Zuppa Toscana

It has been awhile since I shared a recipe so I thought I would share my husband's new favorite soup. I want my blog to include some of my favorite things along with pictures and updates of the family. I love to cook. I haven't always loved it, but during the last couple of years, I've really developed a love of good, healthy foods. We eat soups all of the time...probably every other meal in the winter. I love them and if you're making the right kinds, they can be very fresh and healthy.

10 to 12 spicy sausage links (I use 1 roll Jimmy Deans Reduced Fat sausage instead)

3 potatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

1/2 pkg. bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 c. kale, chopped

3 Knorr chicken broth cubes

10 c. water

1/2 pt. heavy cream

1 large portabella mushroom, diced

2 Tbsp. basil

Sprinkle of garlic salt

Saute sausage, onion, garlic, and mushroom in olive oil. Add crumbled bacon. Add diced potatoes and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, kale, broth cubes, and spices and simmer 15 minutes. Blend in cream and serve hot.

I serve it with bread and call it a meal! Even though you add the cream (I think it's more for color), it's a very brothy soup. I LOVE the kale in it. I had never bought/used/tasted kale before. It's located by the fresh herbs and the bok choy which we used to feed to Claws (my he rest in peace) so I was a little nervous. It is really good. It adds all of those vitamins and benefits of leafy greens but maintains its crispiness a little even when simmered...so you don't have the slimy strings of folic acid that spinach becomes in soups. I've even frozen this soup and it maintained its integrity better than I thought it would.

I think it's a pretty soup even though the picture doesn't look beautiful.