Healthy Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana (you know, the wonderful white soup at Olive Garden with potatoes and sausage) is one of my favorite things.  But now that I don't eat gluten, I can't eat it anymore.  There are many "cheater" recipes online and over the last two years, we've tried a few, then made several tweaks of our own.  The original soup is actually not terrible for you (170 calories per bowl), but we've made some healthy changes to it.  We use half and half instead of cream and low-fat Jimmy Dean sausage.  Here you go!  Enjoy!

Hilary's Healthy Zuppa Toscana (and its gluten-free!)

1 lb. low-fat Jimmy Dean sausage
1/2 lb. bacon - chopped
2 qt. water
4 cans broth (or I use 4 cups water + 4 chicken bouillon cubes in addition to the 2 qt water)
2-3 russet (or red) potatoes - cubed
4-5 garlic cloves - crushed and coarsely chopped
1 med. onion - chopped
2 cups (or more, we use a whole head) of coarsely chopped kale
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper flakes (if you like a little punch)

In a BIG stockpot (this recipe has 13 cups of liquid), brown sausage and bacon.  Once cooked, remove from pan and set in a bowl with a paper towel in it (to soak up excess fat).
Put water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in pot.  Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
Add bacon and sausage.  Simmer 5-10 minutes (depending on how impatient you are).
Add kale, half and half and two or three dashes of crushed red pepper flakes to pot, simmer for 5-10 minutes (depending on how soft you like the kale).
Season with lots of salt and pepper.

This makes a HUGE pot of soup, which rocks because it tastes better as it sits in the fridge.  Yum, leftovers!  Or it can serve 12 all at once!

Healthy Sausage and Lentil Soup

Here is an amazing recipe for a sausage and lentil soup.  It was seriously one of the best soups I've ever made!  And it's got low-fat sausage and no thickening agent, so its healthy!

4 cups of water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes
3 1/2 cups of water
1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed
3 stalks of celery, sliced
1/3 of a bag of baby carrots, cut into quarters
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound of Jimmy Dean reduced-fat pork sausage
1/2 of a bunch of green onions, chopped into slices
 
1. Put water, bouillon cubes, lentils, celery, carrots, thyme, cayenne pepper and garlic into a big stockpot.  Bring to boiling, then let simmer over medium-heat for about 20 minutes.  Add sausage (since its in a tube, I mushed it with my hands into small chunks as I dropped it into the pot) and green onions and cook for 5-10 minutes more (until everything is soft and sausage is cooked).
2. Serve! 
 
So easy!!!!!  It was soooo flavorful, and about 250 calories a bowl!