Friday, April 1, 2011

Copy Cat Recipe Using Food Storage: Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana


I love to go out to eat.  There I said it. I really do.  I especially love the Olive Garden.  I was talking about my love of the Olive Garden with my friend Amy and she told me that her husband refuses to eat there.  And I quote “I can eat pasta at home for a quarter of the price”  Well he is right.  Most of the fabulous things made at the Olive Garden and other great restaurants can be made with minimal effort at home using your food storage. 
This recipes the first in a series of Copy Cat Recipes, recipes inspired by my favorite restraints that can be made at home.

Copy Cat Recipe: Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
Yield: 10 servings

1 cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Sausage
1/2 T red pepper flakes
½ cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 T crumbled bacon pieces (I used Hormel precooked bacon)
8 C chicken broth
2 C water
1 C half and half
1 ½ cups THRIVE dehydrate Potato chunks
3 C Kale, chopped
salt and pepper
 
In a large soup pot add sausage, red pepper, potatoes, onions, garlic, and bacon.  Heat for 1 minute over high heat.  This helps release the flavors.  Be careful you don’t want to burn it.  Cook until it smells great and then remove from heat.
Add the broth and water to the soup pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the potatoes cook. Should only take about 10 minutes.
 While your taters are cooking wash up your Kale. Roughly chop up your Kale into small pieces.
 Once your potatoes have cooked through, add the half and half, Cook the soup just until it is heated through.
 Add your Kale, remove from the heat and serve.