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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Any suggestions for how to make this in an Instant Pot with the Soup function? 5/5 recipe, one of my go-tos.
Hi Larissa! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe. I haven’t made it in an instant pot, but here is a comment from one of my viewers who did.
“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.”
I love the recipe but I have tried different Hot Italian sausages. They all had a spice that gave the broth a pink color which I don’t like. Any suggestions?
Hi Avis, it could be the type or brand of sausage and the fat they used for it.
I make this soup once a month. I love it and so does my Mom. It’s one of the best recipes I’ve ever made. It will be a staple in my home.
So happy to hear that, Cheryl!
For a slightly different flavor palette use Chorizo vs Italian hot. One of my family’s favorite soups that I make, and they are split down the middle as to Italian or Chorizo.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Evelyn!
Don’t hold back on the garnishes! They really finish off each serving.
Absolutely! I’m with you on that one, Evelyn! Thank you for your review!
Very nice, light and simple. And of course, very tasty. Thank you so much
You’re very welcome, Dennis!
One mine and my boyfriend’s favorite dish! And it’s one we share with other all of the time.
The only thing we do different is use breakfast sausage instead of Italian.
This soup was SO GOOD! The recipe was easy to follow and well written. My husband couldn’t get enough of it when I made it last week. So much so that he requested I make it for dinner again tonight! I highly recommend this recipe!
I was wondering if canning Could be an option? I’m the only one that likes it as it would be nice to process into pints. Have one whenever, without wasting a lot.
Hi Bill! I have not tried canning this. I’m not sure what the food safety recommendation would be for canning this.
Bill, I think you could can it like a meat product but don’t put the cream in until after you heat your canned product…to be safe, you could go to the Ball Canning site, but I don’t think it would be any different than a canned stew.
Dairy can be tricky to can. I’d opt for freezing. You can experiment with size of slices to get the best result. I’d freeze without kale and add kale after the soup is thawed and reheated to keep the best color. My only problem with freezing cooked potatoes is the texture.
Does it matter if I cook the bacon first then cut bacon with scissors or slice bacon then cook? Thanks
Hi Raylene, you can take that approach if you prefer, just be sure to not burn them.
Delish, on repeat at my house, always make a double batch, goes so fast but add 1 lb of ground pork instead of extra sausage
I’m allergic to Kale.can I substitute spinach
Hi Brenda, yes, spinach will work.
Def water cream ratio is off. I did 2 cups water 2 cups cream and yukon potatoes for better consistency
Hi Deanna! We’ve made the so recipe so many times and enjoy the balance. Did you use a lighter cream, such as half and half? You can definitely switch it up and add more cream if you prefer that.
This soup was delicious! Totally comfort food. I mixed spicy and mild sausage together for just the right amount of spice for us. It would be good with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for anyone who wants it to have a bit more kick. The only thing I didn’t love about the soup is how much liquid is in it, proportional to the solid ingredients. I would put less broth/water in it next time. It was very easy to make and yields great results! I’m taking it to a potluck tonight along with some Italian Parmesan bread I made, so I’ll see how they all like it…
I’ve added dried potato flakes whe the soup isn’t thick enough. I’ve also boiled extra potatoes then added broth and used an immersion blender to mix them before adding back into the soup. Potato flakes are much easier and don’t really alter the taste at all. Avoid paprika and vegetable broth with any tomato in it to keep the broth creamy white
I must admit since converting to an electric stove, my cooking has suffered dramatically. After researching for tips on how to cook on an electric stove, the toscana soup was the first recipe I tried. Oooh, perfection!! Your recipe was easy to follow & today I’m making your chili soup. I thank you & my husband thanks you even more. 😀
Hi Eileen! I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe. It’s one of my favorites. I think you’ll love the chili too!
Wow! This soup is amazing! I’ve made it exactly as written many times. My whole family just loves it! It’s a commonly requested soup in our family. It’s fairly inexpensive to make, tastes awesome, and is also pretty quick and easy. I get my kids to help with the prep work and cook it once everything is chopped up and ready. Once the cooking starts, it’s a breeze and even the leftovers taste awesome. I’ve made many Natasha’s kitchen recipes, and none disappoint. This is one of our favorites. Thank you!
I love this soup when made exactly as written but I now thinly slice my potatoes and add one can of corn. I also add about 5-6 cups of chopped kale. I take some out for my daughter right before adding the cream as she is lactose intolerant, she loves it as well!
I love your recipes, I got your book at Costco
This is sooo good!!! I like it better than Olive Garden’s!!!!
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
Which Italian spices and how much? Thank you.