Zuppa Toscana Soup (olive Garden Clone)

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 (32 ounce) kitchen basics chicken stock (don't substitute with broth) or 2 quarts homemade chicken stock (don't substitute with broth)
• 3 pieces bacon
• 1 large onion , diced fine
• 3 -4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 lb sweet italian sausage
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch swiss chard or 1 bunch kale, cut into bite size pieces
• 2/3 cup cream or 2/3 cup half-and-half cream
• 6 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground aniseed
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, depending on taste
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• black pepper

Recipe

• 1 bring chicken stock and water to a light boil and add potatoes.
• 2 in a skillet (preferably cast iron or enameled cast iron) cook bacon until somewhat done and remove (but do not add bacon to the soup, save for a blt or something).
• 3 sauté the onion in the bacon rendering until almost caramelized (golden color).
• 4 remove and put in boiling stock.
• 5 in the same skillet add olive oil and cook italian sausage (with casings removed).
• 6 add garlic with the sausage and cook until sausage is done and the consistency of ground hamburger meat.
• 7 add mixture to the stock.
• 8 by this time check to see if potatoes are cooked by trying to squish them on the side of the stock pot.
• 9 when they are done reduce heat and add cream and swiss chard, salt, anise, red pepper, black pepper.
• 10 serve with garlic bread or corn bread (or even better an herbed parmesan corn bread).