Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

I made this soup the other night, and it really tastes like Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana! The soup was a tad bit on the spicy side, so you may want to wait till the end to add the crushed red peppers to suit your level of spiciness. I also added the kale when I added the potatoes, since kale actually takes a while to cook.

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
• 1 large diced white onion
• 4 Tbsp bacon pieces
• 2 tsp garlic puree (or just minced garlic)
• 10 cups water
• 5 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 1 cup heavy cream (I've used evaporated milk before and that works, too)
• 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
• 1/4 of a bunch of kale

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients. In the same pan, saute bacon, onions, and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. 

From tuscanrecipes.com