More of the weekend's BD soups. This one is loosely based on the Olive Garden zoup of the same name, but wuff made some changes to technique & ingredients to prepare this in the quick and tasty Instant Pot multi-cooker.

Result is a very hearty and substantial zoup with LOTS of flavor, and a bit of heat from the spicy sausage to help warm the insides during cooler Fall & Winter weather. You can substitute spinach for the Kale, but wuff would recommend a more substantial green with a bit of peppery/bitter 'bite' to them, to work against the rich sausage body of the soup.

This zoup keeps very well, and the flavors seem even better, more blended and present, after spending a bit of time resting in the 'fridge. It's also a rather nice visual, with colors from the peppers and greens from the kale against a nice white background.

Wuff added some cream cheese for more rich creaminess, but might recommend using a whipped cream cheese like Boursin instead of a block of normal cream cheese. Though the flavor and richness were just what wuff wanted, the cheese didn't completely blend in, leaving little grains and drips of more solid cheese. Didn't hurt the flavor/texture at all (quite the opposite!), but did make the broth appear a little "broken" or curdled.

Wuff made a double batch so as to use the full pound each of the spicy and mild Italian Sausage. The Recipe as written below makes half what wuff did, but will still easily feed 8-10 servings.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb ground spicy Italian sausage (Can use link also)
1/2 lb ground Mild Italian sausage (Can use link also)
8 slices bacon, diced
1 Red & 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 lb slice Crimini (brown) Mushrooms
4-6 cloves garlic (3 TBS minced jar), fine diced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp flour - (cornstarch can be substituted)
1 C White Wine (or 3 TBS cider Vinegar)
4 C chicken stock (or 5 C hot water + 1 1/2 TBS Better Than Bullion Chicken Stock)
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
6 oz whipped Cream Cheese or 1 pkg Boursin Cheese
1 cup heavy cream (or 1 Can evaporated milk)
1 bunch kale (a couple of handfuls) - de-stemmed and torn into small bite sized pieces
Salt and pepper, - to taste
Pinch of red pepper (Aleppo) flakes. - optional

DIRECTIONS:
In Instant Pot on Saute, add a small drizzle of oil, then brown sausage, crumbling as it cooks. Drain well, then remove to a plate
Fry bacon is residual sausage grease until crisp, then remove to plate with the sausage. Drain all but 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp of bacon grease.

Add onion to pot and cook 5 minutes, adding garlic the last minute. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes until they darken and release some of their moisture

Add the white Wine and continue to cook until reduced to at least half. If using Cider Vinegar instead of wine, wait until after the soup has finished pressure cooking and add it in then

Sprinkle flour over onion and garlic in pot, then stir to combine. Pour in chicken stock, stirring as you pour. Add in potatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, Italian seasoning, cooked sausage, and most of the bacon (reserve some for garnish) with any juices. If using the optional crushed red pepper flakes, add them now

Pressure cook for 8 minutes. Allow to reduce pressure for 5 minutes then vent

Add the heavy cream and kale, and whipped cream cheese/Boursin cheese. If using Cider Vinegar instead of wine, add it now. Stir and cook 5-10 minutes until kale is wilted and the cheese is melted in

Taste and season with salt, pepper and garnish with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired. Top with remaining bacon

Serve into warmed bowls. Crusty bread on the side, or crackers are a nice touch

!DEVOUR!