Zuppa Toscana – Olive Garden Copycat (VIDEO)
Zuppa Toscana is Olive Garden’s most popular soup. This one-pot, homemade Zuppa Toscana recipe is hearty and loaded with Italian sausage, kale, bacon and potatoes.
Some of our most popular recipes are restaurant copycat recipes like Creamy Shrimp Pasta and of course Chicken Madeira! You can make it better at home for a fraction of the price!
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Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe:
We love re-creating restaurant quality soups at home like our popular Clam Chowder Recipe. My sister Tanya taught me how to make this Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana and it has been a family and reader favorite since we first published it in 2010. We have since made it heartier and more flavorful. The classic just got better!
What is Zuppa Toscana?
Zuppa means soup and Toscana means Tuscan. Tuscan Soup! It is classically made with kale, potatoes, onion, and garlic then served topped with cheese.
Is Zuppa Toscana Spicy?
We use “Hot” Italian sauce which does give this soup a spicy kick but you can substitute with medium or mild Italian sausage and make a less spicy version then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Do I really need 1 HEAD of Garlic?
YES! We used a full head of garlic (about 10 large cloves). Do not skip the fresh garlic. Garlic gives the broth incredible and authentic Italian flavor. Since the garlic is sautéed, then simmered with the broth, it doesn’t overwhelm the soup. Garlic is also very good for you (a super food)!
Is Zuppa Toscana Healthy?
This soup is naturally gluten free and grain free. To make a Keto-friendly Zuppa Toscana, you can substitute potatoes with cauliflower.
For Whole 30 (dairy free), substitute the heavy whipping cream for 1 can of full fat unsweetened coconut milk (using the solid white cream portion only and adding it at the very end just to heat through).
More Copycat Recipes from Restaurants:
These recipes are inspired by some of our favorite restaurant dishes. In every case, we loved the homemade version even better because of higher quality ingredients, healthier fats (olive oil), less salt and of course a lower bill!
- Beet Salad with Arugula – Cheesecake Factory inspired
- Stuffed Chicken Parmesan – ridiculously easy dinner idea
- Filet Mignon – read the reviews and plan a date night in
- Chicken Mango Avocado Salad – you’ll love the dressing here
- Chicken Stir Fry – so saucy and healthier than takeout
Watch How to Make Zuppa Toscana:
Now wasn’t that easy? Serve topped with crispy bacon, extra cheese and generous slices of crusty French Bread. I hope this Zuppa Toscana becomes a favorite in your home as well.
Zuppa Toscana - Olive Garden Copycat
Homemade Zuppa Toscana is loaded with Italian sausage, bacon, kale and potatoes. Learn how to make Zuppa Toscana soup as made popular by Olive Garden!
Ingredients
- 6 oz bacon chopped
- 1 lb Italian Sausage The "Hot" variety
- 1 medium head garlic 10 large cloves, peeled and minced or pressed
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 4 cups chicken broth/stock (32 oz)
- 6 cups water (48 oz)
- 5 medium russet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/4" thick pieces
- 1 kale bundle leaves stripped and chopped (6 cups)
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese to serve optional
Instructions
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In a large pot or dutch oven (5.5 qt), over medium-high heat, add chopped bacon and sauté until browned (5-7 mins). Remove to a paper-towel lined plate and spoon out excess oil, leaving about 1 Tbsp oil in the pot.
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Add Italian sausage, breaking it up with your spatula and sauté until cooked through (5 min). Remove to paper towel lined plate.
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Finely dice onion and add to the pot. Saute 5 min or until soft and golden then add minced garlic and saute 1 min.
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Add 4 cups broth and 6 cups water, and bring to boil. Add sliced potatoes and cook 13-14 min or until easily pierced with a fork.
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When potatoes nearly done, add chopped kale and cooked sausage and bring everything to a light boil.
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Stir in 1 cup cream and bring to boil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then remove from heat. Garnish with bacon and grated parmesan.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Pasta e Fagioli (Olive Garden Copycat) 
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe 
Clam Chowder Recipe (VIDEO) 
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (VIDEO) 
Chicken Pot Pie Soup (VIDEO) 
Kale Salad Recipe with Honey Lemon Dressing 
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha, I absolutely loved the soup I think it was an amazing recipe and it wasn’t that hard for my first time making it! Thank you!!!
Hello Victoria, so nice to see your review. I’m glad you enjoyed making this recipe, thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Can you substitute half and half ? Don’t have whipping cream
Hi Pamela, you can use half whipping cream and half whole milk.
Hi Natasha
I made this soup for dinner and I was amazed of how good it was. Also it was easy to follow your video with the instructions, you always make it very easy. I wasn’t a good cook before but now with your recipes I’m always making something different and my family thinks I’m a professional chef lol.
Hi Ena, that’s great feedback. Thank you for your wonderful review, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipes that you’ve tried!
Could we freeze most of the soup, since we are only two
Thank you
Hi Mireille, I hope you love this recipe! One of our readers wrote: “I freeze this soup all the time! I usually make a triple recipe so I can freeze some for later… It’s as good, or better!” I hope this helps.
I never make soup for some reason…but I made this last night, and it was amazing!! My wife & I loved it & couldn’t get enough of it! Now I know what to get when we go to Olive Garden lol.
What are your tips for storing leftovers? Do you freeze it in batches? Or just try to eat it with the next few days?
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite! One of our readers wrote: “I freeze this soup all the time! I usually make a triple recipe so I can freeze some for later… It’s as good, or better!” I hope this helps.
Made this today using fresh spinach instead of Kale, added one TBS of Italian spice and this turned out fabulously wonderful and so so yummy! Thank you so much!
Hello Judy, thank you for your wonderful review! I’m glad you loved it and thanks for sharing that with us.
I am not a cook and do not like cooking. For me, Recipes have to be very easy to follow, not have a lot of steps or take a lot of time or use crazy expensive ingredients. This checks all the boxes for me and tastes great! A pot lasts several meals for my husband and I, so I don’t have to cook again for awhile😀
Hello Becky, thank you for your great comments and feedback. I’m happy to know that you’ve been loving my recipes!
Natasha, I made this Zuppa Toscana soup tonight for my wife and I. I must say I clearly understand why this is Olive Garden’s #1 selling soup. It is absolutely wonderful. I added 2 tablespoons of chicken base and 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the soup also. Best soup we’ve had in years!! Thanks for the recipe!! 😘
It’s our favorite copy-cat recipe, Rikochee! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Just made it for about the 5th time. Wife loves that it’s always good and consistent. It’s nice to have some things I can make to help out with the cooking. Thanks for sharing.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I made this soup today and wow what a hit ! It’s simple to make and ready in a flash. I’ll keep this recipe handy for sure ! Thanks Natasha.
You’re very welcome, Elaine. I\Thanks for sharing your great feedback with us, I appreciate it!
Hi Natasha.. Can i use escarole in this soup instead of Kale. No one in my family likes Kate..?
Hi Gloria, I haven’t experimented with that to advise. If you try it out, I’d like to know how you like that.
Love this recipe Natasha… but most of your recipes are great. I find I am printing on most days to make for dinner… thank you! Shirley
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes, Shirley! Thank you for that wonderful feedback.
Literally spot on! My personal preference is without the bacon topper, but very delicious either way. Thank you!
Awesome, thank you for sharing your personal preference with us!
This is absolutely my favorite copycat recipe and is,, in my opinion, the best version of it (besides mine of course) 🙂 I mean….I think we all tend to jazz up recipes with our own loved ingredients. More of this, less of that… But here’s the thang: as long as you sorta stick to the “skeleton” of a given recipe it’s tough to fail, given you have the common sense to not put a dump truck load of a spice into it. I was stationed at the USAF Academy for four years and my gf’s mother was coming to visit. I called my dad for his Justin Wilson inspired Jambalaya. He spelled out the entire thing on the phone and instead of “…a half cup of onions, and salt & pepper to taste,” I wrote: “….a half cup of onions and salt, pepper to taste.” I think it was this error that caused the great Colorado drinking-water famine of 1991. Too much salt. I had to put everything in a strainer and rinse it all off, essentially start over. Anyway….yes, good stuff!
Hi Jim, thank you for writing in and sharing that story. Half a cup of salt! I can’t even imagine! I’d love to now what you do differently with yours Zuppa!
I made this with mild Italian sausage and gold potatoes. It needed a fair amount of salt at the end, and I added a splash of lemon juice as well to brighten the flavors.
Overall this was a big hit, and a great way to get kale into my family. The bacon really makes it!
That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!
I am interested in buying yhe candy thermometer. zester and the grater you used in msking the egg rolls. I appreviate any info.
Hi Doris, you can see the kitchen tools that I use here on my Amazon affiliate shop
So good! My husband made this and tasted better than Oliver garden!
Wow, thanks for the compliment and great review, Erika!
100% agree
A family fave. Cannot eat kale so I use chopped fresh spinach. Paired with slices of crusty toasted garlic bread this is always a winner!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I will make this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this and it was DELICIOUS! I couldn’t believe how good it was. Definitely will be making it again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Rinata!
Наташа. We tried this soup two nights ago, and as usual, it was great. Olive Garden doesn’t have a thing on you. Just wondering, how would orzo instead of potatoes work?
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. I haven’t tried this recipe with orzo to advise, but I imagine it may work. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Hey Natasha, I LOVE ALL YOUR RECIPES. I LOVE YOUR KITCHEN. THANK YOUR FOR MAKING WATCHING YOUR COOKING FUN AND EASY. YOU’RE THE BEST. I WISH I HAD A KITCHEN LIKE YOU. DREAMING. LISA
Hi Lisa, thank you so much for your good comments and feedback. We appreciate it!
I’m in process of making this soup. Can I just put bacon in the soup or do you only use it as a garnish?? I have it all browned.
You can use it as a garnish and put it in the soup too.
I have tried many of your recipes and all have been delicious. Thank you for sharing them.
You’re very welcome, Debi. I’m happy to read your comments, thank you for your positive review!
If you want to make this amazing – add a TB or two of fish sauce. YES. FISH SAUCE. It gives it a massive umami bomb that makes it to die for. You won’t smell the fish I promise.
Thanks for your suggestion, Lam.
Loved this recipe! My family doesn’t eat red meat, so I used a combination of spicy and mild chicken sausage along with turkey bacon. Thanks for another keeper, Natasha!
That’s a good idea too! Thanks for sharing that with us, Anya.
Absolutely delicious soup enjoyed by all the family.
Thanks, Natasha for your wonderful recipes & videos that make cooking so easy!
It’s my pleasure, I’m glad your family enjoyed this awesome soup!
Hi Natasha, I started doing a lot of the cooking for my family when the pandemic hit. I have enjoyed following your videos and trying many of your recipes. This is the second time I have made your Tuscany soup. I followed it exactly to your recipe and it is delicious! My wife feels that it tastes better than Olive Garden, and that says a lot since we both love their soup. I am becoming a loyal fan of yours. Thank you for sharing! Leo
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Could this be frozen?
Hi Beth, I saw someone else in the comments section shared this feedback “Yes, I have frozen this many times! The texture changes a bit but it’s still delicious.” I hope that helps.
Could this soup be frozen? I
Hi Beth! One of our readers wrote: “I freeze this soup all the time! I usually make a triple recipe so I can freeze some for later… It’s as good, or better!” I hope this helps.
Made with half potato and half cauliflower that we needed to use up as well as coconut milk. Reduced liquid overall, and more chicken broth than milk. Very tasty!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Jennifer! Thank you for sharing your great review with me.
When co vid started, I started making one of your recipes every week. From bread to soup to carrot they are a hit in my house. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us. My new years resolution is to make everything on your page for my family. It makes for a fun week.
Aww! That’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Laura!
Yum!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe! Delicious! Although I feel like it could use some other spices. Any suggestions?
Thank you! Feel free to experiment and add more seasoning/spices to taste. Others added Italian seasoning and dried basil.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for sharing your recipes. I have try some of our recipes and they are great! I love Chicken Pot Pie Soup.
On this Zuppa Toscana, can I make it in slower cooker?
You’re very welcome, Ching. I think that could work, one of our readers wrote ” I usually make Zuppa in a slow cooker and it tastes great! I just saute the garlic and onions and sausage on the stove first and then put all the ingredients (except the heavy cream) into the slow cooker for several hours and then add the cream in right at the end!” I hope that helps.
We thought this was too simple to be so delicious, but it’s just that… simple AND delicious!! Need a little extra heat? Add those chili pepper flakes. This will stay on our soup menu from here on out and will be on our list of meals to take to others.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful review with us, Sara!
Oh! my Gosh!!
You knocked it out of the park.
!! I bet my soup is better than yours !! – hahahahaha – Your recipe.
Thank you for that wonderful feedback! It’s one of our favorites!
This soup is amazing!!
It’s easy with a minimal ingredient list yet BIG with flavor! It’s a great one pot meal; I used my instant pot. Once I added the liquids I also added the potatoes and set it on “porridge” mode which is 20 minutes high pressure. We served it with Turkey bacon (don’t judge) and shredded Parmesan and optional red pepper flakes. It had great reviews from ages 4-50! Can’t wait to make it again!
Hello SaraAnne, what a great review! Thank you so much for your good comments and feedback.
Would this soup be pointless without the meat? We’re vegetarian. This sounds awesome, but it is worth making if I added mushrooms or other vegetables to it?
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried a substitution for the meat in this recipe. The meat adds a lot of flavor, but after quick research online, there are a few substitutions people have tried, like mushrooms. If you happen to try that, I would like to know how you experiment.
In my opinion the meat made the dish as far as flavor is concerned. BUT if you use mushrooms ground/chopped up and sautéed just add all the typical sausage spices and olive oil. Cook it long enough to shows the spices to do their flavor thing and add plenty of fat with EVOO. I think this could still be a great dish!
I’m vegetarian, too. There are some wonderful plant-based sausages out there. I have used a couple different brands and both worked wonderfully in soups and in breakfast hash, or in hearty pasta dishes. Check with your grocer.
The flavor is very good but it’s a bit on the watery side for me. I use all chicken broth and about two cups less of the broth than the total amount of broth and water called for in the recipe.
Hi Sandi, did you use the Better than Boullion broth?
Is this the broth you recommend?
I love your recipes!
your videos are actually fun to watch
You’re so nice! Thank you!
OMG! This was super delicious!!! I have made a lot of your recipes and they are always so great! Don’t know how you do it!
Wonderful to see your feedback, Cathleen. Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha love your recipes.. on the zuppa tuscana recipe if we sub cauliflower foe potatoes do you have the nutritional info? Thank u so much
Hi Regina, I recommend using a nutritional analyzer to calculate the calories. I haven’t tried this with cauliflower.
With 7 in our family, it hard to find a meal that everyone enjoys, including the picky 6 year old. We all give this version two thumbs up! It was so simple to make yet fill of flavor! Perfect on this rare frigid Texas winter evening! We will be doing this recipe many more times!
That is the best when the family loves what we parents make. That’s so great!
Frigid…Texas?
Yes 10 days of freezing temperatures
Yes, rare frigid
How many servings does this recipe make in relation to the nutritional facts you have listed?
Hi RT, This soup will make about 11-12 cups, at 8 servings about 1 1/2 cups per serving or so. I hope that helps!
This is the best soup ever! It is in our meal rotation quite often. Thanks for sharing!
I’m happy with that, Jen. Thanks for sharing!
This is absolute wonders! I am only 13 and I can make this so easily thanks to you! My family loves it when I make this!
Hi Alessandra, thank you for sharing your review with me. I’m so glad you found our blog and like our recipes!
This is one of the only meals all of my kids will eat and no one complains, haha! The only changes I make are spinach instead of kale and add a 1/2 a block of cream cheese, just to make it a bit creamer. Delicious 10/10
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
This absolutely delicious!! Shared with family and friends and they can’t get enough of it!!!!
Awesome! Thank you for your great review, Linda. We appreciate it.
This is absolutely delicious!! Shared with my neighbors and friends and they can’t get enough of it!!!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Linda!
I have made several variations of this soup but Natasha’s recipe is the best. This recipe is a keeper and the only one that I’ll be making.
Absolutely delicious!
That is so sweet of you! Thank you so much for your kind words and good review. I appreciate it!
Tastes wonderful. But no way prep can be done in 10 minutes. Peeling/smashing and chopping an onion, ten head garlic and five potatoes cannot be done that quickly. Turns out great but plan for more prep time.
Thank you for that feedback, Dee!
After making your carrot soup, which is one of the best soups i’ve ever made. I tried this one out.
On first taste I 7/10 but then i came home from golf and had a 2nd bowl and wowwee zowwee this is absolutely insanely delicious.
Thanks for having my favourite cooking channel on the web!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Kyle. Glad you enjoyed this recipe. This is one of our favorites!
Hey Natasha,
my wife, kids, and I love your recipes. My wife and I cycle on and off of Keto, so I made a Keto version of your Zuppa Tuscano tonight. Instead of potatoes, peeled radishes were substituted, and spinach replaced the kale. A half stick of butter and an extra quarter cup of heavy cream was added to increase the fat content. The soup was delicious. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Hello there John, that is so nice to know! I never tried using peeled radish before but maybe I will try it in the future. Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
Just made this recipe yesterday! Love it. Didn’t realize it made soooo much. How long will it last in the refrigerator??
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Courtney! One of our readers wrote: “I freeze this soup all the time! I usually make a triple recipe so I can freeze some for later… It’s as good, or better!” I hope this helps.
Flavor-wise, this was delicious. The only thing is I remember Olive Garden’s old recipe being a bit more creamy. I love the taste though. I didn’t even get to make the bacon. I used Flavor God Italian Zest seasoning to omit salt and pepper. Thank you for the awesome recipe.
Hello there. Thank you so much for your great review and for sharing your experience making this recipe!
I made your Zuppa Toscana recipe exactly as you posted it and it was a success!!! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that, thank you for sharing.
Just wonderful I cannot have dairy or pork so I use turkey bacon and spicy duck sausage and coconut milk full fat. It was wonderful.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Janice!
Outstanding recipe! I substituted spinach for kale and broth for some of the water but no other changes. This will be a regular in my home.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Ok. So I made this, almost word for word (I messed up on the order of 2 things). I added a little chili flake and replaced the 6C h2o with chicken stock. My family ate this like there was not going to be food available tomorrow. Thank you very much for this masterful recipe!
(I forgot to mention I was looking forward to trying the “Day 2” flavor….little did I know there would be no leftovers!)
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it!
My husband and I just finished making a pot of this and we are so in love with it! The only thing different we did was we peeled and sliced radishes in place of the potatoes to save some carbs. We couldn’t even tell they weren’t potatoes!
Sounds awesome! I’m glad that you and your husband had a great experience making this recipe. Thank you for sharing, Paulette!
That’s a great idea! Thank you for sharing that with us, Paulette!
I substitute cauliflower for the potatoes, no one complains.
Omg amazing!!!!!! It tastes even better than Olive Garden when it’s cooked in your own kitchen. Perfect winter meal. I added a few other seasonings and used gold potatoes and added spaghetti pieces, but followed recipe to a t.
You are so nice, thank you so much for your kind words and great feedback. I appreciate it, Gina!
I tried this soup , it was delicious !!!!!! I love this recipe , my family love it! Thanks Natasha
So great to hear that, Judy. You are so welcome!
Please clarify…so 48 oz of kale?
Hi, it would be 6 cups of chopped kale if you filled a standard US dry ingredients measuring cup.
This is now my go-to recipe for this soup. I’ve made it for years, piecing together parts of two or three recipes from the internet. Now, I can simply use this one. Thank you Natasha! You’re The Best! Everyone loves Natasha!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I’ve never had this soup at Olive Garden but my aunt raves about it all the time. So I’m making it today! I saw the recipe on Facebook! Very excited to try this
It is one of our favorite soup recipes! I hope you love this recipe!
How many cups is in a bundle of kale(tacan soup)
Hi Dolores, There is no standard size of the bunch, but a quick google search showed an average bunch of kale is 7 ounces
I have never tried this soup at olive garden because unfortunately I’m dairy free. However I made a batch of cashew cream and substituted it in the recipe; added a bit more chicken stock, some extra seasoning, a bit more kale and it’s so delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoeyd this recipe, Katrina! Thank you for sharing those substitutions with us.
not a kale fan, can you use spinach instead
Yes you can. We have made it with both and they are both very good.
OMG!! It was so…good. I did double the broth and not add water. Next time I will split the second 32 ounces between broth and water to decrease the sodium. I am a little afraid to change it because it was so… good.
I’m happy you enjoyed that, Cheree! Thank you for that great review.
I had a craving today for this soup and bought all the ingredients. Don’t know how many times I’ve made your recipe but I can pretty much do it from memory now 🙂 I had a package of gnocchi that needed to be used up and tossed that in one time. Seriously amazing! xo
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
What is measurement on Kale. I purchased a q16 oz bag. Is that too much?
Hi Ellie, it should be roughly 6 cups of kale.
That wont be enough actually, the measurment for a kale bundle is about 6 cups of kale or 48 oz of kale
Hi Natasha
I love your dishes and have made some. I really liked lasagna roll ups
I am trying to find your wooden soup ladle!! I absolutely love that. Please share where I can buy that.
Thanks so much
Fondly
JG
Hello Jodie, so nice to know that you’ve been enjoying my recipes. You can see the kitchen tools that I use here in my Amazon affiliate shop.
This soup was delicious!!!! Just added a little more seasoning like Italian seasoning and dried basil. This recipe is surely a keeper.Very easy to make. Thanks Natasha.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
A favorite soup, so good!
Thanks, MaryAnn!
Delicious 😋. Easy to make and my entire family loved it.
Thank you, Lisa. I appreciate your good feedback!
This soup is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! Was made with ease, added a few more seasonings and because I wanted the flavor to be a bit stronger I used more chicken broth and lessened the water.
The cream was icing on the cake!
Sounds awesome! I’m glad you loved it and you added more seasoning according to your personal preference. Thanks for sharing, Aisha.
I tried your recipe last night and only used half of the recipe and it was soooooooooo good! My husband loved the leftovers the next day. Thank you!!!
You are most welcome. I’m happy that you both loved it!
I tried so hard to like this soup. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it. It was lacking flavor and heartiness.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy it. I would recommend adding more seasoning to taste next time as it really depends on your personal preference.
Where can I get Italian sausage ,?? None of the stores I go to has any..
Hi Fanny, we purchased it at our local grocery store. Have you tried calling around your area or asking the butcher at your grocery store?
I use Johnsonville Italian Hot Sausage Links. EVERY major grocery chain across America carries it. They are in the meat department with the Bratwurst, Sweet Italian Sausage, ground pork etc.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
I have made this recipe many times. Sometimes I use Cajun sausage and sometimes mild sausage. LOVE love love it!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello! Love your recipes!!!
I am wondering how many bags of kale are equivalent to 1 kale bundle, sorry if this is a silly question! Lol
Also! Why add water to the recipe?
Hi Tori, it depends on the size of the bags. It should be roughly 6 cups.
This is absolutely spectacular. It’s identical to the OG. The spice level is perfect with the sausage and I can’t stop eating it.
I cut the potatoes in slices and kept the skin on versus what you do, as I feel it’s more authentic this way. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Joshua! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Your Zupa is the closest to Olive Garden I have had. I have been trying recipes for years, yours is great. Thanks 😊
So great to hear that, thank you so much!
Taste just like Olive Garden. Love this soup.
It sure does! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe, Sharifa!
Best soup ever!!!!!!
This was super tasty! I’ve never been to Olive Garden and haven’t tried this soup before. I made it ahead of time and let sit in the crockpot, and it had quite a bit of heat to it! I must have used some particularly hot sausage, so next time I’ll do half Italian sausage and half hot for my little kids sake. My husband and I really liked the spiciness though! This is now on my monthly menu thanks!
So great to hear that, Emily. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, I hope that you and your family will love every recipe that you will try!
Making this for the first time right now. This is my favorite soup from olive garden. I love it and so excited to try it. Quick question though if I want it to be thicker what can I add? Cornstarch with more cream? I love all your recipes by the way
Hi Angela, I hope this recipe becomes your favorite. Yes, you can try that, I imagine that should work fine.
Made this for Christmas and everyone loved it. Thank you!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
I love this recipe so much I’m making it for Christmas this year! Tastes just like the restaurant!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Making this as I write! I’m so excited! My niece made it for me a while ago and hers was really good. Easy to follow recipe. I’ll let you know the outcome when I’m finished.
I hope you enjoy it! We look forward to your feedback!
I just came upon your recipe and am excited to try it. I do a lot of my cooking via crockpot.
Can you make this in a crock pot if you cook meat and saute veggies ahead of time?
Hi Shawn, I think that could work, one of our readers wrote ” I usually make zuppa in a slow cooker and it tastes great! I just saute the garlic and onions and sausage on the stove first and then put all the ingredients (except the heavy cream) into the slow cooker for several hours and then add the cream in right at the end!” I hope that helps.
I used to make mine in the crock pot all the time. The flavor is amazing! Follow the recipe as is, just add the broth and potatoes to the pot. I also add in the sausage, onions and garlic when I start the pot. Let cook as long as you like, I usually do 8-10 hours. Leave the cream and kale for about 10-15 minutes before you’re ready to serve.
Made this tonight with my son and it was absolutely delicious! Very easy directions! Loved the visual image of the shopping list.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Another delicious recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen. I made this before the weekend and my husband and I enjoyed it for three days in a row. I opted to add the kale right before serving each bowl (something I learned from working as a server at the olive garden years ago).
Thank you for sharing that tip with us Kris! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Natasha, I made it today and it came out delicious 😋 Can I freeze the rest of the soup to enjoy again next week?
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Martha! One of our readers wrote: “I freeze this soup all the time! I usually make a triple recipe so I can freeze some for later… It’s as good, or better!” I hope this helps.
Made this soup for my husband and we both loved it.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review, Jovon!
First time making it …. turned out great
thanks for the recipe
You are most welcome, Monte. Glad you loved it!
I would like to know if you have a recipe for stuffed mushrooms
Hi Pegi, you can check out my Stuffed Mushrooms recipe.
I have made so many of your amazing dishes, desserts. I am always so impressed how easy you make it. My family and I are grateful for you and all your efforts for us.
Thank you for your appreciation, Robert. It’s very inspiring for me to read good comments like this one.
I love your videos, you are a great cook…really pretty too.
1) How do you plan your weekly menus?
2) How do you maintain such a slender shape and eat all that good food? lol
3) What type kitchen counters to you have ?
Hi Sheila, thank you for that sweet compliment. I don’t have plans to do a menu but I love that idea and will consider it. I work out 4-5 times a week at F45 which is a high intensity 45 minute workout. It helps me a ton to be able to still enjoy the foods I love and feel stronger and more energized as well. We have quartz countertops and love them. There is more info on our counters in our kitchen tour post.
This recipe tastes just like the Olive Garden soup. I wanted to ask how long does this soup last in the fridge? Also, can i freeze some of it or is that not recommended?
Thanks for your great feedback and comparison, Sarah. I honestly haven’t tried freezing it. I’m not sure how the kale would hold up.
I worked at an OG years ago and we added the kale just before we served it. You could freeze without kale and add it when reheating on the stove.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
Kale freezes very well. I have seen it in the store in frozen vegetables. I tried it in soup and it was good. I like fresh if available. The frozen is good if you are on a hurry.
Loving all your recipes! No-fail which we all love!
I’ve made so many now and everything is good! Easy to follow and usually everything in fridge or pantry!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
This was so delicious and so easy to make. When my boyfriend came home he said it smells just like olive garden. Will save this recipe. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoeyd that, Erin! Thank you for sharing that with me!
This is the best recipe ever! I just moved out and am learning how to cook by following all your recipes! They are amazing!! Thank you so much, I love your cooking ❤
You are most welcome, Cindy! Thank you so much for your excellent review.
Can I substitute the Italian sausage for any other ground meat
Hello Yvonne, I imagine that should be alright too
I made this But I used some butter when the garlic and onion sautee along with a quarter of red pepper. Also, I slice russet potatoes instead of bite-size cut them, leaving the skin on..its delicious!
Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing that with us, Sarah. Glad you loved it!
Delicious! The recipe says it makes 8 bowls and to me, that meant about half of my soup pot. so…. I doubled it for my crew. Don’t do that! I ended up having to pour half of it into another pot and cooking two separate pots! haha. It’s okay, it was my mistake. I think a single version would make one pot, maybe a little bit less than full. I made the soup with regular sausage, not HOT version b/c we are babies when it comes to spicy things. The only thing is, I wish there were measurements for the salt and pepper. I couldn’t figure out how much to add without over salting or undersalting. Kept having to go back and add more.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks for sharing your experience making this recipe, Diana. I didn’t add the measurements for the seasoning because it really depends on your preference. It’s better to undersalt first, taste it, and then add more if you like. Thanks for trying out this recipe!
Diana, next time I recommend adding atleast 2 tsp (I used tblsp) when you add potatoes rather than wait to the end. Potatoes like pasta absorb the salt better while cooking. May sound like a lot but remember you are salting potatoes, onions, and eventually kale.
I have tried other copycat versions that are posted on the web, but so far, yours is a five stars rating. Thank you for sharing. Now I’m going to make your egg roll.
That is awesome yay! Thank you so much for your great review, Fred.
PIZCA ANDINA
Hi Natasha, Venezuelan farmers, who live in the high mountains of Mérida State quite cold) and have just a few chickens, a cow and a small piece of land, usually have a very simple,modest and unsophisticated but delicious soup called “pizca andina” for breakfast, very easy and cheap to make. Cut a big potato (o a little more) in small but bite square pieces, cut 2 or 3 green onions (white and green leaves included), cut a good amount of cilantro stems in 1 inch size and sauté in two soup spoons of butter until soft but not brown. In the same cooking pot pour 1 quarter of whole milk, add two tea spoons of salt or up to your best taste and go to a very moderate boiling and keep it so until potatoes are soft. When ready, add small dices of white cheese (salty preferably) and give it a few minutes to melt a bit. That is the original and traditional
recipe. Serve. I added my personal touch by adding some crispy bacon but I do´nt reveal it to any one cause my fellow cooks are VERY traditional and I would risk a probable and radical excommunication jejeje. Hope you try and enjoy it.
Thanks for sharing that with us, I hope I can try that recipe!
After discovering your videos, I find that you have some of the very best recipes, including the recipes on tv…. so simple, so good. On the top on my estimation.. a sweet way of displaying it.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Made this soup quite a few times now and I am still impressed how delicious and easy it is to make.
Borscht with meat takes so much longer to make and I equally put them on a same rating scale.
Natasha great work again!
Thank you for that wonderful feedback Nikolai! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I made this today. Delicious. I used sweet mild sausage. However, the liquid was too much compared to the ingredients. Added extra potatoes, sausage, and cream. When I make it again, I will not use so much water.
Hi Linda, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, you can definitely add more bulk if you love a heartier soup.
OMG just made this! Followed recipe exactly! You’ll think your at Olive Garden! This is awsome! 5 stars. Now to resist eating the whole pot in one sitting!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
This was great! We substituted ground chicken and used italian seasoning instead of the Italian sausage. Just not a fan of sausage. It tasted great with the ground chicken!
Sounds great! Thank you for sharing that with us, Jessica. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Wonderful on chilly Fall days!
Definitely so perfect!
I have not made this but I’m Italian and I have seen numerous recipes that call for adding water to a soup. I would NEVER add water to soup. Water? No flavor!
Feel free to omit the water from the recipe, we liked it with more soup so we added water.
Susan,
Beyond Beef (plant Based) makes a spicy chicken Italian Sausage. It’s good. I think you could use that.
I can’t imagine with 6 cups of water, it would have as rich a flavor as Olive Garden’s~ Would it not taste better to all chicken broth (for the liquid) instead of any water? To allow the Italian Sausage to be more tender, cook it about an hour before adding the potatoes, etc. Also if you’re plant based, use Beyond Beef plant based Spicy Chicken Italian Sausage. If you eat meat, try Publix green wise Chicken HOT Italian Sausage.. It’s delicious! And a good substitution is to use Turkey Bacon without nitrates instead of Pork Bacon. Just some substitutes~
Thank you for your suggestions, Gayle. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
is this soup good for freezing?
HI Dee, I honestly haven’t tried freezing it. I’m not sure how the kale would hold up.
Kale freezes fine. I’ve used it in other recipes with no problem.
Yes, I have frozen this many times! The texture changes a bit but it’s still delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing that! It’s wonderful to know it freezes well.
This is the second time I made this for my family. My son put in a special request for me to make it again. Love this recipe! I was unsure if my teens would eat kale and substituted it with spinach. Delicious! Thanks for the great soup.
That is so great, Patricia. I’m glad you and your kids enjoyed this soup!
Amazing each and every time. One of our family’s favorites.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
To the t!!!! Best recipe ever
Love it! Thank you, Tammy.
This is an absolutely phenomenal tasting soup! I’ve made it several times over the past couple years and follow the recipe to the T. I love cooking this for my wife especially on a cold winter day, because she too thinks it’s an incredible soup!
I’m so glad that you both enjoyed this soup, Terry. I agree – this is really so delicious and one of our favorites at home too!
Love this recipe! Thank you so much for what you do!
Hello Alexandra, thank you so much. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!