Soup Showdown: January's Copycat Zuppa Toscana

The battle for best soup continues on our social media, and we have more employee soup recipes to share! This recipe for Copycat Zuppa Toscana comes from January Bennett, Financial Services Specialist at our Texarkana branch.

Ingredients:

• 1-16oz. package of smoked or Italian sausage
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 6 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 2 cups of kale, washed, dried, and shredded
• 8 chicken bullion cubes
• 5 cups of water
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Prepare the meat. If you are using sausage, cut it up and cook until browned. For Italian sausage, take out of casing, chop, and brown. When cooked, drain of excess fat and set aside.
2. Next, fry the bacon. Place on a paper towel to cool before crumbling and setting aside.
3. Take the leftover bacon drippings and pour into a dutch oven or large pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent (1-2 minutes).
4. Add water, bullion cubes, and potatoes. Bring to a boil before reducing heat and simmering for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
5. Add bacon, sausage, and kale. Stir well. Slowly add heavy whipping cream before simmering 4-5 minutes. Enjoy!