*better than olive garden.. for real

Yesterday I spent a few hours on Tasty Kitchen site selecting some recipes to put in my recipe box. I came across this delicious recipe that mocks the Zuppa Toscanna Soup that Olive Garden has on their menu. Zuppa Toscanna is one of our favorites when we do eat at Olive Garden. For me, it is a real winter delight. The rich creamy broth, paired with the smokey flavor of the bacon as well as the spicey Italian sausage is just mmmm mmmm good! I especially like the kale in this soup and added a bit extra for our soup pot. I am sometimes a bit hesitant to cook a recipe that states, "taste just like ......", but I did cook this recipe and it is JUST LIKE if not better than OG's. Actually, it is better because you are spending the amount on a pot of soup that you would pay for a bowl of this soup at the restaurant. Go ahead, make it this week!

Recipe for Zuppa Toscana
1 pound of Italian Sausage (crumbled)
1/2 pound of smoked bacon
2 cups of water
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2 cans (14.5 oz) Chicken Broth
2 whole large Russet Potatoes, I used about 5 med red potatoes, sliced about 1/3 inch
1 whole medium onion, chopped
2 cups of Kale or Swiss Chard chopped
1 cup of heavy whipping cream

On medium high heat brown the sausage, drain and set aside. On med-high heat brown bacon; drain and set aside. Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, onion in a pot and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add cooked sausage and bacon, simmer 10 minutes. Add kale and cream, season with salt and pepper, and heat through.

If you would prefer a low carb version substitute the potatoes with cauliflower for potatoes.