (3-4 minutes)

6. Optional deglaze pot with white wine (1/2 glass) this removes any burned bits and adds to the flavor. If you don’t have wine, don’t worry.

7. Add potatoes to pot (I add salt to potatoes at this point)

8. Cover with chicken stock 6 cups usually

9. Bring to boil and reduce to medium low

10. Cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are knife tender

11. Add in kale (stems removed and sliced in shreds)

12. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes

13. Add heavy cream (the more the better, I usually add 1.5 cups, but 1 cup will do)

14. Heat thoroughly (2 minutes)

15. Soup is ready to be served.

16. Top with Parmesan cheese

Notes

This meal is great with toasted bread for dipping in the soup. Serve with a Caesar salad for a complete meal.