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Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients

6 russet potatoes, sliced into half circles

1lb sausage (hot italian sausage recommended)

32 oz chicken broth

1 yellow onion, cut however you want

Garlic - think "what's a lot of garlic?" double that amount, minced

1 bunch kale - stem removed, tear it up (can be larger than "bite sized pieces", as they will wilt)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Seasoning - I do not measure these and I never will. Season to taste. (Paprika, Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Bay Leaves, Cayenne, Cumin)

Instructions

In a large soup pot, brown the sausage and break apart/crumble as it cooks. Throw the onion and spices in there, mix that all up and cook till the sausage is cooked thoroughly. Add minced garlic, cook for 1-2 min.

Add chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. I let it simmer for about 15 min, longer (maybe 25-30?) if you want the potatoes to break down more and create a chowdery texture.

Add the kale. Stir it in until wilted and doesn't seem like too much kale anymore. Maybe 2-3 min.

Turn off the stove. Add heavy cream a little at a time while stirring it in.

I usually substitute half-and-half, instead of heavy cream. (That's how mom made it. I might try the cream next time.) Spinach is a good substitute for the kale.

beauty requires openness. it asks you to let things reach you, to soften enough to be moved. it’s not naive to see beauty everywhere—it’s a skill, a form of intelligence, a kind of quiet bravery. because it is so much easier to critique than to create, to detach than to engage, to dismiss than to love.