Better Than Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Recipe 455

Steps:

• Brown sausage links in a sauté pan. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut slices. Place sausage, chicken broth, garlic, potatoes and onion in slow cooker. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables and meat. Cook on high 3-4 hours (low 5-6 hours) until potatoes are soft. 30 minutes before serving: Mix flour into cream removing lumps. Add cream and kale to the crock pot, stir. Cook on high 30 minutes or until broth thickens slightly. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir pork sausage, onion, and garlic in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.
• Crumble bacon into a large soup pot; add sausage mixture, chicken broth, potatoes, and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the potatoes are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir kale, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese into the soup; cook until the kale wilts, about 5 minutes. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

Steps:

• In a large pot on medium-high heat add the ground sausage and crushed red pepper flakes. Using a spatula, break up the sausage until it is fully cooked through. Pour the cooked sausage into a large bowl and set aside.
• In the same pot add the olive oil, chopped onion, and real bacon pieces until the onions become translucent and begin to brown (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
• Add 2 cups of water to the pot and stir well to get all the sweet onion flavor from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken concentrate and stir to combine. Add the remaining 8 cups of water.
• Add potatoes and cook until fork tender. You may wish to add more salt, but be careful because the chicken base is very salty. Taste for saltiness after each addition.
• After the potatoes are done, add the cooked sausage back into the soup. Skim off most of the fat from the sausage that floats onto the surface using a large spoon.
• Add the fresh kale and stir in to allow the leaves to soften slightly. It will seem like too much, but it will cook down with time.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the heavy cream. Stir.
• Add freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
• Garnish each serving with shredded parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, if desired.