Zuppa Toscana Recipe | Olive Garden Copy Cat | Hillcrest Kitchen

Olive Garden used to be my all time favorite.  Every Birthday, and most special occasions were celebrated underneath the roof of that favorited pasta place.  I always ordered the Chicken Alfredo.  Praise the Lord for creamy cheese sauce, and oodles of noodles with strips of grilled chicken tossed in!!  As I have gotten older, I’ve ventured to try different things on the menue. I’ve gotta admit that I was pretty surprised when my new favorite wasn’t a pasta dish– it was a bowl of soup!!  For years, this recipe has been my favorite.

Zuppa Toscona is a potatoe & kale soup with a kick!   Spiced with hot italian sausage and flavored in a tasty chicken broth — with a touch of cream– this soup is perfect for the ever chilling winter season!!  Keep it simmering on the stove for as long as you like, and let your home smell like the burst of flavors contained in each bite !

With the weather cooling, and the familiar regularity of wearing cozy socks, and snuggling under warm blankets, this dish is the perfect pairing to all things warm and inviting.  If you’re not the biggest fan of “green leafy things” don’t be intimidated by the Kale either!  It’s wholesome and packed with vitamins.  The flavor is subltle and mixes perfectly with the chicken broth and spiced sausage 🙂  Give it a try and tell me what you think!

• 1 lb Hot Italian sausage (or any hot sausage will do!)
• 1 Medium onion; diced
• 3 cloves garlic; minced
• 1 tbsp Flour
• 64 oz Chicken Broth
• 6 Russet Potatoes
• 6 Cups Kale; shredded into pieces
• 1 Cup heavy Cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Add sausage to a large pot and cook over medium head, crumbling the sausage as it cooks.
2. Once sausage is brown and almost thoroughly cooked, add onion and garlic and cook until onions are fragrant & translucent in color.
3. Sprinkle flour on mixture and stir together.
4. Pour in chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
5. Meanwhile, wash and cup potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.
6. Once soup is boiling, add potatoes to pot and cook until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes or so)
7. Reduce head to low and add cream + kale to pot
8. Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Also, can we all just smile at my kitchen’s latest wall art?  We’ve changed it every season thus far and I’m in love.  I swear, my roomies are so talented.

RECIPE NOTES:

** If you don’t know how hot you want your soup, substitute the hot sausage for a milder one, and add red peeper flakes until your desired “heat” is acquired.

** I use Better Than Bouillon  Chicken Base to make my chicken broth.  Y’all.  I’ve tried a variety of chicken broths & bases, and this is by far my favorite.  I can really taste the difference, especially in this soup.  My favorite is the reduced sodium chicken base.

Hope you enjoy this Olive Garden copy cat recipe!!!  xoxo

AnnaFilly