So a couple nights ago I was really craving Olive Garden, not so much their food but the salad, breadsticks and soup. Well unfortunately there is no Olive Garden in German fortunately when I was pregnant the first time around I found a recipe somewhere for an Olive Garden copycat and I made it so many times that although I could not find the recipe I was able to make Zupa Toscana from memory. So now I will share the recipe with you and document it so I can find it if for whatever reason I can no longer remember it all.

This recipe takes about an hour to make and yields about 6 servings as a main course or twice as many served as an appetizer.

Ingredients:
•2lbs ground sausage
•1 large yellow onion
•5 cubes chicken bouillon
•2-3 large Idaho potatoes
•4 tbsp bacon bits
•3 cloves Minced garlic
•kale chopped
•10 cups water
•1 cup heavy whipping cream

First brown the sausage in a 6 qt or larger pot. I like to leave some larger chunks for substance.

While the sausage is browning I usually chop the onion.

Once you see no more pink the sausage is ready to be put into another container, I usually line mine with paper towel to absorb some of the grease. Then I put it in the fridge, honestly the reason I put the sausage in the fridge is to hide it from myself and hubby so it doesn’t disappear before the soup is ready for it.

Next, cook bacon, onion and garlic over medium high heat until the onion is about see through.

While the onion is cooking I scrub and then chop the potatoes.

Once the onion, bacon and garlic is done cooking I add 10 cups of water, 5 cubes of bouillon and the chopped potatoes.

Now don’t freak out when your soup looks like that because its not quite done yet. Cook the soup with the potatoes until they are cooked just enough, a good way to tell is to poke one with a fork and if the potato slides off it is fully cooked. Once the potatoes are ready add the kale and sausage and allow them to heat up. Lastly pour in and mix the heavy whipping cream.

I like to serve this soup with some garlic bread.