This Zuppa Toscana recipe (made popular by Olive Garden!) is an extremely comforting and delicious soup. It's loaded with Italian sausages, kale, and potatoes. It's perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner!
Looking for more soup recipes? Try my Ham and Bean Soup next!
About This Recipe
The first time I had Zuppa Toscana was at my wife's friend's house many, many years ago. The funny thing is I did not know it was called Zuppa Toscana at the time! She made it with ground pork, kale, and potatoes, and I remember it being very delicious.
A few years later, I went on a trip to Seattle with some of my friends from Vancouver. And, of course, we stopped at the Olive Garden to try their famous unlimited breadsticks (this is one of the things Canadians look forward to most when they go down to the States, btw).
The breadsticks were amazing! But the real star of the show was the Zuppa Toscana soup! It was so good, even better than my wife's friend made it! I knew that as soon as I got home, I was going to try making it for meal prep.
The recipe I'm sharing today is the one that I've been making since that day. It's loaded with Italian sausages, healthy kale, and tender potatoes. And I will admit, I always add EXTRA kale and potatoes to make it extra nutritious.
Key Ingredients
Italian Sausage: I used hot Italian sausages from Johnsonville. I don't find the soup too spicy, but I have a high spice tolerance. For a kid-friendly version, use mild or medium.
Kale: I used a small bunch of kale. Make sure to remove the stems from the leaves since they are chewy and fibrous.
Potatoes: You can use any type of potato here. I use whatever I have at home. I think it tastes the best with Russets, though.
Heavy cream: You can substitute this with half and half if you're fat-averse.
Chicken stock: For the chicken stock, I just mixed Better Than Bouillon with 5 cups of water.
Bacon: There's bacon in the Olive Garden version, but when I make Zuppa Toscana at home, I usually leave it out. For this recipe, though, I wanted it to be an exact copycat, so I included it.
Lemon: I once read on Reddit that a former Olive Garden employee said they added a little bit of lemon juice to the soup, so I do the same. It really livens it up!
Instructions
STEP 1: Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook it for 3-4 minutes, using a spatula to break it into small pieces until no longer pink.
STEP 2: Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
STEP 3: Add the chicken stock, potatoes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes have softened.
STEP 4: Stir in the kale and heavy cream, and cook for 3 minutes until the kale has softened. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
STEP 5: Serve with bacon bits and a squeeze of lemon juice. Enjoy!
๐ Recipe
Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or chicken broth)
- 1.5 pounds potatoes (diced)
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small bunch kale (stems removed and chopped)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 strips bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and use your spatula to break the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Cook for 3-4 minutes until no longer pink.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, followed by the potatoes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Stir in the kale and heavy cream and cook for another 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve warm with bacon bits and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!
Twala Miller
My favorite soup, this recipe did not disappoint...tastes just like Olive Gardens zuppa!