Zuppa Toscana

We finally ordered some Christmas presents for little G. I’m getting so excited to play Santa for the first time. last year we didn’t really have much to spend on presents. In fact, I think the only money we spent for gifts was money that my parents gave us. (That Christmas was one of my very favourites though.) I have noticed as I have spent time cooking our meals, that G loves to mimic his parents. He will go and grab (the ever so fantastic Williams Sonoma) measuring cups and a little spoon out of the drawer and start using them as baby size pots. So for Christmas we bought him a play kitchen. I can’t wait for him to walk into the room on Christmas morning and see it. I can just imagine him pretending to cook while I’m making dinner. It makes me so happy to think that he’s a budding food connoisseur.

I know that the Olive Garden gets a bad wrap in the food world. In all honesty I’m not such a fan of it myself anymore. I remember loving it as a kid. As the years have past I have found myself enjoying most restaurant chains less and less. Anyway, I digress. The point here, is that no matter your opinion on the matter, their soup, Zuppa Toscana, is good. It has been a long time favourite soup of mine. My mother started making it for us years ago. In fact, I have thought that her version, the homemade version, trumps the Olive Garden. So, if, like me, you find yourself turning snobbish when this Italian restaurant chain is mentioned, do yourself a favour and bury those inclinations deep for just long enough to make this soup and give it a big slurp. Your mind, at least when it comes to Zuppa Toscana, will be changed.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage
2 large baking potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup cream

Process:

Brown the sausage in soup pot, breaking into pieces as you go.

Add chicken broth and water to pot. Stir. Add the onions, potatoes, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender.

Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Turn heat to low. Add the kale and the cream. Heat through and serve.