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Zuppa Zuppa!



It's officially soup season.  I'm not a huge fan of soups but if you give me an interesting flavor combination, I will give it a try.  This was a recipe I found on Pinterest.  It's a copy cat recipe of Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden.  When I go to Olive Garden I O.D. on salad and bread sticks and Eggplant Parmesan.  I don't think I've had another single item off the menu; I love those too much.  I know Joe liked this soup so I decided to give it a try.  He liked it almost as much as his favorite soup, Mulligatawny.  Actually, he said he might like it better.  This soup has a nice heat to it.  I used mild spicy Italian sausage as well as the red pepper flakes.  I am not a huge fan of heat, but I like it in the background and this is definitely there.  The kale in the soup makes you feel like you're being a little healthy - forgetting about the sausage of course.  With the potatoes and the white wine cream broth, it's a great winter dinner!

Zuppa Toscana (Based on recipe from the blog Annie's Eats)

1 lb. Italian sausage (or half regular, half turkey sausage)
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine to deglaze the pan
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
2 cups fresh kale, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
2.5 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Place a large stockpot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat.  Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until well browned.  Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; set aside.  Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant.  Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.  Add the potatoes, kale, chicken broth and water to the pot.   Return the sausage to the pot.  Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low.  Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through.  Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.
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