Zuppa Toscana

Olive Garden copy-cat recipe. Perfect for a chill evening, and even better with homemade breadsticks. Mmmm.

1 lb bulk mild italian sausage
1 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp)
4 slices bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
5 (13.75 oz) cans chicken broth (low sodium)
6 potatoes, thinly sliced (or 3 large russets)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch fresh spinach or kale, with tough stems removed (about 2 cups)

1. Cook the italian sausage and red pepper flakes ina dutch oven over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. 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.
3. 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/kale into the soup just before serving.

Tips:

I prefer kale instead of spinach (more crunch)
Rinse the sausages in hot water to avoid orange soup
5 potatoes cut thick and 2 potatoes sliced thin, will boil down to thicken your broth

For freezing:
May double or quadruple for freezing.
After step 2, add the sausage and red pepper back in with bacon, onion, and garlic. Mix and let cool, put meat mixture into freezer bag. Thaw when ready to use. Use chicken soup base to make broth and heat like step 3- only waiting to put the meat mixture back in after potatoes have cooked.