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 tender potatoes. It’s on my family’s regular menu rotation!
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Helpful Reader Review
“Soup was delicious! Best copycat Olive Garden recipe ever! Taste so authentic; I thought I was eating at Olive Garden!” – Marianne ★★★★★
Zuppa Toscana Video
Now wasn’t that easy? Serve topped with crispy bacon, extra cheese and generous slices of Sourdough Bread, or crusty French Bread. I hope this Zuppa Toscana becomes a favorite in your home as well.
Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe
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!
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 from scratch 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! This American adaptation is classically made with kale, potatoes, onion, and garlic, then served topped with Parmesan cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano.
Is Zuppa Toscana Spicy?
I 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 that’s more kid-friendly, then season with salt and pepper to taste. You can spice up individual bowls later with red pepper flakes if you prefer.
Zuppa Toscana Ingredients
- Bacon – the bacon adds an extra layer of flavor to the soup and a crunchy salty bite when sprinkled as garnish. Parmesan is also a nice touch to serve the soup.
- Italian Sausage – I prefer using ‘hot’ Italian sausage, but you can use mild if you prefer less spice. Remove casings if present.
- Aromatics – I use a whole head of garlic (more on that below) and a diced onion.
- Chicken stock – you can use chicken broth or stock here, or even substitute with turkey stock. Homemade always tastes best, especially bone broth! For richer flavor, you can replace the water in the recipe with more stock.
- Potatoes – you can peel or leave the skins on for a more rustic soup. Russet, or yello wpotatoes work great.
- Kale – strip the leaves from one kale bundle then finely chop. It will seem like alot of kale, but it softens and shrinks down in the soup.
- Whipping cream – heavy cream creates a rich broth. You can use a light cream if desired.
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 an incredible and authentic Italian flavor. Since the garlic is sautéed and 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).
Everyone in my family makes this Zuppa Toscana regularly. I love it when my Mom has a pot simmering on the stove when all of my sisters’ families come over for Sunday lunch. It’s the first thing I reach for, even with plenty of other options on the table (Mom always makes a feast on Sundays!). I hope this Zuppa soup becomes a favorite in your home as well.
Zuppa Toscana – Olive Garden Copycat
Ingredients
- 6 oz bacon, chopped
- 1 lb Italian Sausage, The “Hot” variety
- 1 head of garlic, about 10 large cloves, peeled and minced or pressed
- 1 onion, medium, finely diced
- 6 cups chicken broth, or chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 5 russet potatoes, medium, peeled and chopped into 1/4" thick pieces*
- 1 kale bundle, leaves stripped and chopped (6 cups)
- 1 cup whipping cream, or 1 can full fat unsweetened coconut milk
- salt and black pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese, optional, to serve
Instructions
- Brown Bacon – 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 bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and spoon out excess oil, leaving about 1 Tbsp oil in the pot.
- Brown Italian sausage, breaking it up with your spatula, and sauté until cooked through and browned (5 min). Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Add onion to the pot and saute 5 min, stirring occasionally, or until soft and golden, then add minced garlic and saute 1 min.
- Add broth and water, and bring to a boil. Add sliced potatoes and cook 13-14 min or until easily pierced with a fork.
- Add chopped kale and cooked sausage, and bring everything to a light boil.
- Stir in cream and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then remove from heat. Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with bacon and grated parmesan.
Notes
- Fridge: once completely cool, cover and refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Soups with cream and potatoes do not freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing this soup.
- Reheat: Warm on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave until steaming hot. Avoid boiling.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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
- Stuffed Chicken Parmesan
- Filet Mignon
- Chicken Mango Avocado Salad
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Shrimp Scampi
- Monterey Chicken
- Homemade Salsa
- Chicken Piccata
I made this soup for dinner and am in love with it! It is sooo delicious and easy to make! ❤️
My kiddos even ate it and the kale.😊
Good to hear that, Kathy! I’m glad you all enjoyed this recipe.
Hi Natasha, I would like that wooden ladle. Where did you purchase it? Thanks in advance.
p.
Hi Paula, I love this ladle! You can find the kitchen tools that I use here on my Amazon affiliate shop.
I made this soup tonight for the first time and it was great. I made a few changes, we substituted spinach for the kale and added cooked egg noodles to the bottom of our bowls. I will certainly make this soup again.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jill! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this soup but I didn’t like the hot sausage so I used ground pork instead. It turned out great love this recipe.
Thank you for sharing, Kimberly!
Waaaaaay better than Olive Garden. I didn’t have hot Italian sausage on hand so I used cheddar jalapeño, aside from that I followed the recipe exactly and it came out amazing! Would highly recommend.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you.
This sounds so good but why serve French bread with an Italian soup? Surely a ciabatta would be better?
Hi Fiona, I bet ciabatta would work great here also! We prefer the soft french bread, but both will work great!
This is my favorite soup, and this is my favorite recipe for Zuppa Toscana. I see a lot of people concerned about crunchy kale. I cut them into 1/2 inch strips, and they’re always nice and tender. I use 4 cups kale, and 2 russets because I like this soup more brothy. I cut the russets in half then slice, so everything fits nicely on the spoon.
Thanks, for sharing that with us. We appreciate your comments and feedback!
For those who “don’t like kale”: this recipe is a GREAT way to use that super-nutrient-packed green. I never buy it, but got some in my CSA farm box and needed to use it. No one in my household likes kale raw or chewy at all, so I decided to try this recipe. I chopped it small and sautéed it with the onions and garlic. It was very tender and well cooked by the end. No bitterness and made a full, well-rounded meal in one bowl! Try it—I bet you’ll be amazed!
Thank you for the feedback and review, Ginger!
I tried making this soup and the flavour was pretty good. However the kale was crunchy. Is it supposed to be that way?
Hi Moni! Yes, the kale can be crunchy. You may try boiling the soup a couple of extra minutes before adding the cream so that it has additional time to soften.
This is definitely our favorite soup! I replace the kale with spinach, double the recipe and cook in the crockpot after sautéing the sausage. The leftovers freeze well for a quick meal later on. Creamy, spicy, delightful!
I love making this! It has never failed me and my taste buds. I did not grow up very knowledgable in the kitchen, so do not fret this recipe is achievable! As of recently I have tried to incorporate less meats in my diet and will substitute, so I tried this using ‘Impossible Foods Plant Based Frozen Spicy Sausage’ which I bought at Walmart. I did not include bacon, frankly, vegan bacon is not good in my opinion. It came out fantastic too! So for those interested in experimenting I think it’s worth the try.
Hi Alexis! Thank you for sharing your experience. 🙂
Can I use sage sausage instead of hot, do you think it would make a big difference?
Hi Karen, sage will alter the overall taste a bit, but it should work. I’ve used mild sausage successfully before also. I hope you love this recipe!
Double the sausage and make this a legit meal. I used one pound of sweet and one pound of hot sausage. Delightful.
Aaaaaaamazing!! I’ve been making this soup for the past 5 years and it’s my favorite comfort food. It’s like getting a warm hug on a cold winter day!! The taste of kale is something that nobody likes yet you transformed that vegetable into a delicacy!!!
Hi Marina! Thank you for the feedback. I’m so glad you loved it.
I am confused, do i add oil to the pot in the very beginning when sautéing the bacon? I see no mention of oil in the recipe list or instructions
Hi Stevie-Ray, we do not add oil to the bacon. While the bacon cooks, it releases the fat. You should get quite a bit of fat left over. We scoop out the extras but leave about 1 tbsp in the pot to saute the onions.
Hey Natasha, avid follower of you ♥️ I’ve made this several times but now would like to make double batch and freeze from now till Xmas with my other two I’m making as well. Ya know, so I won’t have this last minute rush. Is this soup good after freezing?
Hi Debra, thank you for your support. I haven’t tried freezing this soup myself, but 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.
Hi Debra, I haven’t tried to freeze this soup but, I make and freeze soups just about every week. I find that creamy soups kind of separate but, if you hold the cream and add it later, once it’s thawed, add it when you’re reheating it. Hope this helps.
Used can of cream of bacon soup instead of cream. Also spinach instead of kale. Works!
Great to hear that they worked well!
Glad to hear that spinach is an acceptable substitute for kale. Was just wondering how to get around that, since my hubby won’t eat kale, yet the soup needs some greens.
Seriously have made this too many times it’s definitely one of my top five soups and it’s always a crow pleaser!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Kelli! This recipe is a keeper!
Hi Natasha! How many cups does this recipe make? And, could you use frozen kale in place of fresh kale?
Hi Victoria! The frozen kale should be fine. I did not measure this recipe in cups. It makes about 8 servings (bowls).
I don’t love bacon (weird, I know) so we skipped it and it was still delicious! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
You’re welcome, Jay! I’m so glad you loved it.