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
This recipe is a keeper! I took your suggestions by adding red pepper flakes since I only had regular Italian sausage and I substituted spinach for the kale. It turned out great.
I’m so glad that worked out well for you, Alison!
Easy recipe, great for a cold night. I love this soup!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Amy! I’m so happy you loved it!
Made the Zuppa Toscana soup today and like all of Natasha’s recipes it was a winner. Thanks!
I’m so happy you loved it, Pauline!
Great recipe- all 11 of my siblings loved it!!
I was shopping/gathering the ingredients for this soup, which I LOVE and have made many times, when I got the email for the Cooking Club contest….what a fun opportunity. This soup is really delicious, easy, and the family loves it! Give it a try!
I’m so glad you tried it, Debby! Thank you for sharing your feedback with me!
This is a delicious recipe, I followed the video which was fun and my son and I were divided, he likes pickles on top and I like them at the side.
Absolutely delicious, the bacon and sausage are a lovely combination and then the kale is so fresh with just a bit of a bite, I made it with cooks cream rather than coconut milk but I will try coconut milk next time. A sprinkle of parmesan topped the flavours off nicely.
That’s so wonderful, Chezzie! I’m delighted to hear you found this soup delicious! Its very popular for good reason!
This soup is literally amazing it’s so flavorful and the bacon add such a nice taste. The lady kale is so beautiful and the potatoes add such a nice texture. This soup in general is so amazing def in the top 5. 😋😋😋🤩🤩🤩
It sounds like you found a new favorite, Larysa! I’m so happy you loved it.
Delicious! Like another person I subbed out kale for spinach. Also didn’t top with bacon but still a lot of flavor. Best meal for cold days!
I’m so glad you loved it with the spinach, Julie!
This is by far our family’s favorite soup ever 😁🤗
Really delicious, a repeat recipe for sure!!
I’m so glad you found a new favorite on my blog, Cristina!
This is my husband’s most requested recipe in the winter. It is delicious especially on a snowy day!
Yes, we especially love it on a snowy day also, Jennifer! I’m so happy to hear you both loved it.
Great recipe, better than the restaurant!
Don’t you just love it when you can make restaurant quality food at home?
I have made your recipe and we loved it, I did change out the kale for spinach, I don’t like kale and it was just as good. Just add the spinach at the end worked for us thank you again for a great recipe
I can’t wait to make this. My question is I use a slow cooker for his recipe’
I haven’t tried using a slow cooker for this recipe. I think that will work but you have to make some adjusments.
Made this for our games night group tonight and it was a big hit! This soup is really a full meal because it’s so hearty! I just served it with roasted garlic bread. I will definitely be making this again!
This goes so well with garlic bread! thank you for your wonderful review, Karen! I’m glad you loved it.
This soup was delicious and tasted just like OG. My 3 year old who is a picky eater, dislikes veggies and any potato that isn’t fries even loved it. I did cut down the kale to about 5.5 cups and think I will cut down another 1/2 to 1 cup next time, it seemed to be just a bit too much for my family’s liking.
Thank you for sharing that with me, Angelica!
Delicious, hearty, and perfect for a chilly night.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Iris!
So so good! I happened to have a bottle of bubbly left over from NYE, so I steed that to deglaze my Dutch oven! Oh my, so delicious! I also topped with crushed red pepper flakes as we live to spice things up.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
This recipe is delicious!. . And gluten free.. I will be adding this recipe to my soup rotation.