Super-Delicious Zuppa Toscana

I had no idea Renae’s lovely mama loves Zuppa Toscana so intensely. Jeremy loves it, too, and when I realized I wanted to make a potato and Italian sausage soup, it took only a small bunch of kale to make a supper that would please my sweetie. How weird is it that I made this dish–and planned on posting it here–the same night you posted as well? This recipe is from Allrecipes.com.

1 pound bulk mild Italian 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 spinach, tough stems removed

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.

**I reduced the red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon so it wouldn’t burn my kiddo’s mouth. I definitely wanted more spice though. Also, I used kale, not the spinach recommended here. Olive Garden uses kale as well. Happy eating!