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 again tonight. It is excellent & so much better than OG because it’s heartier. This is definitely one of my go to’s during cold weather! The videos are always so helpful too!
Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Alex. Glad to hear that you love our Zuppa Toscana!
Omg from Ireland lived in San Francisco a number of years home in Ireland now but still remember ur amazing soup with salad and breat rolls made it from scratch recently cause of ur excellent recipe I’m addicted beautiful soup
Hi Monica, great to hear that you always enjoy this recipe again and again!
I’ve tried other versions of this recipe that are much better than this
It’s all about personal preference. I had Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden a couple of days ago and loved it, as always. I made this version today and loved it even more! To each, his own.
This is literally the only good dish OG has these days. I’ve made it at home before, but I like your recipe even more. It’s pretty simple and quick to put together, and the flavors are outstanding! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Art!
This has easily become one of my absolute favourite soups to make! Thank you for sharing!<3
You’re welcome, Julianna! I’m so glad you love the recipe.
I made this tonight, and OMG it’s exactly what I’d hoped it would be. Absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
You’re very welcome and I’m so glad that it was a success!
Okay just love this recipe!! I make it over and over again. I share it with my close friends and they just clamor for it!!
Great recipe!! Thank you Natasha!!!!
Thank you, I hope they love will love and enjoy this recipe too!
Natasha, would it change the taste of this soup if I used spinach instead of kale? I do not care for kale and it is so often recalled.
Thank you.
Kay
Hi Karen! Many of my readers use spinach in this with excellent result. I hope you love the recipe!
Planning to make for guests tonight who don’t tolerate onion. Any substitute suggestions?
I haven’t tested anything else, but I think you can omit and just season/salt to your preference for any lacking flavor.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes and your sense of humor! This recipe is absolutely perfect. I’ve been cooking for at least 50 years and rarely do I find something so tasty that is better than my homemade food. I am making another big batch of this right now. I will can it and add the heavy cream once I open a jar to enjoy with my husband. You’re a refreshing inspiration for all. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Dorothy for the wonderful feedback. It blesses me to know that I can inspire you.
I need to know which is correct, the recipe or video, on the chicken stock and water. The video says 4 cup chicken stock and 6 cups of water, and the recipe says 6 cups of chicken stock and 4 cups of water. I feel like I want to follow the recipe.
Thank you🤗
Hi Tracy, You can follow the written recipe above. We updated the recipe after the video went live and since there is no way to update the video, that is why there’s a difference.
Excellent! Perfect soup for fall – filling and easy to assemble. Would recommend. 🙂
I LOVE THIS SOUP…I ADD RED PEPPER FLAKES, IT GIVES IT AN EXTRA LIL KICK
Great to hear, Ashley!
Super easy and my family loved it!! Love the addition of crispy bacon.
Great to hear that your whole family enjoyed it!
OMG I never ha e to go to olive garden again. Tastes exactly to the tee like their soup. My family and I loved it!!!!
That’s wonderful! So glad it was a hit!
Do u think I could make this in a slow cooker? I could cook bacon separate. Then do onions and garlic with everything else. Add kale at the end of in the bottoms of the bowls?
Hi Moe, I have not tested this in the slow cooker but it reheats well, so I think you could reheat it in a slow cooker.
I always love making this soup. I don’t add the kale to the pot however. I put it in the bowl and pour the soup over before serving. As long as the soup is hot it wilts just enough. I found if I add to the pot and I have leftovers, the kale is too soggy after reheating.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Lori.
I really enjoy making this recipe. I doubled everything because it’s my family’s favorite. Are use yellow and red potatoes because of their velvety texture. No fry them in the bacon grease after the bacon cooks to amp up the soup stock. Thanks for sharing this soup recipe with me! Have a wonderful weekend!
So glad it was a hit, Chelsea! Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed weekend.
Made this last night exactly following the instructions (though I did struggle figuring out how many strips 6oz of bacon would be until I realized it was just for topping so I could play it by ear, lol). It turned out phenomenal! As the soup sat on the stove to cool down a bit, the potatoes got delightfully soft and thickened everything up nicely. It was hearty, filling, and led to my partner having 2.5 bowls of it because he could not stop himself LOL. Wonderful recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Ana!
We make this soup quite often and love it. Sometimes we want it to have a thicker broth, and we will throw some mashed potatoes in as well as potato chunks. Definitely makes it heartier. This soup works out well in the instant pot, and is my go to meal on days when I need a quick meal with minimal prep. Thank you so much!
Hi Rena! That sounds great. I’m so glad you love it. Do you mind sharing you process and cook time with the instant pot?
I’m a meal prepper so I cook pounds of sausage in advance and freeze into 14oz portions in Ziploc bags. I freeze them flat so they can cook quickly. I use this for soups, gravies, and sauces. For this soup I use sauté function to cook onion and garlic then add broth and all the other ingredients in your recipe. Add some of the frozen precooked sausage (I do not thaw it) and store bought mashed potatoes if I’m adding that. Add red pepper flakes and celery salt and then pressure cook for ten minutes to ensure the raw sliced potatoes are cooked. I release the pressure, throw in some kale and let it wilt for a bit and then serve. I can have everything in the pot and cooking within ten minutes and ready to serve within another 25 minutes. I just took this over to a friends house and everyone loved it. Super easy to transport in the instant pot (must release pressure first). I show up with hot soup, and if I want to keep it warm at the gathering I just press the steam button and choose 0:00 minutes and then let it count on so that it keeps everything warm.
That sounds amazing and so quick! Thank you for sharing!
Soo good. My family loves it. My husband found the recipe when he was having a craving for Olive Garden. It is so much better. Thank you for sharing. It brightens our day every time I make it… We live in Alaska, so it’s a real treat in the dark Alaskan winters. Thank you.
That’s wonderful! I’m glad you found this recipe.