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
I used to go to Olive Garden just for this soup. I made this soup for my family and it is delicious!! Now, I will be making it at home. It takes even better the next day. Yum.
I meant “tastes”
It is one of our favorite soups! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
What can you use instead of kale? That’s nasty. I used to feed that to my bearded dragons.
Hi Curt, you’re welcome to substitute that with spinach for kale.
My mom and I enjoy this recipe SO much!! We go to Olive Garden all the time, so it’s nice to make it at home without going anywhere. Thank you so much!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying this recipe!
How do you think this would freeze?
Hi Kate, I haven’t tried freezing it but one of my readers froze it and shared the following helpful info: “I froze the remaining soup in individual servings using freezer bags and this soup is just as delicious the second time around!”
I freeze this soup all the time! I usually make a triple recipe so I can freeze some for later… It’s as good, or better!
My husband thinks that he does not like Kale, is there a substitute?
How about spinach? I think that’s a good one.
If I sub cauliflower instead of potatoes should I reduce the water??
Hi Nikki, I haven’t tested that so I cannot advise, but here is what one of our readers wrote ” Natasha, this soup is perfect for my ketogenic diet. I just substituted potatoes for cauliflower and yum!” I hope that helps.
Daikon is another Low carb substitute for the potatoes…
Great idea! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Absolutely amazing!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Naomi!
Hello if I’m using preminced garlic in a jar how much would I use also I’ve got a bag of kale would a bundle be equal to about 2 cups??
Hi Katherine, I would follow the conversion on the bottle to match per clove. Most bottle show a single clove of garlic is equal to 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, which is the same as 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic. I hope that his helpful.
Just made this tonight and it turned out great. I added one and a half pounds of sausage for a more meaty flavorful soup and it worked. My husbad went to the store to get the stuff for it and accidentally got Silk dairy free heavy whipping cream and it still tasted amazing so thought I’d share for anyone with a lactose sensitivity…my boys like it so much they are actually quiet lol, wish it would let me share a picture it looks awesome!
So nice to know that it also worked well! Thanks for sharing that with us, Liz.
Thank you Natasha! I am so pleased with not only how easy this was to whip together but the bacon and parmesan garnish just made it extra yummy! Made it to the recipe with an extra handful or two of kale, a load of crusty bread and dinner was served! Big hit!
This is one of our favorite recipes, Pamela! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Would this work with Spinach? I’m not a huge fan of Kale’s texture even in soups. Thanks!
Hello Heather, others shared that they used spinach and they loved it!
Good soup. This was a recipe that came up with a quick search. I used a different recipe previously with less cream and no water- just 6 cups broth and liked that richer flavor better.
Hi Alison, thank you so much for sharing that wonderful feedback with us, I’m happy you enjoyed that!
DELICIOUS, made this for my husband, I halved the recipe and it came out perfectly for 3 people, so great will make this again. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Shelby! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
to make this lower sodium, could you just use lower sodium broth and have it taste similar, salting as needed when you make a bowl?
Hello Molly, I haven’t tried that yet but I imagine that should work
I haven’t attempted this yet, but any lower fat recommendation than the heavy cream?
You can 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).
My mother-in-law thought that I stopped by Olive Garden and got this soup to go. Spot on.
Super! What an awesome compliment, thank you!
Would to print Recipes
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that happen to make you that happen!
T you be able to help.
Thank you very much.
Hi Nancy, are you looking for help with printing a recipe? If so you can print the recipe following these steps here “The print friendly recipe is at the bottom of each post. Once you scroll there, click on the print icon in that recipe card which will open a print screen, then you would need to click file —> print. I hope that helps! If not, please let me know exactly what steps you are taking and where you are navigating to print our recipes.”
Can I substitute spinach for kale?
Hi Melissa, you sure can! I hope you love this recipe!
I can’t tell you how many times I have made this soup! It’s a crowd pleaser every time. Love it
That’s so awesome Pearl! It sounds like you found a family favorite!
Better than Olive Gardens soup. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for that amazing review Pat! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!