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
Did with jalapeño chicken sausage since I can’t do pork. Also vegan cream. I can’t do dairy. Super easy! Super good!
Sounds delish! Thanks for sharing.
What a great idea! I am going to try the chicken sausage sometime!
I rinse the kale and then cook it in my instant pot for ten minutes. I drain the broth and remove the kale to the side while I prep the rest of the ingredients. I omit the potatoes and add cauliflower towards the end of cooking. I also add sliced baby bella mushrooms. Otherwise, it’s the same 😁.
Not a fan of Kale. Can I use Spinach instead?
Yes spinach will work too but keep in mind that spinach cooks faster than kale so just end it towards the end of the cooking process.
I use your recipes all the time. You’re an amazing instructor and make amazing meals so simple to understand. Can’t wait for your next book to come out.
Thank you so much, Chriss!
There’s no mention of when to add the cooked bacon back to the pot.
Hi Leslie. See step 6 in the recipe card.
This is soooo good!!! I’ve made this twice in two weeks. So much flavor. One of my new favorite meals for sure. Thank you for sharing!!
The only thing I do different is I puree mirepoix and saute that with my sausage. It “disappears” and you get an added flavour bomb. Plus extra nutrients.
For the keto version I’ve substituted potatoes for radishes. They look like red potatoes and still delicious 😋 Thank you Natasha for the recipe 🔥
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Tanya! I’m glad you loved it!
All I have are brats in my freezer. Can I use those if I remove the casing?
Hi Mary! We really love the taste that italian suasage gives to this recipe, but feel free to experiment with other sausage too.
if I use double the meat for added protein would I need to double up on every other item?
Hi Nina! If you doubled up on everything else, it would just increase the servings of the recipe, not just the protein count per serving. You can double up on the protein if you’d like but you may need to make some adjustments if the soup is too thick for your liking.
Wow- tastes just like at the restaurant but now my house smells so good after making this. Two thumbs up!
This is my favorite OG soup and I’ve made Natasha’s version multiple times with amazing results each time. The only thing I do different is use mild Italian sausage just so my kids don’t complain that it’s spicy. If I make it for me alone, then spicy all the way. But even with the mild sausage, the flavor is off the charts. Also, I accidentally peeled my potatoes this last time, just out of habit, before realizing that it said unpeeled. Still turned out amazing. This will be used for years to come.
Natasha your foods, recipes and end products are so delicious tasty and satisfying. They are so well balanced and easy to follow. Would love to get your recipe book in the near future.
Natasha, this is a great recipe. However, I used two tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with some of the 4 cups of water to give the soup some texture. The first time I made it, the soup was way too thin. I also added two tablespoons of Kerry Gold Irish butter to it before serving. Just a thought for you. Also, I received and love your cookbook!! Rik
I’m going to make this again tonight! Thanks Natasha, for another great recipe. I think I’m going to use 4 cups of stock and 6 cups of broth instead of water. Do you think the flavor will be too strong?
Hello! I think will be fine if you want it to add more flavor to the recipe. Hope you love it!
My husband is on a diet and can have all the other ingredients except the white potatoes. He can have sweet potatoes, would that change the taste of the soup? Would cauliflower be a better substitute? This soup is his favorite at Olive Garden so I would love to surprise him.
That’s would be a nice surprise for your husband! Both sweet potatoes and cauliflower can work as substitutes for white potatoes but the flavor will be a bit different. We’d love to know how it goes!
I had a great time preparing cooking and enjoying eating this delicious Zuppa! Excelente!
Does this freeze well? Have made it before but cut receipe in 1/2 as only 2 of us. Would like to make full receipe but would need to freeze some.
Hi Sharon! You can freeze it for up to 3months but soups with creamy tend to get grainy when reheat from frozen. When you reheat it, reheat it on low heat.
Can you use Half & half cream in the soup in place of the heavy cream?
Hi Linda! Yes, you can. It will just be lighter, not as creamy and rich.
Can you use frozen kale instead of fresh?
Yes you can use frozen kale. I would add it towards the end of the cooking process giving it a few minutes to heat through and blend into the soup.