Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana, arguably the most popular Olive Garden soup recipe, is a hearty creamy homemade soup made with spicy Italian sausage, tender potatoes and baby kale. Easy to make with step-by-step instructions for the stovetop, Instant Pot, or slow cooker.

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Why this recipe works:

• Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana: There’s a reason why everyone flocks to Olive Garden to order their Zuppa Toscana soup and endless breadsticks. They taste amazing. But what if I told you this soup was ridiculously easy to make at home, and you’d have control over the ingredients? Because of the combination of ingredients in this recipe, every bite is not only packed with flavor, but it has a fantastic combination of texture.
• Great for leftovers: Homemade soup is one of my favorite things to make when the weather turns cold. It’s served piping hot plus it’s hearty. Every bite has a little bit of everything. On top of that, this Zuppa Toscana soup always tastes better the next day and freezes well for longer storage. My kids love to take it to school in a thermos.
• Crispy bacon: I do love me some bacon in most everything, and a good homemade soup is no exception. The trick to getting the bacon flavor throughout the soup but also get to enjoy crispy pieces instead of soggy ones is to cook the soup in the same pot that the bacon was cooked in. Then, the crisp bacon is added at the very end. I also use this trick when I make my similar, but still quite different, Kale Soup with Italian Pork & White Beans.

Ingredients needed to make this recipe:

Here is a summary of ingredients with the full quantities listed in the recipe card below.

• Bacon – you can use sliced bacon or bacon ends and pieces
• Italian sausage – I make my own version by using ground pork, smoked paprika, salt, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes
• Garlic
• Onions
• Chicken broth – store bought or homemade chicken broth
• Potatoes – I prefer the smooth texture of Yukon gold
• Heavy cream
• Kale – baby kale is the most tender but you can also use any variety of chopped kale

How to make homemade Zuppa Toscana:

Here is a step-by-step summary of how to make this recipe on the stove top (my preferred method), but the directions to make it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker can be found in the recipe card below.

1. Cook bacon: Chop the bacon into small pieces and cook it in a stock pot or Dutch oven. When done, set aside bacon and discard most of the grease.
2. Cook sausage: Add the ground pork and spices, or Italian sausage if using, along with the onions to the pot. Cook until browned and crumbly. Set aside.
3. Cook potatoes: Combine the chicken broth and potatoes in the pot and cook until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add remaining ingredients: Add cooked sausage along with kale and heavy cream to the pot. Cook until heated through. Just before serving, top with crisp bacon.

Recipe tips for best results:

• Add some spice: Although this recipe is full of flavor, it is not spicy. You can increase the spice level by adding more red pepper flakes.
• Storage: Leftover soup can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for several days. For longer storage, transfer cooled soup to food safe plastic quart containers and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Reheating: Leftovers can be reheated in a pot over medium heat on the stove or in a covered dish in the microwave at 50% power in 1 minute increments.

Other favorite soup recipes:

If you love making delicious, hearty, satisfying homemade soups, you’ll definitely love these favorites.

• Hungarian Mushroom Soup
• Vegetable Beef Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Winter Minestrone Soup
• Leftover Ham Bean Soup
• Creamy Chicken Soup

Zuppa Toscana

Prep15 minutes mins

Cook45 minutes mins

Total1 hour hr

Servings 8 servings

Author Krissy Allori

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Zuppa Toscana is a hearty creamy homemade soup made with spicy Italian sausage, potatoes and baby kale. This tasty Zuppa Toscana soup recipe is a copycat version of what you would find at The Olive Garden.

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Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients 

½x1x2x

• ▢ 8 ounces bacon chopped
• ▢ 1 pound ground pork see note below about using Italian sausage as a substitute
• ▢ 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion chopped
• ▢ 10 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 3 cups yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped (about 7 potatoes)
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 4 cups fresh baby kale packed in measuring cup
• ▢ additional salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions 

Stove top directions:

• Cook bacon: In a large Dutch Oven or stock pot, cook bacon. Start over relatively high heat and gradually reduce the heat as the fat renders. When done, scoop out bacon and allow to drain on paper towel lined plate. Discard or reserve bacon grease for another use, but leave just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Cook pork: In the same pot, add ground pork, paprika, salt, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic and onion. Stir well and cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned and crumbly. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and discard any excess grease.
• Cook potatoes: Add chicken broth and potatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 -20 minutes. Add the heavy cream, cooked sausage, and kale to the pot, stir, and cook until heated through. Add additional salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve: To serve, top with cooked crisp bacon.

Instant Pot directions:

• Cook bacon: In Instant Pot on sauté mode, cook bacon. Stir frequently to promote even cooking. When done, scoop out bacon and allow to drain on paper towel lined plate. Discard or reserve bacon grease for another use, but leave just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Cook pork: Still using sauté mode, add ground pork, paprika, salt, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic and onion. Stir well and cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned and crumbly. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and discard any excess grease.
• Cook potatoes: Add chicken broth and potatoes to the Instant Pot. Close and secure lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. When done, quick release pressure and open lid. Add the heavy cream, cooked sausage, and kale to the Instant pot, stir, and cook on Keep Warm setting until heated through. Add additional salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve: To serve, top with cooked crisp bacon.

Slow Cooker Directions:

• Cook bacon: In a large Dutch Oven or stock pot, cook bacon. Start over relatively high heat and gradually reduce the heat as the fat renders. When done, scoop out bacon and allow to drain on paper towel lined plate. Discard or reserve bacon grease for another use, but leave just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Cook pork: In the same pot, add ground pork, paprika, salt, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic and onion. Stir well and cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned and crumbly. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and discard any excess grease.
• Cook potatoes: Add cooked sausage and onions along with chicken broth and potatoes to the Slow Cooker. Cook on low for 3-6 hours or high for 1-2 hours, until potatoes are tender. When done, stir in the heavy cream and kale; cook until heated through. Add additional salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve: To serve, top with cooked crisp bacon.

Notes

Bulk Italian sausage can be used in place of the ground pork, paprika, salt, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. Just use the same quantity of sausage as you would ground pork.

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 1630mg, Potassium: 1304mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 4300IU, Vitamin C: 80mg, Calcium: 151mg, Iron: 7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave me a comment below

This recipe was originally published in January 2018 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!