Zuppa Toscana

If you love Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, I need you to stop what you are doing and print this recipe ASAP! This is by far the closest thing I've ever come to something and it's seriously one of my favorites. Being that we are mostly Paleo now, I have made it with full fat coconut milk (and 1/2 coconut cream) instead of the heavy cream but it's simply amazing with the heavy whipping cream. 

Once cooked, I am sure this soup will freeze, but I've got no idea because it never lasts that long... ever. So I can't trust that it will freeze well, though if you wait to add the cream, I'm sure it will work brilliantly. I should try it just for you. Next time. As long as we don't eat it first. Hummm...

What you will need:

1lb Italian sausage (Not breakfast sausage, but one of the no-nitrate ones would be best like the New York Sausage Company brand chubs.)

4-5 Potatoes (peeled, washed, chopped into bite sized chunks)

1 Onion (diced)

2 TBS of minced garlic

32 ounces of chicken broth

Water

4-6 pieces of bacon (equal to 1/4 cup cooked and chopped/crumbled--optional)

1 bunch of kale (washed, chopped into bite sized pieces)

1 cup heavy whip cream (you can use full fat coconut milk and some coconut cream)

2 TBS of any flour (you can use wheat, oat, sorghum, etc. I wouldn't use coconut though. Any thickener will do. Or do without the thickening)

Cayenne

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

• Brown meat in large stock pot you will cook your soup in. 
• If you prefer, you can drain the excess fat from the sausage before you move on, otherwise, add to the browned meat: chicken broth, garlic, potatoes, and onion. 
• Add just enough water to cover the potatoes. 
• Cook on high or until potatoes are soft. 

• Alternately, this can go in the crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours or until potatoes are soft (low 5-6 hours).

Once potatoes are soft (or 30 minutes before serving):

• Mix flour into cream and try hard to get out all the lumps. 
• Add cream, kale and bacon to crockpot and stir well.
• Cook on high 30 minutes or until broth is thickened.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add a dash of cayenne to kick it up a notch.

Seriously the best soup ever. I make it twice a month and it's heaven in a bowl.