This copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe is a quick and easy one-pot meal that tastes just like the restaurant version. It’s made with tender potatoes, bacon, Italian sausage, and kale in a creamy, flavorful broth.
For a real treat, serve with my Olive Garden Breadsticks, or your favorite dinner rolls. Or, for a slightly different version made with spinach, you can try my Tuscan Soup. Looking for more Olive Garden soups? This copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup is another favorite.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
Besides the breadsticks, Zuppa Toscana just might be the most loved item from the Olive Garden menu. It’s crazy delicious, made with creamy broth, tender potatoes, kale, Italian sausage, and bacon. And now you can enjoy it at home, because I swear this recipe tastes exactly like the real thing.
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You’ll only need one-pot, a handful of ingredients, and maybe also this Olive Garden Breadsticks recipe. It’s the perfect dinner for chilly nights at home, and one that my family asks for over and over.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hearty and delicious. No one will leave the table hungry with this soup! It’s loaded with sausage, bacon, and veggies in a creamy broth.
- It tastes just like the Olive Garden! I mean it, too. It is so close. But best of all, you can adapt it if you want.
- It’s an easy one-pot recipe. One pot equals less mess, which is always a dinnertime win in my book.
Key Ingredients You Will Need
- Bacon – bacon adds loads of savory flavor to the entire soup. Pancetta is another great (and authentic) substitute for bacon if you prefer.
- Italian Sausage – if you like spicy, go for hot Italian sausage. Otherwise you can use mild.
- Onion and garlic – the onion and garlic are one of the first layers of flavor in this soup. There is a lot of garlic, but because it cooks for so long you don’t notice it being overly garlicky so I recommend using the full amount.
- Potatoes – I like to use Yukon gold potatoes for this soup because they hold up well to longer periods of simmering and have a super creamy texture. You can either peel or leave the skins on—it’s totally up to you! The potatoes help to slightly thicken the broth as they cook, too.
- Heavy Cream – this is what helps keep the broth super creamy! You can also substitute evaporated milk.
- Kale – strip the kale from the stems of each leaf and chop well. I love kale in soup because it holds up so well as it cooks. You could also substitute baby spinach.
How to Make Zuppa Toscana
- Cook the bacon. Dice bacon and cook over medium heat until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the pot and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- Cook the onion, garlic, and sausage. In the same pot, add the minced onion and cook until golden brown—about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté until tender and slightly golden brown—about 2 more minutes. Next, add the ground sausage and cook until it is no longer pink.
- Simmer. Once the sausage is cooked, add chicken broth and raw potato chunks. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add the heavy cream. Once the potatoes are cooked, stir in the heavy cream and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the chopped kale and cook until bright green and tender.
- To serve: garnish with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Recipe Substitutions and Tips
- Instead of heavy cream you can substitute evaporated milk. Both help to make this super extra creamy.
- Make this a more authentic version and add cannellini beans to the soup. They have a creamy texture and almost buttery flavor that is super delicious with the sausage and creamy broth.
- Make it vegetarian by substituting veggie broth, skipping the bacon and sausage, and adding cannellini beans instead.
Storage Instructions
- Storing leftovers: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: store completely cooled soup in freezer bags for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
- To reheat: put soup into a Dutch oven or sauce pot and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
More You’ll Love
This copycat recipe for Zuppa Toscana tastes just as creamy, flavorful, and delicious as the Olive Garden version. It’s loaded with Italian sausage, potatoes, kale, and bacon in a creamy broth.
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Zuppa Toscana Soup
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon , cut into 1/2" chunks
- 1 cup onion, minced (white or yellow)
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 pound Italian sausage, ground
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4" pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups kale, chopped into 1" chunks
Soup Toppings
- 1/4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the bacon chunks and cook on medium heat until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the pot and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- In the same pot, add the minced onion and cook until golden brown—about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté until tender and slightly golden brown—about 2 more minutes. Next, add the ground sausage and cook until it is no longer pink.
- Once the sausage is cooked, add chicken broth and raw potato chunks. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, stir in the heavy cream and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the chopped kale and cook until bright green and tender.
- To serve, garnish with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
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