Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

This is another favorite Olive Garden soup.  It is also pretty simple.  I used swiss chard instead of kale, but everything else was the same.  SO good!!

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

  • Author: CopyKat Recipes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 2 large russet baking potatoes sliced in half and then in 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 large chopped onion
  • 1/2 can Oscar Meyer Real Bacon Bits (these are less fatty than real bacon)
  • 2 cloves garlic,  minced
  • 2 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard
  • 2 14.5 ounce cans chicken broth
  • 1 quart water
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Cook sausage in a 300-degree oven for approximately 1/2 hour; drain on paper towels and cut into slices.  (okay, um, I actually fried the sausages as directed on the package, and went from there)

Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, and garlic in a pot and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage, bacon, salt, and pepper to taste and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat; add kale, cream, and water (optional).  Heat thoroughly and serve.

Olive Garden’s Italian Sausage Soup

Found this on the Olive Garden recipe page this evening when I was looking for a soup recipe using sausage.  Considering my SuperHero is Italian, I figured he might like it (he did)  He even took a picture and told me I should post it.  Pretty quick and simple soup. I am putting the actual recipe here, and in italics, the changes I made (for what we had on hand).

italian sausage soup

1 lb sweet Italian sausage, ground
1 cup white rice
1 cup chopped tomatoes in puree (1-10 ¾ oz can)  (I used a can of tomato sauce)
1/2 lb chopped frozen spinach (1-10 oz box), thawed and drained
6 cups beef broth (used water and bouillon)
1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
Pecorino Romano cheese, for garnish (used a Parmesan Romano blend)

  • Cook ground sausage in a soup pot and break the meat up with a fork as it cooks. Add in rice, beef broth, tomatoes and black pepper and bring to a simmer.
  • Simmer 12-15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in chopped spinach and let simmer for a few minutes.
  • Ladle soup into soup bowls and garnish with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Eggs Pierre

image

Okay, this is how much I truly love my SuperHero:

  1. That I even make this stuff (which, BTW, I confess to calling “Pukes Pierre)  I will admit, though, that since adapting the recipe a bit, it is starting to grow on me and I now will eat it when I make it (yeah, I used to eat sandwiches while everyone else had this)
  2. I am putting this on MY food blog after I’ve spent years berating it.  SuperHero just called me to ask for my food blog address for a co-worker, because she wants this recipe (yep, you read it right, this is for you Jauna!)

I actually used to tell my MIL that I was sure she just made it up as NOBODY had ever heard of it before.  It’s one of those “comfort foods” I think, for hubby, but I have discovered that he is the only Jajliardo “child” that is still getting served this stuff.  With the changes I’ve made, it is tastier and looks a whole lot less “vomitrocious” (yes, I said that!)  The sauce makes about 6 or 7 servings, and you just make as much sausage, eggs and toast as you want.

Pierre Sauce (make this first as it needs to simmer about 15 min.  You could also cook up the sausage at this time and then keep it warming in the oven on the lowest temperature)

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup sesame oil (yes, use sesame oil, the flavors better AND it gives it better color than….well, than you know what)
5 Tbsp flour
3 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups water + 3 chicken bouillon cubes)
1/4 cup tomato juice
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste (not too  much salt!  there’s already saltiness to it)

Heat the oil in a sauce pan, add garlic and briefly cook it.  Add flour, mix well and heat until it get bubbly.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook over medium low heat for about 15 min. (don’t let it boil)

You can use either sausage in either the breakfast links or patties, cook them as directed on the package.

While the sauce is simmering (and the sausages are cooked), fry up some eggs with a little salt and pepper (however many you want) and cook your toast.  Place the toast on your plate, top with an egg, some sausages and then ladle the sauce over it all.

I would LOVE to have your comments on this!