Dutch Oven Toscana Soup

This is one of my all time favorite soups, and like most soup & stew I make- It's prepared in the Dutch Oven. This means only one pot to clean! It is awesome served with the easy no-knead crusty bread{recipe found here!} but, remember that the bread needs to be prepared the prepared a day in advance; prepared morning before, baked off morning after).

Ingredients:
{This is for 2-4 servings, I double the recipe and it fits perfectly in my 5 quart Dutch Oven.}
1 lb. Hot Sausage
1/3 cup Red Wine

2 Medium Potatoes (or 4 small)

6 cups Chicken Stock

4 cups chopped Kale

1/2 tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes (more or less to your liking)

1/2 cup of cream or 3/4 cup whole milk

Directions:

1. Brown Sausage in dutch oven , on the stove top (medium heat). Remove when done and set aside to cool.

2. Drain all but 1 tsp of grease from the bottom of the pan. Add the Red Wine and stir with a wooden spoon to remove all baked on browning that is on the sides and bottom of the pan- keep the heat at Medium. Next add your broth and turn heat to Med-High.

3. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, and then also slice each of the halves. Then cut into 1/4 inch pieces. Add to the Dutch Oven.

4. Chop off the stems of the Kale, slice lengthwise and then chop into 1- 1 1/2" pieces. Add it to the Dutch Oven. Add Red Pepper Flakes. Put the lid on sideways (allowing steam to escape) and simmer for 1 hour.

5. Slice the sausage at an angle and add to the soup, Simmer for an additional 1 hour. Before serving, add  cream or milk and remove from the heat. If you need to re-heat the soup do not allow it to boil, or there may be separation from the milk.

♥, M.L.E.