Healthier Zuppa Toscana Olive Garden Clone Food

SUPER-DELICIOUS ZUPPA TOSCANA

Steps:

• Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven 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 the Dutch oven with the bacon and onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the spinach into the soup just before serving.

HEALTHIER ZUPPA TOSCANA (OLIVE GARDEN CLONE)

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, cook the bacon until somewhat done.
• Add the onion and saute until almost caramelized (golden color).
• Add chicken stock and water, then bring to a light boil and add potatoes.
• Cook Italian sausage (with casings removed) separately in a skillet.
• When nearly done add garlic to the pan and cook until sausage is done and the consistency of ground beef.
• Add mixture to the stock.
• When the potatoes have softened, gently press some of them to the side of the pan to thicken the soup; leaving some whole.
• Add fat free half and half, spinach, salt, aniseed, and peppers.

ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP (OLIVE GARDEN CLONE)

Steps:

• Bring chicken stock and water to a light boil and add potatoes.
• 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).
• Sauté the onion in the bacon rendering until almost caramelized (golden color).
• Remove and put in boiling stock.
• In the same skillet add olive oil and cook Italian sausage (with casings removed).
• Add garlic with the sausage and cook until sausage is done and the consistency of ground hamburger meat.
• Add mixture to the stock.
• By this time check to see if potatoes are cooked by trying to squish them on the side of the stock pot.
• When they are done reduce heat and add cream and Swiss chard, salt, anise, red pepper, black pepper.
• Serve with garlic bread or corn bread (or even better an herbed Parmesan corn bread).

COPYCAT ZUPPA TOSCANA

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon; set aside to drain. Add the Italian sausage to the drippings and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Add the potatoes, garlic and onion to the drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with the crushed red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Add the kale, heavy cream, bacon and sausage and cook over medium heat until the kale is tender, another 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar just before serving.