Tuscan Sausage Soup

My 3 big kids all started school last week - and just when I thought things were finally going to slow down - I was wrong!

My kids raved and raved about this - they all had seconds - even the baby:)

Tuscan Sausage Soup

1 lb mild (or hot) Italian sausage

1 onion, diced

1/2 lb bacon, crumbled

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 medium potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

1 - 1 1/2 quarts of chicken stock

1 bunch spinach or kale, roughly chopped

1 cup heavy cream

Pepper to taste*

I always peel my potatoes but it isn't necessary. Cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces and in a large stock pot, heat chicken stock and cook the potatoes until they are fork tender (about 20 min). 

While the potatoes are cooking, in a second large stock pot, crumble sausage and cook until no longer pink - nice and brown. Set sausage aside. Use that same pot and cook the bacon until crispy and onion until translucent. Add the garlic right at the end at cook for only about 1 minute. I like to cut the bacon into smaller pieces while it is still raw - this saves you the "crumbling" at the end and it cooks much faster. 

When the potatoes are cooked, add the heavy cream - stirring continually to make sure it incorporates well.

Add all other ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Yum.

*I usually say add SALT and pepper to taste - but the sausage, bacon and stock all have salt - so I personally adding more is unnecessary.