My friend Don and his wife Susan of the TheCheasecakegarden.com made homemade sausage last weekend, and I finally have mine and decided to make a Zuppa Toscana with the sausage. This sausage was phenomenal, when I opened the package the aroma of the herbs smelled so first-class, which made me so excited. As the sausage cooked; it made the entire house smell inviting. I had a hard time not just eating it as I was cooking it. I would love to thank Don and Susan for letting me know that they were making these and letting me in on the order.
Well well well, this was an amazing meal and perfect for the cold winter night.
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage (We used Dons Homemade sausage)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
- 6 potato, thinly sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 bunch fresh kale, tough stems removed
- 1 package of white bean and mixed pasta (soup mix)
Directions
Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes over medium-high heat until browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minute set aside.
Cook the bacon in the same pan over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain, leaving a few tablespoons of drippings with the bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Pour the chicken broth into a pot with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and kale Shredded, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
Cut up the sausage into bite size pieces and add to the soup. 
Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the Bean and pasta mixture, heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Serve with a nice baguette.
LauraLovingLife 