Zuppa Toscana is Olive Garden’s most popular soup. This one-pot, homemade Zuppa Toscana recipe is hearty and loaded with Italian sausage, kale, bacon and potatoes.
Some of our most popular recipes are restaurant copycat recipes like Creamy Shrimp Pasta and of course Chicken Madeira! You can make it better at home for a fraction of the price!
Zuppa Toscana – Olive Garden Copycat
Homemade Zuppa Toscana is loaded with Italian sausage, bacon, kale and potatoes. Learn how to make Zuppa Toscana soup as made popular by Olive Garden!
Prep: 10min
Total: 45min
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 458 kcal, Carbohydrate 29 g, Protein 19 g, Fat 31 g, Saturated Fat 14 g, Cholesterol 84 mg, Sodium 906 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 2 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 6 oz bacon (chopped)
- 1 lb Italian Sausage (The “Hot” variety)
- 1 medium head garlic (10 large cloves, peeled and minced or pressed)
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 6 cups chicken broth/stock ((48 oz))
- 4 cups water ((32 oz))
- 5 medium russet potatoes (peeled and chopped into 1/4″ thick pieces)
- 1 kale bundle (leaves stripped and chopped (6 cups))
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese to serve (optional)
Instruction:
- In a large pot or dutch oven (5.5 qt), over medium-high heat, add chopped bacon and sauté until browned (5-7 mins). Remove bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and spoon out excess oil, leaving about 1 Tbsp oil in the pot.
- Add Italian sausage, breaking it up with your spatula and sauté until cooked through (5 min). Remove to paper towel lined plate.
- Finely dice onion and add to the pot. Saute 5 min or until soft and golden then add minced garlic and saute 1 min.
- Add 6 cups broth and 4 cups water, and bring to boil. Add sliced potatoes and cook 13-14 min or until easily pierced with a fork.
- When potatoes nearly done, add chopped kale and cooked sausage and bring everything to a light boil.
- Stir in 1 cup cream and bring to boil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then remove from heat. Garnish with bacon and grated parmesan.
BEST Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe
Classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than the restaurant version
Prep: 10min
Total: 40min
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 790 kcal, Carbohydrate 56 g, Protein 25 g, Fat 52 g, Saturated Fat 22 g, Cholesterol 136 mg, Sodium 993 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 5 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage ((mild can be substituted))
- 8 slices bacon, diced ((divided))
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp flour ((cornstarch can be substituted))
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 bunch kale (a couple of handfuls) (de-stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces)
- Salt and pepper, (to taste)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes. (optional)
Instruction:
- Heat a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot over MED-HIGH heat. 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.
- Sprinkle flour over onion and garlic in pot, then stir to combine. Pour in chicken stock, stirring as you pour. Add in potatoes and bring to a boil.
- Gently boil about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender. Add in cooked sausage, most of the bacon, heavy cream and kale. Stir and cook 5-10 minutes until kale is wilted.
- Taste and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Top with remaining bacon and enjoy!