Zuppa Toscana

Two weekends ago we took the kids skiing on Howelsen Hill. The weather was perfect.

Jeremiah can barely stand up, but he can ski down the tiniest of bunny hills by himself.

Isabella, frustrated that she had to stay on the bunny slopes with her brother instead of racing down bumps and jumps, glided down with equal boredom and ease.

She is too cool for school.

Clearly, I'm in trouble.

I also got invited over to Danielle's house for lunch. We had this amazing Zuppa Toscana. I can't say for sure if it's exactly like Olive Garden's because I've never had it there. But I can tell you that it is amazing. But then again, how can you go wrong with Italian sausage, potatoes, kale, wine and cream? How?! You cannot. We added in more kale than directed because we love it and figured, why not get all that healthy goodness into the pot?

The soup is rich, but not all that heavy. We were pleasantly surprised how the earthy kale cut the cream. The soup is brothy and elegant, rustic and filling.

Danielle and I like to eat sausage together. I realize how strange that sounds. Mostly because that's the only time we get to since both our husbands don't eat any meat. I don't eat meat 90% of the time for health reasons, but I partake every now and again because I love it. Danielle and I think were all rebellious for making food like this. Ever heard that phrase "white girl problems?" Listen, I'm all for making dishes healthier and meatless, but there are some things you can't touch. This is one of them.

Our perfect weather has temporarily disappeared to let some snow fly. Wishing I had this soup to warm me up!

Zuppa Toscana

adapted from Annie's Eats

serves 4

1 lb. Italian sausage (or half regular, half turkey sausage)

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine to deglaze the pan
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 russett potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
2 cups fresh kale, chopped (we added a whole head)
3-4 cups chicken broth
2.5 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Place a large stockpot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until well browned. Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; set aside. Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add the potatoes, kale, chicken broth and water to the pot. Return the sausage to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.