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 was a big hit tonight! Family loved it! I used a mild sausage and spinach instead of kale because thats what I had on hand.
That’s great! I’m so glad you loved it!
This soup is delicious and filling. Wasn’t hard to make either.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Diane! Thank you for sharing that with me.
I make this soup regularly. it is such a hit so delicous..I am entering mine in the contest. I watch your videos and I recommend your website to all my friends.. Thanks Natasha
Hi Margaret! I’m so glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much for joining our Cooking challenge .
This recipe is super easy to make. It’s fast and delicious. Thank you.
Hello, I made your Zuppa Toscana soup last nite O my its was delicious my husband had 3 bowls said this was a spectacular soup. The only thing i change was i use spinach in place of the kale cause he doesn’t care for kale. Thank again for the recipes will make again.
Hi Peggy! I’m so glad you both loved it. Thanks so much for sharing.
I absolutely LOVE this soup and I have been making it for several years or more. I used your recipe this time and I loved it even better as it uses Bacon! 🙂
I love this soup and often order it at Olive Garden. I was excited to see this recipe – it was great – entire family loved it and could not get enough. I think I will definitely making it often ❤️
That’s wonderful, Denise!
I have made this soup many times, and it is alwaysa winner. My family asks for it regularly. It is full of flavor and so satisfying.
Big hit with the whole family! I couldn’t find spicy sausage, so I used Italian sausage and added about a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and that added just the right amount of kick. Loved this recipe for a cold January night – it’s going in the rotation!
I’m so glad to hear it was a hit!
Delicious recipe! My daughter and husband loved it too. Will be remaking this again in the future.
We made this tonight during a blizzard and loved it! I used mild sausage as we have 6 kids and I wanted them all to eat it, also substituted baby spinach instead of kale because that is what my family prefers, and it was delicious! This will be going on our regular cold weather meal rotation!
I’m glad everyone enjoyed it! Stay safe!
I used mild sausage, but I added a few red pepper flakes. I could’ve added just a few more, but I don’t really like it spicy. It was very, very good and other than that I followed the recipe as directed. I shared with the neighbor across the street, but I don’t know what she thought of it yet. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing your experience trying this recipe. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
I made this on a very cold day that definitely called for soup. The recipe was easy to follow and I had all of the ingredients. It was delicious! Perfect for “soup weather”!
Vegetarian here! We subbed the meat for different vegetarian substitutes (impossible and morning star) and it turned out phenomenal!
I’m glad you were able to make a vegetarian version of this recipe and loved it!
this soup is always on our monthly rotation. so easy to make and very filling. my kids crave this soup over any other soup I make.
I subbed venison sausage and venison bacon and paired it with a homemade cheddar bay and green onion yogurt scone! It was perfect for the Winter Storm!
I’m glad you enjyed it, thank you for sharing your substitution!
This was a heartly delicious soup. Paired it with your delicious sourdough bread and this was a great meal for a cold snowy January day! Hubby loved it too even with the kale!
My kids were pleasantly surprised that you could not taste any bitterness from the kale and they enjoyed it so much they took leftovers to school the next day!
Replace potatoes with turnips to reduce carbs and calories. Delicious!
I’m glad that worked out well, Brandi!
Excellent flavor and amazingly simple to make! Great directions on this recipe. Glad I didn’t try to “doctor it up!”, as my mother would say!
I’m so excited you found the flavor great, Robby!