Obsessed with Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup? So is the rest of the world. And now you can make your own version at home with this easy copycat recipe. Soup's up!
This copycat version comes together on the stove top in about half an hour, and it's easy enough to serve on its own — though pair it with a fresh salad or a basket of breadsticks and you've really hit the jackpot. We can't say this is the exact recipe served at Olive Garden, since that's top secret, but it tastes remarkably close.
What Does Zuppa Toscana Mean?
Zuppa Toscana literally means "soup in the style of Tuscany." It's traditionally made from kale, zucchini, cannellini beans, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, tomato, and either Italian sausage or rigatino, a type of Italian bacon. In this copycat version, the sausage adds a savory, meaty depth to the broth that makes the whole pot taste far more indulgent than the short ingredient list would suggest.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Italian sausage — mild or spicy both work well; this is what gives the broth its savory backbone.
- Kale — the traditional green here. Baby spinach can stand in if that's what you have on hand, though it wilts faster, so add it a few minutes later.
- Potatoes — russet or Yukon gold both hold up well simmered in the broth.
- Heavy cream — what gives the broth its signature richness. Half and half works as a lighter substitute if you want to cut back on the fat.
- Chicken broth, onion, and garlic — the aromatic base the rest of the soup builds on.
Helpful Tips
Brown the sausage first and leave a little of the rendered fat in the pot — that's where a lot of the soup's flavor comes from before the vegetables and broth even go in.
Add the kale toward the end of cooking rather than at the start. It only needs a few minutes to wilt down, and adding it too early leaves it overcooked and dull instead of bright green.
Stir in the heavy cream at the very end, off the heat or over low heat, and avoid letting the soup boil hard afterward — cream-based broths can separate if they cook too fast once the dairy is in.
Prefer a slow cooker? We've also got a slow cooker version of this recipe that's just as easy, and handy if you want dinner ready to go on a busy weeknight. A set of slow cooker liner makes cleanup even easier.
Variations
- Use spicy Italian sausage instead of mild for a soup with more heat.
- Swap the kale for baby spinach or Swiss chard.
- Add extra kale, or an extra vegetable like diced zucchini, to work more greens into the pot.
- Substitute half and half for the heavy cream for a lighter version.
- Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little more kick in the broth.
Is Kale Good For You?
Kale is considered a superfood, and this soup is a genuinely delicious way to work more of it into your week. It's been linked to lower cholesterol and has detoxifying properties, and it shows up in all kinds of recipes beyond soup — try it in a Cauliflower Kale Salad, or baked into kale chips. The fat in this soup's broth actually helps your body absorb more of kale's nutrients, so it's a genuinely good pairing beyond just flavor.
What To Serve With Zuppa Toscana
A basket of warm bread is the natural partner for this soup. Our copycat Restaurant Style Breadsticks are a favorite — and fittingly so, since Olive Garden is just as famous for its breadsticks as its soup.
Our Copycat Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread is another favorite alongside this soup — it's by far the most popular bread recipe on the blog, and it's worth making an extra loaf, because it goes fast. A fresh Italian Chopped Salad rounds things out nicely too, for the classic soup-and-salad combination.
Storing & Freezing
Leftover Zuppa Toscana keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally, so the cream-based broth doesn't separate.
This soup can be frozen, but cream-based broths sometimes separate slightly in the freezer and turn a little grainy once thawed. If you're planning to freeze a batch, it works best to hold back the cream, freeze the soup base, and stir the cream in fresh after reheating.
More Recipes Like Copycat Zuppa Toscana Soup
If you love this Copycat Zuppa Toscana Soup, you'll want to check out these other delicious soup recipes:
- Slow Cooker Potato Soup with Tuscan Sausage
- Easy Keto Soup with Sausage, Peppers, and Spinach
- Poor Man's Soup
- Chili's Copycat Southwest Chicken Soup
Recipe
Zuppa Toscana Soup (Copycat Olive Garden Recipe!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 5 slices bacon
- 5 russet potatoes medium
- 2 cups kale fresh, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups water
- 28 oz chicken broth
- ½ onion large, diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Crumble the sausage onto a baking sheet. Bake the sausage until it is no longer pink, about 30 minutes.
- Drain the fat and grease off the bacon using paper towels.
- Prepare the bacon. You can either pan fry or bake the bacon, according to your own preference. Crumble bacon into small pieces.
- Cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces, about ⅛ inch to ¼ inch, making the pieces all about the same size so they cook evenly.
- Using a large pot, toss the potatoes, onion, garlic, chicken broth, and water in together and cook on medium heat until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Add the sausage, bacon, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.
- When the potatoes start breaking apart because they are so tender, turn the heat to low and stir in the kale and heavy cream.
- Let the soup heat through and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
Peg says
The soup is delicious but next time I would lower the red pepper flakes to 1/2 tsp as it was very spicy. Otherwise, the soup was great!
Linda says
I use the hot Italian sausage and no pepper flakes. Perfect.
Donna A Pollock says
Me too I used The Spicy Hot Italian Sausage myself The Soup was perfect!!!
Lina says
I made this tonight and it was awesome!! I cut the red pepper down to a 1/2 t. and it was still a bit spicy but very good. Will make it again.
Erin Henry says
Hi, the directions are gone. I see the ingredients, but not the recipe anymore. Please help?
Jessica McCoy says
Ingredients are listed at the bottom with the recipe. There was a plugin error that has been corrected. Sorry!
Donna P says
Made this soup tonight for dinner. Absolutely delicious!! I didn't have Kale on hand, so used frozen chopped Spinich instead and it was just so good, will definitely make this again!!
Janie H says
I'm going to try spinach next time.
Gloria Obermoller says
Spinach is great in this recipe!
Lynnz says
I made this soup with spinach it is amazing!! We love this soup!!!
All time turn to soup!!
Thank you
Lynnz
Janie H says
This recipe is so good. I always double it. I need to buy a bigger pot! Lol
Alison says
I love this recipe and make it a little more carb friendly by adding drained beans such as cannelini or great northern in lieu of potatoes - more protein and fiber. Still awesome!
Jessica McCoy says
Sounds delicious!
Katherine Heron says
I added mushrooms and used coffee cream instead of whipping cream (obviously not quite the same but it's what I had on hand) and it was delicious!!
Jessica McCoy says
Yummy!
Lori says
I put fresh spinach in mine instead of kale. Turned out great.
Jessica McCoy says
That sounds great!
Helen Hollenbeck says
I used turkey sausage, used 48 ounces chicken broth-no water, added large chicken bouillon, used spinach, not kale and evaporated milk rather than cream. A little healthier but still incredible. Also a teaspoon of herbs de Provence and only a small pinch of pepper flakes.
TeAnne says
We had this for dinner and it's good! We cut the 2 tsp red pepper flakes to 1 tsp and it was way too spicy for our crowd. I will definitely start with 1/4 to 1/2 tap next time. I added shitaki mushrooms, a little celery, and fresh thyme leaves. Delicious!
Debbie. Bingham says
Awesome soup,,
Kels says
Big hit with the boyfriend.
I like the idea of adding mushrooms that everyone had in the comments. I will be doing that next time.
It was way too spicy. I will be doing a pinch of crushed red next time. Considering the Italian sausage is already spicy.
Donna says
Recipe is definitely a winner!
Korey Schwerd says
Perfect and easy!
Marc says
Very very good! The perfect amount of ingredients!
Nicole says
My son HATES potatoes and very willingly ate this soup! Husband got lots of compliments at work as well. I had to make this recipe toddler-friendly so I left out everything spicy and simply added the chilies to my bowl. It still tasted great. Thanks for the new family favourite!
Alyssa says
The recipe was delicious. I made it in the stove too. The only issue I had with this recipe is the kale is still a little chewey. I wonder if you could sauté it before you throw it in the soup and it would help? When I made this soup in the crock pot the kale was perfect.
Jessica McCoy says
Maybe add the kale a little bit earlier on the stove top so it has time to wilt more?
Rebecca says
Can you freeze this soup if there’s left overs.
Jennifer says
I like spicy stuff so I used spicy chorizo sausage. It was great!
Shelley says
I love it! I substituted turkey!
Bea says
Can you use half & half in place of the heavy cream?
Jessica McCoy says
Yes, you can!
Michael says
Please put the recipe at the top or near the top. You added a lot of extra talking and reading to this. I love the enthusiasm but sheesh.
Jessica McCoy says
Thanks for the feedback. My recipes are always located near the bottom of the post. You're welcome to scroll through the post to get to the recipe, but ad revenue is how I'm able to work to provide recipes for my audience.
Punam Paul says
This is the best Zuppa Toscana soup I have prepared ever with the help of this recipe. Thanks a lot.
Susan says
Can u freeze leftovers
Jennifer says
I have made this recipe a few times now. I use hot chorizo sausage instead. It is amazing! And yes spicy!
Ana says
I made some times with spinach , kale is good too. I have to double because never is enough. So good!
Lisa wagner says
Hi. Where is the slow cooker version of this soup located? Thanks
Lisa says
Wonderful soup!
I cooked it all on stove top and combined all ingredients together after cooking sausage and bacon. I think the longer soups simmer altogether the better the flavor!! So glad I found this recipe, thanks a bunch!