My Favorite Potato Soup Recipe

This tastes so much like Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana and I love being able to cook it in the crock pot.  I can't stand kale, but I'm all for the nutritional benefits of it.  If it's cooked into a soup, I can't taste the bitterness or strong taste of it.  I also use whole milk in my potato soups.  It's what we have on hand.  I also don't think I need to add salt and pepper, the Italian sausage has enough seasoning for us.  This soup goes great with homemade focaccia bread.

First, sauté the sausage and onion

 

While the sausage is browning, I cut the onions and put them in the crock pot.



 

I add everything else to the crock pot except the kale and milk.  Those get saved for right before we serve it.

 



 

Add the chopped kale and milk.  Once it's warmed back up, it's ready to serve.

 

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian Sausage
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3-5 medium russet potatoes, cut into bit size pieces
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 cups water
• 16 ozs of chicken broth
• 2 c kale, chopped
• 1 c heavy whipping cream or milk 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium sized skillet, sauté the Italian sausage with the onion and red pepper flakes.
2. Place the potatoes, garlic, chicken broth, and water into your crockpot.   Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4.
3. 30 minutes before serving, with crock pot on low, add in the kale and heavy cream or milk.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let the soup heat through and serve.