Zuppa Toscana soup is a classic Olive Garden dish that combines spicy Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes, and kale in a rich and creamy soup. It’s incredibly easy to make at home and will surely become a favorite for soup season!
Why You’ll Love This Zuppa Toscana Soup
A fresh pot of this Zuppa Toscana soup always makes eating at home that much cozier. It’s one of Olive Garden’s most popular recipes (for good reason!), but you can save yourself the time and effort of going out by making it at home. I often describe it as a “meat and potatoes soup,” but one where the Italian sausage and bacon impart deliciously smoky and spicy undertones to the creamy broth. Plus, I love adding extra kale or spinach for more greens, because I’m all about balance. This Olive Garden copycat recipe is truly a nostalgic one, so if you haven’t yet tried it, let me tell you why you’ll love it:
- It’s made all in one pot. Once all the ingredients are prepped, the soup is cooked and simmered in one pot in less than 30 minutes.
- It’s a full meal kinda soup. The sausage, potatoes, and kale are hearty enough to fill you up!
- There’s plenty of room for creativity. You can add more crunchy toppings, sprinkle cheese, or bulk it up with protein and fiber (I love adding white beans). I’ll share more ideas below.
- Make it an Olive Garden dinner spread. To replicate my family outings at Olive Garden at home, I’ll often make shrimp scampi and chicken marsala (two other recipes you’ll find on Olive Garden’s menu), along with this soup. This spread is always a hit for large dinner parties!
Zuppa Toscana Ingredients
- Meat: The heart of this soup is spicy Italian sausage, but the bacon bits add that extra oomph for a richer pork flavor.
- Potatoes: You can use Yukon Gold or white potatoes. Waxy potatoes like these will hold their shape better than russet potatoes.
- Kale: I’m using dino kale, but you could use curly kale or another favorite leafy green like baby spinach or chard.
- Aromatics: A mix of onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning helps round out all the flavors.
- Liquids: Heavy cream is traditionally used. But if you’re dairy-free, you can also use cashew cream or coconut cream (though the coconut flavor might pop through) along with the chicken broth.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Zuppa Toscana Soup
Cook the bacon and onions. Sauté the bacon until crispy, remove to a paper-towel-lined plate, and spoon out excess oil except for one to two tablespoons. Then, sauté the onions until softened, add the garlic, and cook until fragrant.
Cook the sausage. Add the sausage, breaking it up with your spatula, and sauté until cooked through. Then, add the potatoes, Italian seasoning and broth, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Add the kale and sausage. Once the potatoes are done, add the chopped kale, bacon, and heavy cream. Give everything a stir and let it simmer for another 5 minutes, so that the flavors can meld together. Then you’re done!
Flavor Additions
- Add extra veggies: Besides kale, you can also add Swiss chard, spinach, zucchini, or bell peppers for extra color and nutrients.
- Garnish with crunchy toppings: I love parmesan crisps, but you can also add roasted chickpeas or crispy shallots.
- Add more cheese: If you love an extra indulgent soup, add freshly shaved parmesan on top!
- Make it heartier: Add white beans or chickpeas for extra protein and fiber. I personally love white beans for an extra Tuscan feel.
Storage Tips
- To store in the fridge: Let the soup cool to room temperature before placing it in an airtight container. It can be stored for 4 to 5 days.
- To freeze for later: This is a great option for freezer meal prep. Just store leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating tips: Reheating this soup is a cinch! Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then reheat it on the stovetop or microwave until it’s warmed through.
More Soup Recipes
- Tomato Soup: A must-make for tomato season.
- Taco Soup: The best beefy taco flavors in one soup.
- Black Bean Soup: Such a delicious way to enjoy black beans.
- Potato Leek Soup: Another favorite for soup season.
- Or browse through my list of soup recipes for more ideas!
If you make this Zuppa Toscana soup recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven My favorite cast iron pot for cooking soups!
Ingredients
- 6 pieces bacon, chopped
- 1 pound spicy ground Italian sausage
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups roughly chopped kale
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. In a large pot over medium heat, add the bacon and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and spoon out excess oil, leaving about one tablespoon in the pot to cook the sausage and add flavor.
- Cook the onions. Add the onions to the pot, turn the heat to medium-high, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Then, add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Cook the sausage. Add the sausage, breaking it up with your spatula and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and broth. Add the potatoes, Italian seasoning and chicken broth, and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Add the kale, bacon and cream. Once the potatoes are done, add the chopped kale, bacon, and heavy cream. Give everything a stir and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Garnish and serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with ground black pepper before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tips: Store leftovers in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- For me, 4 cups of roughly chopped kale was from 4 to 5 large stems or about half a bunch.
Nutrition
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Behind The Scenes
With the rain we’ve been having the last few weeks I’ve had this recipe on repeat. And I even gave Emily (my social media manager) a batch for her and her husband to enjoy. Because it’s hard to beat the cozy, comforting vibes of this soup on a cold and rainy day. Needless to say, all of our bellies were happy!
My oh my that’s some really good soup and I would honestly believe simple enough for anyone to make perfect alone or paired with salad or pasta or fish,very nice. thank you
Glad you loved this Zuppa Toscana soup, Theresa!
I have trouble getting my family to eat vegetables. They all raved about this soup. It’s the perfect dinner during the winter. Very satisfying.
What a great way to sneak in more greens! Enjoy, Julie.
I have made this soup many times, and it is definitely a five star winner! My husband gave me a call last week saying his secretary ordered ZT soup from Olive Garden for the office lunch, and that mine was MUCH better! Thank you, Lisa;)! So I HAD to make it last night. along that we’re readying for the ice storm coming to Georgia, USA, and again, it never fails to satisfy on a monumental scale. I follow the recipe, as I have tried a mild sausage and gnocchi (all I had in my pantry), and even though I am NOT a spicy food fan, the spicy sausage makes this soup greater. Yukon Gold potatoes are definitely also a keeper; however, I do use all baby spinach (hubby prefers it) AND I love adding sliced mushrooms and prefer to slice them thinly. Perfection, of course, jmo:). You will not be sorry you make and eat this absolutely delicious and satisfying soup! Best wishes, and Lisa, thanks again<3!!
Hi Michele – That’s great news to hear! Now you can have the BEST zuppa toscana right at home. Enjoy!
Very good.
Enjoy, DL!
Delicious soup! I added extra sausage (part hot and part mild), extra kale and more heavy creamsince we like our protein and veggies. I had one big russet and added small Yukon gold.
My favorite recipe for kale!
Love it! Glad this soup was a hit, Joyce.
Love this flavorful recipe along with all of your recipes that I have made. The video tutorials are great, informative into the point. I love the quality ingredients. You always use and enjoy the site very much. Thank you
Glad you’re loving this soup along with all the tutorials, Tamara!
This is one of my family’s top requested soups! We make this on repeat. Thank you, Lisa, for developing recipes we can 100% trust and count on.
Happy to hear your family is loving this zuppa toscana soup, Trina!
I made this soup it turned out delicious, I didn’t have cream I used 2% milk and 2 strips of bacon, still came out delicious
I sprinkled some grated Parmesan cheese, my family were very happy,
Thank you!
Hi Rita – Thanks for leaving a review and I’m so glad this soup was a hit!
Excellent flavor and so easy to make! Even my husband who thinks he doesn’t like kale, loved this soup. Will definitely be added to our winter meal rotation. Thank you for another great recipe!
Happy to hear you’re loving this zuppa toscana soup, Angela!
Hello – Recipe looks delicious. Do you peel the potatoes? I have never cooked Kale – does it matter what kind to use?
Hi Kelly – you can peel the potatoes or leave them unpeeled, it’s up to you. And any variety of kale works in this soup. Enjoy!
Love love love!! It’s mine and my girl’s fave soup of all soups. This recipe turned out wonderful, and I’m using it as my entry in our church cookoff youth fundraiser tomorrow! Thinking this will place well 🏆🫶🏼
How exciting! I hope you win, Carolyn :)
This was excellent! I’m not a fan of kale, so I swapped that out for spinach. Served with a nice baguette and it was a great meal for a cold, dark night! I really like this because I always have all these ingredients on hand, and the leftovers keep well in the fridge.
This definitely is a pantry-friendly meal! Glad you love it, Debbie :)
This soup was so flavorful and warming! My whole family loved it! Will definitely be making many times this winter.
Another great recipe, thank you!
Hi Jill – I’m so glad the whole family loved this zuppa toscana soup!
SOOOO tasty!! Subbed spinach for kale and left everything else the same. Everyone loved it!
Glad everyone enjoyed this soup, Jacquelyn!
This soup is DELICIOUS and has been a FAN FAVORITE from the first time I made it. And by “FAN” I mean my family and friends. The word has gotten out just how delicious, filling and satisfying this soup is, therefore, it’s been requested often as the menu of choice by friends. It freezes well in individual serving containers, which is nice, because when I don’t feel like preparing a meal for myself, I can just take a container out and enjoy a fabulous meal for one. Thank you for sharing this. And did I mention, it’s SO easy to make. Whenever I get a shout-out from someone about a meal I’ve made, I make sure to give credit where credit is due….TO YOU! I’ve directed a lot of friends to your site and they too are enjoying, not only the delicious recipes, but cooking again!
A BIG THANK YOU from us all!
Hi Zarita – I’m so glad this soup has been a fan favorite ever since! Thanks for spreading the word as well :)
I have made this soup and it’s so delicious! I truly enjoy these recipes and Lisa’s other cooking recommendations.
Happy to hear you’re loving the recipes, Samantha!
Delicious! My mother in law loved it!
Wonderful! Glad she loved this Zuppa Toscana soup.
Sooooo delicious!!! I followed your recipie exactly and my three teenagers loved it!!! Perfect fall/winter dinner with yummy bread!! Thank u!🤗
Woohoo! Happy to hear this soup was such a hit with everyone, Jolee.
Could I make this in the Crockpot? And could I use coconut milk for a non dairy alternative?
Hi Moni – yes, as long as you can brown the meat and bacon in your Crockpot, you can use that, along with the coconut milk. Enjoy!