Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

It's been a long time since I've had the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden, but I've enjoyed it at home over the last few years.  I tend to like mine heavier on the potatoes and kale and lighter on the meat.  You can adjust the ratio to your liking.  I can't remember if Olive Garden's soup has bacon in it, but next time I think I'm going to make mine without it as the spicy sausage has plenty of flavor.  A bowl of soup like this really hits the spot on a cold winter day.

Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup (aka Zuppa Toscana)
Notes: If you want to add bacon to the soup, cook four slices bacon until crispy and then slice or crumble and stir into soup at the end.  Heavy cream or half and half make for a richer, creamier soup, but the soup is also delicious with milk if you don't have cream on hand or want to cut fat calories.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb spicy (hot) Italian sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
6 potatoes, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
4 cups chopped kale (or more--I'll often add as much greens as I can fit)
1 cup heavy whipping cream, half and half, or milk
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.  Remove from heat, drain grease, and set aside.

2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add garlic and onions, and cook 3 minutes.  Add potatoes, chicken broth, and water and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the potatoes are beginning to get tender.  Add the kale and continue to simmer about 10 minutes longer, until potatoes are tender and kale has softened.

3. Stir in cream (or half and half or milk) and sausage.  Heat through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: adapted from gimmesomeoven.com and allrecipes.com