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!
An Easy Zuppa Toscana Recipe!
You know when you take a bite of the best food you've ever had and you just want to eat it again and again? Because a couple bite-fulls will just never be enough? That is how I feel about Zuppa Toscana.
Who doesn't love a good soup? Especially when the weather gets a bit cooler and you're looking for yummy ways to warm up yourself and your family.
And it doesn't get much better than that famous Zuppa Toscana Soup at Olive Garden. You know the one.
It's a recipe that is easy enough to serve by itself, but pair it with a yummy salad or breadsticks and you've really hit the jackpot.
Our whole household really loves this Italian Sausage Soup With Kale, and it has long been a family favorite. As copycat recipes go, this is one of the best you can possibly find.
And while we can't say this is the exact recipe you've eaten at Olive Garden (because that's top secret!), I can say that it taste very much like it to me.
So go ahead and indulge in a bowl or three of this yummy Zuppa Toscana Soup alongside a deliciously fresh salad - like this Italian Chopped Salad.
This is my favorite soup EVER.
What Does Zuppa Toscana Mean?
Zuppa Toscana literally means "soup in the style of Tuscany". Zuppa Toscana is traditionally made from kale, zucchini, cannellini beans, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, tomato and either Italian sausage or rigatino, which is a type of Italian bacon.
One of the reasons I particularly love Zuppa Toscana Soup so much has to do with the flavor. The sausage adds to the savory, meaty flavor of the broth in a way that really hits the spot. All the flavors in these simple ingredients come together to make a pot of soup that is just exceptional. Which is why we like to make (and eat) this soup pretty often.
Can I make this Copycat Zuppa Toscana in the Slow Cooker?
Yes! In fact...I was just talking about cooking with our slow cooker more and more. After schools sports and activities often mean not getting home until 8pm or even later. And then we get to start in on preparing dinner.
And that my friends, is the perfect reason to have dinner ready to go in the slow cooker so I'm not eating dinner at 9:00 in the evening!
So a few years ago I also made a copycat version of this recipe that I could cook up in my slow cooker. And I've used that recipe a ton too.
And if you want to make your life even easier, you can use these handy dandy slow cooker liners and not have to worry about clean up.
Whether you cook Zuppa Toscana in the slow cooker or on the stove top, this recipe is delicious! I can seriously eat a couple bowlfuls without thinking about it, so I have to watch myself to make sure I don't go crazy with the portions.
What To Serve With Zuppa Toscana
Adding a few bread sticks or a slice of bread or garlic toast on the side is the way to a bread-lover's heart.
Trust me - I know this. My family are huge bread lovers and sometimes we'll have garlic bread as a side and they are all fighting over the last piece.
We spent the last week driving home each night past a restaurant that we can't see but can smell...the aroma of fresh garlic bread hanging in the air as we drove by.
I finally got smart and made a slow cooker spaghetti sauce and meatballs and asked my husband to heat up the garlic bread and make pasta noodles while we were on our drive home last night.
And that was perfect because dinner was almost ready when we got home AND we got our garlic bread craving taken care of.
One of our favorite choices to go with this soup is our copycat Restaurant Style Bread Sticks -YUM! And Olive Garden is famous for their breadsticks too, so it's super fitting.
Or maybe some Rosemary Bread. This Copycat Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread is another one of our favorite recipes. It is a great side for so many meals and by far the most popular bread recipe on the blog!
You might as well make an extra loaf of bread while you're at it...this bread can go quick. Seriously- this is one of our family's favorite easy bread recipes.
Making Memories with Favorite Recipes
Do you have recipes that your family likes to eat again and again? Those recipes probably have some great memories to go along with them. I know ours sure do.
For Zuppa Toscana, and whichever bread we serve up alongside it, it conjures up memories of going out to eat with my son for lunch...just the two of us. We would always order the same exact thing, until more recent years when he switched up his order to Fettuccine Alfredo along with a bowl of soup.
Either way, it brings up memories of our fun lunch dates. And of course, lunch dates typically involved shopping trips too. Fun times!
Is Kale Good For You?
You better believe it. Kale is amazing for you! Kale is a superfood, and this soup is a super delicious way to prepare it. Eating kale has been shown to reduce cholesterol, reduce risk of cancer, and even to help detoxify the body.
In fact, we're seeing kale pop up in recipes everywhere. Like the yummy Kale and Blueberry Salad we whipped up.
Kale can be used in so many recipes. Try it in salads, toss some in with a smoothie or add it to some cooked spinach. A lot of people even even eat kale chips. Seriously - if you haven't tried kale chips, you're missing out.
It is such a good idea to have multiple ways to eat this healthy for you ingredient. Kale is so full of health benefits.
Zuppa Toscana is a gentle foray into the world of kale. The fat in the soup will actually help your body absorb the important nutrients found in this green.
And if that's not a glowing recommendation for a recipe with some fat in it... I don't know what is. Eat your greens. Eat your soup. Love your body.
A Winning Soup Recipe!
Soup recipes abound the internet, and a few are worth saving and making repeatedly. This is one of those soup recipes.
The aroma of Zuppa Toscana cooking is fantastic. And, it's a welcoming scent to my kids and husband alike when they come home from a long day. Especially a chilly day.
I am so fortunate to be able to work from home. And, while that doesn't mean I have endless time on my hands to be doing chores and making lavish meals-- trust me, I don't have that kind of time - it does mean that when I'm able to I can toss some ingredients into the slow cooker in the middle of the day.
I count 15-20 minutes spent on meal prep during the middle of the day as a time-savings for later in the evening. It all works itself out.
Family Favorite Soup Recipes
When it comes to soup recipes, this one is a family favorite.
Not only is this Zuppa Toscana Soup absolutely FULL of amazing flavor, it contains kale, which is great for digestion and a super food to boot! You'll love this Zuppa Toscana recipe served up alongside a plate of Italian Chopped Salad for the perfect soup and salad combination.
In fact...whenever we go out to lunch at Olive Garden, that is almost always what we order. We just can't help ourselves.
That taste! Yum!
Copycat Recipes are Like Dining Out at Home
I love eating out as much as the next person. Sometimes it's easier to just grab takeout or stop at a restaurant.
However, it is so much more fulfilling to make dinner from scratch and know exactly what you're putting into your body. It also is a great way to be able to tweak a recipe here or there and make it healthier for your family. That's why I love making restaurant copycat recipes so much.
Sometimes when I make Zuppa Toscana Soup, I add in some extra kale so I know my family is getting more of that nutritious ingredient. Or, if I'm trying to cut down on the fat, I might substitute the heavy cream for half and half.
See, simple things like that are possible to do when you're cooking from scratch at home. However, those are requests that you really can't make at a restaurant.
Don't forget to savor the flavor when you dish up a delicious bowl of Zuppa. It's good, but you don't want it to be gone in a minute. Zuppa Toscana is worth taking leisurely bites. It's kind of like taking a stroll versus a jog.
You want to enjoy the journey to your destination, not have it hurry on by.
And Zuppa Toscana is certainly worth a leisurely indulgence. It is worth savoring every single bite.
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.
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!