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    Home » Copycat Recipes

    Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup

    Updated: Oct 20, 2022 · Published: Jan 3, 2019 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    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!

    olive garden soup best ever recipe copycat

    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.

    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 dish of delicious 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 really adds to the meaty flavor of the broth in a way that really hits the spot. All the flavors in this selection of seemingly simple ingredients come together and make a pot of soup that is exceptional.

    And that is something you really can't beat. Which is why we like to make (and eat) this soup pretty often. In fact, a few years ago I also made a copycat version of the recipe that I could cook up in my slow cooker.

    Of course, one of the reasons I LOVE to cook it in the slow cooker is because I can use handy dandy slow cooker liners and not have to worry about clean up. At all.

    And I've used that recipe a ton too.

    Copycat Zuppa Toscana in white bowl
    The slow cooker version - recipe here!

    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.

    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.

    And, seriously folks--we're all busy. Like super busy. So, you better believe that I've cooked Zuppa Toscana about a gazillion times in my slow cooker.

    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 because currently we don't all get back to the house until around 7 pm each night during the week.

    Club sports after school mean a 30 minute commute right after school (which seriously isn't bad), followed by a two hour practice and then the 30 minute drive back home.

    But, sports are so worth it. Especially for teenagers.

    I love seeing how involved my son is with his new group of friends that he's met through soccer. And the kids come from all over, so a few here and there go to school together, but she is meeting kids that go to several different schools and they are all becoming fast friends.

    Which means, sometimes they linger after practice because they are trying to finish a conversation that they had to put on hold during the actual practice. And that means we get a later start on our drive home and an even later start on dinner.

    And now I'm rambling. But that my friends, is the perfect reason to have dinner ready to go in the slow cooker so I'm not making dinner at 8:00 in the evening!

    white soup with sausage and kale in brown bowl

    To make this recipe in the slow cooker, just prep everything through step 5 in the recipe card below. Then dump all the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

    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.

    breadsticks on white parchment paper

    Or maybe some Rosemary Bread. This Copycat Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread is 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 favorite 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!

    bread dough on baking sheet with parchment paper
    Rosemary Bread to go along with Zuppa Toscana - recipe here.

    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 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.

    kale salad with blueberries and almonds in white bowl

    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.

    zuppa toscana soup being served in brown bowl

    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
    olive garden soup best ever recipe copycat

    Zuppa Toscana Soup (Copycat Olive Garden Recipe!)

    All She Cooks
    Obsessed with Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup? Make your own version at home with this easy copycat recipe. Soup's up!
    4.8 from 40 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Soups
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 472 kcal

    Equipment

    • baking sheet
    • large soup pot

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 pound Italian sausage
    • 5 to 7 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
    • pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Using a baking sheet, crumble the sausage.
    • Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake until no longer pink, bout 30 minutes.
    • Drain fat and grease off using paper towels.
    • Fry or bake the bacon and crumble into small pieces.
    • Slice the potatoes between ⅛ inch and ¼ inch, making the slices 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 into smaller bite sized pieces because they are so tender, turn the heat to low and add in the kale and heavy cream.
    • Let the soup heat through and serve.
    • Adapted from this recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 472kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 14gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 546mgPotassium: 855mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2259IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword how to make copycat Zuppa Toscana Soup, olive garden zuppa toscana soup, zuppa toscana
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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Peg

      October 02, 2016 at 10:24 pm

      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!

      Reply
    2. Lina

      April 24, 2017 at 8:21 pm

      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.

      Reply
    3. Erin Henry

      May 07, 2017 at 1:40 pm

      Hi, the directions are gone. I see the ingredients, but not the recipe anymore. Please help?

      Reply
      • Jessica McCoy

        May 08, 2017 at 4:08 pm

        Ingredients are listed at the bottom with the recipe. There was a plugin error that has been corrected. Sorry!

        Reply
    4. Donna P

      June 22, 2017 at 8:54 pm

      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!!

      Reply
      • Janie H

        September 13, 2017 at 6:25 pm

        I'm going to try spinach next time.

        Reply
        • Gloria Obermoller

          March 17, 2018 at 2:34 pm

          Spinach is great in this recipe!

          Reply
        • Lynnz

          January 15, 2019 at 5:09 pm

          I made this soup with spinach it is amazing!! We love this soup!!!
          All time turn to soup!!
          Thank you
          Lynnz

          Reply
    5. Janie H

      September 13, 2017 at 6:23 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is so good. I always double it. I need to buy a bigger pot! Lol

      Reply
    6. Alison

      September 20, 2017 at 11:19 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Jessica McCoy

        September 20, 2017 at 12:29 pm

        Sounds delicious!

        Reply
    7. Katherine Heron

      September 28, 2017 at 8:15 pm

      5 stars
      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!!

      Reply
      • Jessica McCoy

        September 29, 2017 at 10:05 am

        Yummy!

        Reply
    8. Lori

      October 10, 2017 at 9:29 pm

      5 stars
      I put fresh spinach in mine instead of kale. Turned out great.

      Reply
      • Jessica McCoy

        October 12, 2017 at 2:00 pm

        That sounds great!

        Reply
    9. Helen Hollenbeck

      October 15, 2017 at 2:08 pm

      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.

      Reply
    10. TeAnne

      October 19, 2017 at 8:54 pm

      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!

      Reply
    11. Debbie. Bingham

      December 04, 2017 at 4:16 pm

      Awesome soup,,

      Reply
    12. Kels

      December 09, 2017 at 9:53 pm

      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.

      Reply
    13. Donna

      February 04, 2018 at 10:33 am

      Recipe is definitely a winner!

      Reply
    14. Korey Schwerd

      March 27, 2018 at 8:38 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect and easy!

      Reply
    15. Marc

      August 26, 2018 at 7:05 pm

      5 stars
      Very very good! The perfect amount of ingredients!

      Reply
    16. Nicole

      September 22, 2018 at 6:25 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    17. Alyssa

      September 22, 2018 at 7:04 pm

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Jessica McCoy

        November 06, 2018 at 1:17 pm

        Maybe add the kale a little bit earlier on the stove top so it has time to wilt more?

        Reply
    18. Rebecca

      October 08, 2018 at 5:20 am

      Can you freeze this soup if there’s left overs.

      Reply
    19. Jennifer

      October 11, 2018 at 6:10 pm

      5 stars
      I like spicy stuff so I used spicy chorizo sausage. It was great!

      Reply
    20. Shelley

      December 05, 2018 at 8:33 pm

      5 stars
      I love it! I substituted turkey!

      Reply
    21. Bea

      December 28, 2018 at 11:08 am

      Can you use half & half in place of the heavy cream?

      Reply
      • Jessica McCoy

        January 07, 2019 at 2:16 pm

        Yes, you can!

        Reply
    22. Michael

      December 30, 2018 at 6:14 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Jessica McCoy

        January 07, 2019 at 2:16 pm

        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.

        Reply
    23. Punam Paul

      January 09, 2019 at 7:16 am

      This is the best Zuppa Toscana soup I have prepared ever with the help of this recipe. Thanks a lot.

      Reply
    24. Susan

      January 15, 2019 at 3:29 pm

      Can u freeze leftovers

      Reply
    25. Jennifer

      January 22, 2019 at 4:21 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this recipe a few times now. I use hot chorizo sausage instead. It is amazing! And yes spicy!

      Reply
    26. Ana

      January 24, 2019 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      I made some times with spinach , kale is good too. I have to double because never is enough. So good!

      Reply
    27. Lisa wagner

      March 10, 2019 at 11:24 am

      Hi. Where is the slow cooker version of this soup located? Thanks

      Reply
    28. Lisa

      September 09, 2020 at 8:05 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply

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    Nicole is a recipe developer, food photographer, and published cookbook author. At All She Cooks, she shares simple recipes to make every day a little bit more delicious. About Us →


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