Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage Boulder Sausage Italian Bulk Pork Sausage
• 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (counted as cayenne) Cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons bacon pieces (6 slices of fully cooked bacon, chopped (about 4 tbsp is the original amount)) Hormel Black Label Fully Cooked Original Bacon or: 6 slices bacon, pan-fried, 6 slices turkey bacon
• 1 large white onion , diced Onion, raw
• 2 tsp garlic purée (or 2 cloves minced; 2 tsp purée is about 2 cloves) Garlic, raw
• 5 cubes chicken bouillon Chicken bouillon cubes, dry
• 10 cups water Water
• 1 lb russet potatoes , sliced (about 3 large) Potato, russet, raw (flesh and skin)
• 1 cup heavy cream Heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 bunch kale , roughly chopped (1/4 bunch weighed about 58 g; about 48 g of leaves after removing the stalks) Kale, raw

Instructions

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot until browned. Drain excess fat; refrigerate sausage while preparing the rest.
2. In the same pot, sauté bacon, onion, and garlic over medium heat about 15 minutes until onions are soft.
3. Dissolve chicken bouillon in water and add to the pot. Bring to a boil.
4. Add sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about 30 minutes.
5. Add heavy cream and cook until heated through.
6. Stir in the cooked sausage.
7. Add kale just before serving.