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
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Delicious I love all your recipes that I try
Careful with the garlic and heat. Mine got bitter 🙁
I want to make this soup today and serve it for lunch tomorrow after church. What is the best way to make it ahead without causing the potatoes or kale to overcook due to reheating?
Hi Lisa! We reheat leftovers without any issue. Just reheat it low and slow so that the cream in the soup doesn’t curdle/separate.
That’s not possible 😂 it gets better with each reheat! 🩷
Excellent! Made as written and it was perfect.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Great recipe. You can lighten it up by using evaporated milk. I also used spinach and jalapeños.
Best recipe I have ever made from online. Made this over and over for the Elders and Sisters and they love it. I do as well. Now tho I add Italian spices and pepper to do something different but the original recipe is delicious
Natasha ~ Are the potatoes to be diced or sliced? In the ingredients list is states “chopped”, which makes it sound like cubed to me. Yet, in the instructions it states, “add sliced potatoes”. I’m sure it doesn’t matter either way to the taste, but I can’t remember if Olive Garden uses cubed or sliced potatoes. Thank you for clarifying.
Hello there! I used diced potatoes but sliced will work too!
My Ukrainian husband always looks at your recipes for everything ever since we made your delicious lamb stew a couple of years ago. He saw this soup and asked that we make it which we did last evening. My daughter, always a skeptic when I serve her something new, said it was her favorite soup ever! We all really loved it. I made no changes to the recipe and it was perfect for our tastes. Thank you for another great recipe!
Natasha, I absolutely Love every recipie I have made from your collection of recipes. Anyone can easily watch your videos and become a fantastic cook. You are so good at this.
Your sense of humor is so contagious. Thank you for turning ok cooks into great cooks.
On another note, please know that there are many of us in this country who are on the side of your families country. Although for many of us we feel the world has turned upside down, people like you and your family turn our frowns into smiles. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Chriss!
Hey there. The recipe has tomatoes in it. When do I put them in the pot? Thanks
Hi Maree, this recipe does not call for tomatoes.
I’ve made your Zuppa a number of times and it’s outstanding! Actually the hot Italian sausage is perfect and I normally add a couple pinches of pepper flakes! Thank you for sharing! Will make it this weekend SEMPER Fi
You are very welcome! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe!
By far the best soup we have ever made! Thank you so much!
I’m so happy to hear that, Jessica!
What can I sub for kale? I dislike kale immensely
Spinach works great, collard greens, escarole..
I’m not a fan of kale either but it doesn’t even have the same taste as it usually does.
I’m confused. Written recipe says 6 cups chicken broth and 4 cups water. However, the video says 4 cups broth and 6 cups water. I want to make this soon but not sure on the broth and water measurements. Thank you.
Hi there! The written recipe is the most up to date version. Sometimes we update a recipe but can’t update the video since it’s already been filmed.
Just made this for supper AGAIN! Definitely one of our favorites that I make regularly, especially in Michigan winter, aka “soup season” 🙂 I keep most of the ingredients in the house all the time ~ just need to pick up fresh kale. I have streamlined the prep a little, so supper’s ready in about half an hour!
Absolutely delicious and hearty. Filling and comforting. I used mild Italian sausage because we don’t like spicy.
I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Claire! Thanks for the feedback.
I’ve made this many times and my family loves it! I’ve not bothered with the bacon the last few times and we don’t seem to miss it. I add about a half a cup of thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes. I also drizzle a bit of the oil from the jar to the pan before I cook the sausage.
Excellent flavor – and pretty easy to make. My family loved it. I used low-sodium broth – the bacon crumbles put enough salt into the flavor for us. I used the non-spicy sausage. I think next time I’ll use spicy – I was trying to be nice to my whimpy husband. lol
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This Zuppa Toscana recipe looks absolutely delicious! I love how simple yet flavorful it is, and the addition of a full head of garlic must make the broth incredible. Definitely trying this at home—thank you for the amazing recipe.
I don’t know how, but in the eyes of my family, this is even better than OG! Utter perfection, and delicious with some crunchy sourdough. Delicious, uncomplicated, and rustic.
My family said way too much garlic and too spicy. The second time I made it I used fresh Sicilian sausage from my local meat market instead of hot Italian and cut the garlic called for in half. I also used my home made chicken broth and no water which gave the soup more flavor. I also added some fresh Thyme for flavor. My family loved it. These are just changes to fit my families taste and I’m certain others enjoy the recipe as written. Thank you for posting this recipe which has added a favorite soup to our menu rotation.