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.
How to Make Zuppa Toscana in the Slow Cooker
This soup also works beautifully in a crockpot, which makes it a great option for busy weeknights when you want dinner ready and waiting when everyone gets home. Here's how to adapt it:
- Brown the meat first. Cook the sausage and chopped bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking the sausage into small pieces. Once the meat is mostly cooked, add the onion and garlic and let them soften for a couple of minutes.
- Load the slow cooker. Transfer the meat mixture to the slow cooker, then add the potatoes, chicken broth, water, and red pepper flakes.
- Cook. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
- Finish with kale and cream. Stir in the kale and heavy cream, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 1-2 hours on low. Then switch the slow cooker to warm until you're ready to serve.
Browning the meat on the stove first is worth the extra pan — it builds much more flavor than adding raw sausage to the crockpot, and it lets you drain off excess grease so the broth doesn't turn greasy over the long cook time. A slow cooker liner makes cleanup even easier.
Love kale? Our slow cooker version has always been extra heavy on the greens. Feel free to double the kale to 3-4 cups if you want a heartier, more nutrient-packed bowl than the restaurant version.
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.
Karen says
I have never actually had Kale - does it have a taste similiar to any other veggie out there that I could compare it to - to no if I might like it?
Ms. Lee says
I absolutely love kale and this sound delicious, can't wait to try it. I wonder if there's anyway to substitute something for the heavy cream though...
Talina says
Our family has a lot of dairy sensitivities and we always just use soy or almond milk in place of the cream. My mom likes to use vanilla soy milk (sweeter flavor, more similar to cream) and I tend to just use unsweetened almond milk, because it is what I have on hand. We've never noticed a big taste change and it is still a family favorite, even with my milk-loving, picky husband 🙂
Jessica McCoy says
Talina- That sounds like a great alternative! And your husband sounds like mine... I don't think I could get him away from milk and have to pry my son's whole milk away from my hubs. 😉
Linda says
This looks delicious! I am yet to try anything with kale 🙂 thank you for sharing at our ALL MY BLOGGY FRIENDS party !
Jessica says
Thanks Linda! You totally have to try kale. I just made a veggie lasagna with kale- yummy!
Paula says
Thanks for joining us at Saturday Dishes, Pinned to Saturday Dishes board ~ Paula
Jessica says
Thanks Paula!! You rock. 😉
Lori Who Needs A Cape? says
I'll definitely be trying! 🙂
Lori
Whoneedsacape.com
Not Your Average Super Moms!
Ryan says
WOW! This recipe is on the MONEY! I prefer the extra kale, as I am always wondering "why don't they put more green stuff in here?" I had some chicken stock from a bird I slow-cooked weeks back. Everything worked well. I placed the pot on HIGH heat for the last 1-2 hours just to tender up the kale.
My only suggestion is to pair it with fresh-bkaed Ciabatta bread; slightly toasted!
Cant wait for more.
Jessica says
Thanks Ryan. Paring with Ciabatta bread sounds fab!
Dave says
I have to give many thanks for this recipe.
I have always loved Olive Garden's Zuppa.
My amazing wife found this and the entire family loves it!
Well, my kids are allergic to all dairy, so they have it without the heavy cream - and it's still awesome.
Thank you, thank you, thank you 😉
- One happy guy named Dave
Barbie says
I'm making it right now and it smells so good it's driving me crazy cause I have another 3 hours to go before its done.
Jessica says
Barbie- I'm hoping you're not in the same time zone as me or you're going to be having dinner late tonight! But... you're making me want to cook this again soon. One of our favorite soup meals.
Morningstar says
I bought Kale with the intention of making this soup, however it's taken me a week to get around to making it 🙁 My Kale is wilted, do you think it would still be fine in the soup?
Morningstar says
I was most concerned with it being bitter, but it was just fine (only some of the leaves in the bunch were wilted). Turned out amazing, thanks so much for the recipe! We are dairy free so I substituted almond/cashew "cream" and you couldn't tell the difference! Also added tsp. fennel. I used to work at Olive Garden years ago and I would have to say your recipe is spot on!
Anh says
Do I have to cook the sausage and the bacon? can I just dump everything in the crockpot and let it cook that way? as you can see, I am extremely lazy =)
Jessica McCoy says
Ha! 🙂 I have my lazy days too and I SO wish it were that easy. Yes, you'll need to brown the sausage and the bacon prior to putting them in the crockpot. But it's SO worth it. 😉
katy says
I'm veryyyy excited to make this tonight! Thank you!
Natalie says
I just made this last night and it was fantastic! Just like the restaurant version! It was so good that I had two huge bowls. Afterward, I felt a bit queasy because I'm not used to having so much creamy wonderfulness in my diet. Since I'll never be able to eat just one bowl of this soup, I'm going to try to cut the cream amount in half to see if that helps to allow me to continue to be a soup glutton.
Thanks again for a fantastic recipe! I'm going to check out your other recipes now!
Jessica McCoy says
I'm so glad it was such a big hit! I've made it with milk before instead of heavy cream, and it was nearly the same... just not quite as rich.
Me Be says
Hi, I am wondering is there a place I can find the nutritional value on this recipe?
Jessica McCoy says
Hi there! Sorry, I'm not currently using a recipe plugin that analyzes nutritional value. I am considering changing to one.
Roberta Skrypak says
I made this today and it is fantastic! I just love the fact that kale is the green portion of it. I made so much , I was just wondering if it would freeze well? I would love it this coming week end for visiting family. Thanks for this great recipe!
Jessica McCoy says
Hi Roberta- This wouldn't be my first pick of recipes to freeze with all the dairy in it, and then the cooked kale also. I think it would be much better fresh. Luckily it doesn't take long to prepare!
Charity says
Your recipe calls for hot sausage. Is it spicy? My kids will not eat spicy foods, but I really want to try this.
Jessica McCoy says
I used hot sausage, but you don't have too. The soup is not really spicy when using hot sausage, but I guess it might be to some people. Maybe use 1/2 hot sausage and 1/2 regular to see how your kids do for that.
Katie G says
I can't wait to make this Xmas eve. I'm hosting 16 people though, so want to double the recipe. How much additional cooking time do you think I'll need?? Thanks!
Jessica McCoy says
I'm not sure if it would fit in a crockpot to double it... you might need to use two. 😉 As far as additional cooking time, if you have a large enough crockpot to cook it all together, I don't think it would require much if any extra cooking time.
Barb says
Have you tried making this with got Italian turkey sausage? Just curious if it would be as good, looking to take out some of the fat! Thanks 🙂
Jessica McCoy says
I have not tried it with Italian turkey sausage. I think it would taste great but not sure if the meat would have the same consistency... however, with it being in a soup it probably wouldn't make a big difference!
Brandy Nelson says
This looks absolutely fabulous! I always order this, and now I must try making it at home. This would be amazing in a bread bowl with a nice salad on the side!
Erin says
This looks absolutely delicious! Thanks! I think I have something on the menu for next week! Pinning!
Cathy says
Thanks for sharing at the Happiness Is Homemade Link Party! Pinning to the party board and can't wait to see what happiness posts you share next week! Have a terrific week!
Cathy
APeekIntoMyParadise.com
Cathy says
Thank you for linking up at Tasty Tuesdays! Your post has been pinned to my Recipes from Tasty Tuesday board. I can't wait to see what you link up next week!
Have a terrific weekend!
Cathy
APeekIntoMyParadise.com
#TastyTuesdays
Kyle says
Made the soup and it was absolutely delicious!
Viv says
Love soup! This looks absolutely delicious and easy to make. Can't wait to try the recipe.
Marie Benici says
This recipe is AMAZING! The Zuppa Toscana is my fave soup at the OG but there isn't one close to where we live. I didn't have italian sausage so substituted ground turkey and put tons of red pepper flakes and dried oregano. SO GOOD! Almost exactly like the one from the restaurants. Now I don't have to drive halfway across the state to get my fave soup. I'm so glad I found your blog!!!! Ciao!
Jessica McCoy says
Thanks so much Marie! I'm glad you liked it and love your spin on ground turkey, red pepper flakes and dried oregano. Clever!
Pam says
I have never bought kale. Do you just buy it fresh and chop it up? Does it come chopped in stores? Broth is ok to use, right?
Thanks!
Jessica McCoy says
Yes, you buy it fresh. It does come chopped up at some stores. Broth or stock- either is good. 😉 Enjoy!
Brenda says
I am curious, what size crockpot did you use to make this in? I have a fairly large one, and I am wanting to make sure it won't be too big to cook these times?
Joy @ Joy Love Food says
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend? I hope you will join us again this Monday morning 🙂
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!!!
dolly B says
can I use broccoli instead of kale
Jessica McCoy says
You could. I've never made it like that so I'm not sure of the taste, but let me know how you like it!
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!
Susan R says
Never seen bacon in Zuppa Toscana Soup....I don't use it. The Italian sausage is what makes this soup! You should remove the sausage and drain it.
I use fresh spinach in mine and also regular Italian sausage, not hot. Add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Gives it great flavor. Sometimes the kale can be tough. Don't make it in a slow cooker either. Seems like it would make your potatoes too soft and cook up too much. Spinach is the last thing I add. My version.....try It! THANKS
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
Gina Droege says
Can you use chunks of cauliflower instead of potato?
Jessica McCoy says
I've never tried it, but that would be interesting!
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!