Sausage, Potato, Kale Soup (Zuppa Toscana) lactose free

This recipe is like Olive Garden's delicious Zuppa Toscana. But if you are lactose intolerant and trying to eat clean, you have to make it at home. So here's how to do it.

2 bunches kale, cleaned and torn into bite size pieces

12 red potatoes, thinly sliced

1-1/2 pound turkey sausage (Italian, if desired)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cups lactose-free milk (whole for creamier, skim for less fat)

3 to 4 cups pureed white beans, Great Northern or Cannellini

Fresh or dried oregano

Black pepper to taste

Prepare kale and set it aside.

In a medium pot, boil sliced potatoes, drain, rinse off extra starch, and set aside.

In a large pot, crumble and brown the sausage. Drain as much of the fat as you can. Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, chicken broth, milk, and pureed beans. Simmer about 30 minutes. BE CAREFUL NOT TO SCORCH THE BOTTOM. Stir often.

Taste it and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the cooked potatoes. Stir in the kale. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve.