Toscana Soup

I am truly blessed with a husband who loves to cook and is really darn good at it. Nick grew up around the restaurant business and cooking has been a passion of his since he was a child. He is also one of those gifted people who can try something once and then make it later. I love his enthusiasm for food and really my tummy does too.

So, of course, when my husband learned about my love for soup, he started cooking up some of his favorites, as well as mine. One of my fall favorites is the Olive Garden Toscana soup. He had never tried it before we met and was not really a fan of kale. Until, one night out he decided to take his spoon into my bowl and see why I loved it so much. He was pleasantly impressed. The next cold night, his chef hat came on and he surprised me with his take on the soup. I was floored, his soup tasted like he just picked it up from Olive Garden. I looked around for boxes, it was that similar.

If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself self. It is actually quite simple to make. Even the most beginner of cooks can whip this up. Trust me, I know this because I have.

• Servings: approx. 4 -6 people
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: “easy”
• Print

A copy cat version of Olive Garden’s Toscana Soup .

Ingredients

· 1lb. Hot or Mild Italian Sausage (your preference)

· 4 Cloves of Garlic

· 7 cups of Chicken Broth

· 4 Lage Potatoes

· 1 Full Kale

· 1 Cup of Heavy Cream

· Salt and Pepper to taste

· 5 Strips of Chopped Bacon

· Parmesan cheese

Directions

Prep: Onions – diced, Garlic -minced, Potatoes-cut in half then sliced, chop Bacon and Kale.

1. Brown sausage for about 5-7 mins, remove from pot and set aside.
2. Add onions to the same pot, cook until caramelized (approx. 3-4 mins).
3. Add minced garlic, cook for 1 min.
4. Add in chicken broth & sliced potatoes, cook for approx. 20mins, until potatoes are tender.
5. Add kale, stir until tender.
6. Add heavy cream, sausage, bacon, salt & pepper (to taste) .Cover and let simmer for another 3-5 mins.

Your soup is ready, garnish with parmesan cheese, perhaps some garlic bread, and dinner is ready. Enjoy.