I don't know why I have never tried kale, but I'm sure glad that I did because I love it. My inspiration for this was this copycat recipe which I changed a bit to suit my tastes:
http://www.food.com/recipe/olive-garden-copycat-zuppa-toscana-38298
I was expecting a thicker soup, but it wasn't thick at all. Next time I make it, I'll probably leave out the water. The flavor is fantastic.
Here's my version of Zuppa Toscana:
1 lb ground, mild, Italian sausage
2 strips thick sliced bacon, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 t garlic, chopped
32 oz Kitchen Basics chicken stock
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 c water
4 medium russet potatoes, unpeeled, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/3 of a 16 oz bag of kale
1 c heavy cream
Brown sausage in Dutch oven, remove to paper towel lined plate, drain and blot to remove excess grease. Remove any remaining sausage grease.
Add chopped bacon and onion. Saute until onion is translucent. Add garlic. Give it a couple of minutes.
Add chicken stock, broth, water, and potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Use a potato masher and mash some of the potatoes.
Add the kale and heavy cream. Simmer until kale is cooked to your liking.
, so I just started with it. Some said to use bacon bits... nixed that idea. I also went the less spicy route. 
I'll try the cheese next time for sure!