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

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
- 6 cups chicken broth/stock, (48 oz)
- 4 cups water, (32 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
- 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.
- Add Italian sausage, breaking it up with your spatula and sauté until cooked through (5 min). Remove to paper towel lined plate.
- Finely dice onion and add to the pot. Saute 5 min or until soft and golden then add minced garlic and saute 1 min.
- Add 6 cups broth and 4 cups water, and bring to boil. Add sliced potatoes and cook 13-14 min or until easily pierced with a fork.
- When potatoes nearly done, add chopped kale and cooked sausage and bring everything to a light boil.
- 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.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Hello –
I want to use cauliflower instead of potatoes. Can you tell me when I should add it? Any different steps to take? And about how much cauliflower?
Hi Mags, I haven’t tested that so I cannot advise, but here is what one of our readers wrote ” Natasha, this soup is perfect for my ketogenic diet. I just substituted potatoes for cauliflower and yum!” I hope that helps.
This soup is soooo good! Not a fan of Olive Garden! (too many carbs live there) but I grown kale so I had to try it. I sub the hot port sausage for mild chicken sausage and added some red pepper flakes when I sauteed it. I sub the russet potatoes for little red ones (less starch). Made the rest of the recipe as is. My husband is eating some for lunch today and saids it tastes even better the next day. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Will makes this again and again. Thank you so much for this.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Diane!
I made this for my dad while my mom was away. He has loved every recipe I have tried on here, but this one made him pick up the phone at 2 am to tell me how good the soup was even though I was in the other room. He kept raving that it was even better than Olive Gardens and that I do not need to know how to cook any other soup. Basically A++ recipe 🙂
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me Patricia. I’m so happy you found a family favorite. I’m all smiles!
What a great base it turns out! As it happened I found myself with about 1/2 of a big bag (Sam’s Club) of broccoli along with most of large bunch of kale and about 8oz of mushrooms all heading south in a hurry. I was trying to come up with something to do with them when I happened onto this recipe. I thought, “what the hell, who needs potatoes”. I thought I’d just turn it into a low carb version, but in the end couldn’t resist throwing in a cup of elbow mac. It turned out to be nothing short of exceptional, certainly one of the top five soups I’ve made and I’ve made a bunch. I used Better than Bouillon so perhaps I ended up with more stock than called for but that’s more about taste anyway. I’m sure the recipe as written is wonderful, but this was so good I’m not sure I’ll ever get to it. 🙂
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Bill!
AMAZING! Have you ever considered making your own app? I’d download it asap!!
Thank you for that suggestion, Miriam!
Agree! Every single recipe is a keeper!
You’re so nice! Thank you Mary! I’m smiling big reading this!
This is one of my favorite soup recipes! Tastes just like the one from Olive Garden!
It is a favorite around here. Thank you for that awesome review Taylor!
This is the best soup EVER!! So amazing!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Chelsea!
One of my favorite dinners!
Thank you for sharing that with me Aimee!
Such great classic recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Tanya! It is one of our favorites!
This soup is perfect any time of year! It’s a family fav at our house.
Hi Cheryl! I’m so happy you enjoyed that! It is definitely a favorite around here also!
Natasha, this soup is perfect for my ketogenic diet. I just substituted potatoes for cauliflower and yum!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Marina!
Hi there, made this for dinner…love, love it. Followed the recipe to the tee…nothing to change. Served with crusty Italian bread. Love all your recipes…
Pat Hatwell
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I made this with mild sausage and added some red pepper flakes. It was perfect! So delicious, tastes almost exactly like Olive Garden’s, if not better!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Mary!
Where has this soup been all my life!! Thank you. We are soup fans and this is now easily in our top 5!
Our mods were equal parts broth and water. Check! Added a handful of sun dried tomato strips and garnished with basil on top of the bacon and Parmesan. Triple check!!! Wicked and thank you. We love your blog!!
That’s so great Jules!! Sounds like you found a favorite!! Thank you for that wonderful review!
I made this today, turned out very Delicious thank you.
You should post a receipe For broccoli cheddar Soup from panera Bread!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Val! Thank you for that suggestion!
48 oz of water = bland soup. Why do you water it down so much?
Hi Brandon, It makes a big pot of soup and if you keep everything else proportional, it is rich in flavor.
I made this soup about a month ago for my husband and I and the only substitution I made was using parsnips in place of the potato. We thoroughly enjoyed this soup! Thank you for the recipe. And BTW, I froze the remaining soup in individual servings using freezer bags and this soup is just as delicious the second time around!
HI Lori! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review! 🙂
Making this again tonite, so excited!
That’s so great!
Nutritional information per serving? Please?😘
Hi April! I added nutritional info on this. I hope you love our Zuppa Toscana Recipe! 🙂
How much oz is per serving?
Hi Tatyana, I wish I had measured it that way! This soup will make about 11-12 cups, at 8 servings about 1 1/2 cups per serving or so. I hope that helps!
Where is your pot from?! happen to have a link
Hi RM! Yes, it is the red dutch oven pot linked in our shop 🙂
Is there a difference between russet potatoes and yellow potatoes? Will it make a difference if I use yellow?
Hi Alina, yellow potatoes will work fine in Zuppa Toscana 🙂 They are a waxier potato and have a slightly different texture but will still work fine.