Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into 1-inch pieces and add to saucepan.

Cook sausage, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Drain sausage onto a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels, set sausage aside.

Add diced bacon to saucepan, return to heat and saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced onions and saute mixture until bacon is cooked through and onions are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes longer.

Add chicken broth, water, sliced potatoes, sugar, fennel seeds, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in cooked sausage.

Cover saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are nearly tender, about 10 to15 minutes.

Add in kale then simmer until potatoes are soft and kale is tender, about 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Stir in half and half and warm through. Use a spoon or ladle to remove excess fat from top of the soup if desired. Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.