Zuppa Toscana

When my bff, Rio, visits from Southern California we LOVE to eat!  While I usually get the salad at Olive Garden, she made me fall in love with their Zuppa Toscana soup.  Decided to make it for my boys before leaving for another business trip and was pleasantly surprised at how easy and DE-LICIOUS it was.  It is now my ultimate comfort food when missing loved ones far away.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1½ tsp crushed red peppers
• 1 large diced white onion
• 4 Tbsp bacon pieces
• 2 tsp garlic puree
• 10 cups water
• 5 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 1 cup heavy cream (I used whipping cream.  Same thing?)
• 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
• ¼ of a bunch of kale

1. Sauté sausage and crushed red pepper in pot.  Drain fat.
2. In the same pot, sauté bacon, garlic and onions on medium heat until onions are soft... About 10 minutes
3. Add water & chicken bouillon to the pot, and let it boil.
4. Add potatoes and cook until soft...  About 20 minutes
5. Add heavy cream and allow to heat up.
6. Add sausage and kale and continue to cook until the whole thing is heated.  YUM.