Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup with Swiss Chard

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 12 oz Italian sausages or bratwursts (about 2-3 sausages), chopped
• 5 cups water
• 2 medium size or large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into small chunks
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 strips of freshly cooked bacon, chopped
• 3 cups Swiss chard (center stalks removed and sliced thin like ribbons)
• 1 cup half and half
• salt and red crushed pepper

Instructions

1. Chop uncooked sausages into small slices. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a soup pot, add chopped onions and chopped sausage and cook until both onion and sausage are cooked through.
2. Add 5 cups of water to the pan, stir, and bring to boil.
3. Add potatoes (peeled and cubed into small chunks), and minced garlic. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook until potatoes are done, about 15-20 minutes on low simmer.
4. For Swiss chard, make sure to remove center stalks and slice the Swiss chard leaves thin like ribbon. Then, add Swiss chard and half the bacon (reserve the remaining half for serving) to the soup pot. Add 1 cup half and half to the soup pot. Bring to hot temperature (not boil), mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste
5. Serve in individual bowls, topped with the remaining amount of chopped bacon on top.