Zuppa Toscana

For Dad.

Dad's birthday is coming up, so I'm making his favorite soup from Olive Garden...Or at least my interpretation.

• 1.5 lb Italian sausage (sliced or crumbled, preferably seasoned)
• A few tablespoons chopped bacon or bacon bits
• butter or olive oil
• One large onion, finely diced
• garlic (powder or fresh)--1-2 tsp?
• ~7 (14.5oz) cans chicken broth
• 1 cup Half & Half
• 3 large potatoes, sliced in quarters
• several leafs of kale, chopped

Heat/brown the sausage. Add fennel seeds, red pepper, or other seasonings only if desired (if sausage isn't already seasoned--mine had some red pepper and more spicy stuff). Add in bacon, set aside.

In a soup pot, saute the onion in olive oil or butter. Add the garlic.

Add chicken broth, bring to a light boil. Add potatoes. Once potatoes are soft, turn down the heat some and add the half & half. Once this is heated & mixed, finally add in kale & the sausage (my opinion, the kale is better once soft...it has really great nutritional value, too).

Enjoy!

...or in Dad's case, add lots of hot sauce and keep a napkin handy to dry your sweating head. ;)