Husband's Favorite Soup - Zuppa Toscana

The night before my husband's birthday I decided to surprise him with his favorite soup. I don't make this very often because it is really high in fat and cholesterol which neither of us need, but it is so SO good as an occasional meal. He absolutely loves the Zuppa Toscana at the Olive Garden and this recipe is about as close to it as I can come. Of course, I can never leave a recipe alone so I tend to tweak it a bit, but this is pretty close to the original.

First I sauteed the onions and garlic

While the onion and garlic cooked, I cut the hot links. Normally I use a locally made sausage, Slovacek, but this time I decided to use the Earl Campbell brand. Next time I am going back to my old favorite. Slovacek is spicier and just has a better flavor.

I added the sausage in with the onions and browned it in the pot.

Then I added the base and water and potatoes. After that cooked for around 15 minutes I added the cream and kale to cook for a few minutes. Don't put the kale in too soon or it will change into a brownish color and just not look appealing.

The end product was delicious and mildly spicy from the sausage. It is definitely still a favorite.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

Published 3/13/96 in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Taste Section.

Servings: 5
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Sausage links, spicy; about 12 links
3/4 cup Diced onions
6 slices Bacon
1 1/4 teaspoons Minced garlic
2 tablespoons Chicken stock base
1 quart Water
2 medium Potatoes, cut in half and then into 1/4 slices
2 cups Kale, cut in half and then sliced
1/3 cup Heavy whipping cream



Directions:

Cut sausage into half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2 inch slices. Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken base, water and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add sausage, kale and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

Tackling Leftovers

Whenever we have a party we are always left with a ton of food afterwards. I am not sure if we think that we are cooking for an entire army or if our friends are trying to watch their figures, but it never fails - leftover for days.

This spring we had our annual BBQ and Boil. Crawfish was hard to come by, so we went with shrimp - lots and lots of shrimp. After the masses were fed and everyone headed home, I was faced with a mountain of shrimp, corn and potatoes. Normally, I like to try to put the shrimp in omelets, but there was enough to keep the entire block in egg heaven for a week. So, I decided to try to make a soup. 

The first thing I did was cut the kernels of corn from the cob. I then put some chicken broth in a large soup pot and warmed up the leftover potatoes and corn.

After it was heated up,  the mixture was pureed with an immersion blender. I only pureed about half of the potatoes and corn and left some whole.

After pureeing, the peeled shrimp was added. This made a really spicy, chunky and flavorful chowder. The spices were a bit intense but it was really good and a great way to use up leftovers. The chowder was a big hit at a potluck lunch and every bit went to use! You have to love that!