Brown the turkey sausage: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey sausage meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook until it is no longer pink and you hear a steady sizzle, about 6–8 minutes. The meat should look golden brown and smell wonderfully savoury. Transfer it to the slow cooker insert.

Cook the beef bacon: In the same pan, add the diced beef bacon. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are crisp and the fat has rendered, roughly 5 minutes. You will see the bacon turn a deep reddish-brown and hear it crackling. Spoon the bacon into the slow cooker, leaving about a tablespoon of the rendered fat in the pan.

Sweat the aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chopped onion to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until the onion becomes translucent and soft, about 4 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan — those bits are pure flavour. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until you can smell its fragrance.

Deglaze with stock: Pour about 200ml of the chicken stock into the pan and stir vigorously, scraping the bottom to lift all the caramelised bits. This liquid gold should look dark and smell deeply of roasted meat and onion. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker.

Add remaining stock and potatoes: Pour the rest of the chicken stock into the slow cooker. Add the cubed potatoes, dried oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Stir everything together until well combined. The liquid should just cover the potatoes.

Slow cook: Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. After this time, the potatoes should be tender when pierced with a fork, and the broth will smell rich and aromatic. Do not lift the lid during cooking unless absolutely necessary — each peek adds 20 minutes to the cooking time.

Add the cream and kale: In the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the double cream and the torn kale leaves. Replace the lid and let it cook for a further 10–15 minutes. The kale will soften and turn a vibrant, deep green, and the cream will turn the broth a pale, creamy ivory colour. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with extra salt and pepper if needed.

Serve: Ladle the soup into warm bowls and top each portion with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with crusty bread or a simple side salad.