TOSCANA SOUP

My take on Zuppa Toscana soup. 
This soup was so delicious last night that hubby kept giving me a high five. Too funny. It was the same as always but maybe it tasted so lovely because the evening was wet and dark and we were cozy with our little fire and bowls of soup and wedges of bread.
We each had a cupcake later, a perfect finish.

This is what I do for this soup.
Ingredients
3/4 pounds more or less of mild italian ground sausage.
4 russet potatoes peeled, and cut into quarters then sliced fairly thin across.
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
2 cans of chicken broth
1 cup of half and half( or you can use whole milk or canned milk)
1/2 bag or more of fresh spinach copped into large pieces.
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish.

In a large soup pot add the chicken broth and sliced potatoes. If you need to add a little water to cover the potatoes do that.
In a med size non stick skillet slowly fry (do not fry crispy or dark) the sausage, onion, red pepper and garlic till done. When the potatoes are just shy of tender add the contents from the skillet into the potato pot.Then add the Italian seasoning and the half and half. Continue to heat on med low till all is melded and well heated. Then add all the spinach and stir till wilted. 
Ladle into deep bowls and add good quality grated Parmesan cheese over the top. Serve with a good crunchy bread for dipping into the soup.

Note. The idea of this recipe is that you can basically do what you like. We like it this way however you make it thicker, just cut down on the liquid. You can extend it, add more liquid. Add more meat if you like or potatoes. You can add more veggies ie carrots and celery. You can use a combo of whipping cream and milk just be carefully not to let it boil. For the greens we like spinach as that is our fave but you can add arugula, chard, collard greens or any assortment of greens you prefer. So bottom line when I made up this soup recipe I just had fun with it. Enjoy.

Home alone again today. It is a good day though. A lazy day for me. Took me over an hour to drink my coffee and read the thick Sunday paper. Then onto the computer for a bit. Did my house chores. Wrote to a couple dear friends snail mail.....who does that anymore? And I researched more mattress's online. Thinking now of going with latex foam. I am certainly not looking forward to this task. Tomorrow it starts.

About two I snuggled down into my comfy chair eating a bowl of ramen noodles that I loaded with lots of spinach. I am nuts about spinach. I finished my book a great gals novel by Judy Blume. I love her writing she puts you there.
So now I get to start a new book. I have two waiting lol. But first I have a few cooking magazines I must browse through. I only take five but they come all within the same week.

Now I am going perk up my face before hubby comes through the door and unload the dishwasher. Oh such an exciting Sunday for Zo.
Later.