Give this Olive Garden copycat Zuppa Toscana soup recipe a try! Flavorful Italian sausage, bacon, veggies, tender potatoes and kale in a creamy broth, the ultimate copycat soup recipe.
Pair this with my copycat Olive Garden Salad recipe for the ultimate dinner.
ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP RECIPE
If you love the famous Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup, then you need to give this easy copycat recipe a try! Enjoy this all you can eat pot of homemade zuppa Toscana that is loaded with tender potatoes, Italian sausage, veggies all in a creamy base. This hearty and comforting soup recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner no matter the season!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Bacon– The added bacon in this soup adds so much added flavors! Adding bacon is totally optional, you do not have to add bacon.
- Italian Sausage– Either regular or hot ground Italian sausage can be used.
- Onion– You can use either red onion or cooking onion for this soup recipe.
- Carrots– Either shredded or julienned carrots are best for Zuppa Toscana, but you can also use diced carrots.
- Garlic– Freshly minced garlic adds so many flavors to this recipe! You do not want to skimp out on the garlic; I recommend that you use freshly minced garlic not jarred minced garlic.
- Potatoes– You can use either regular, yellow or red potatoes for this copycat Zuppa Toscana soup recipe! I love to use washed and unpeeled red potatoes for this soup.
- Flavors– To season this soup, this recipe calls for the classics, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne powder for a little kick.
- Broth– Chicken, vegetable or beef broth can be used for this soup. I like to use water and mix it with chicken bullion powder instead of buying broth. You can also use low-sodium chicken broth or even homemade broth for this soup.
- Heavy Cream– To make this hearty zuppa soup creamy, the recipe calls for heavy whipping cream, but for a lighter version you can just use milk or half and half creamer.
- Kale– The key to this soup is the kale! Freshly chopped kale gives this soup extra flavors and nutrients. You can also use frozen chopped kale.
HOW TO MAKE OLIVE GARDEN ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP
You can have this creamy and hearty Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup recipe ready in no time!
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon until browned and crispy. Remove the bacon and set it aside. Scoop out the bacon grease, leaving about 2 Tablespoons for sautéing.
- Add the ground Italian sausage and cook until cooked through. Remove the sausage from the pot and set aside.
- Sauté the onions and carrots in the bacon grease until tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Dice potatoes into ½-inch cubes, then add them to the pot along with the sausage, seasonings, and liquids.
- Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are soft and tender.
- Stir in kale, cooked bacon, and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer and then remove from heat.
- Garnish with freshly chopped herbs and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately with desired sides.
PAIR WITH– Serve this delicious soup with the right sides for the ultimate dinner!
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
No! Although adding bacon adds so much flavor, it is not a must! You can totally skip the bacon in the soup.
If you use mild Italian sausage, then this soup will not be spicy. But If you love spice, use hot Italian sausage and add more cayenne powder and red pepper flakes to the soup!
No! You can leave the heavy whipping cream out for a simple sausage and kale soup. I love doing it this way, since I don’t prefer creamy soups.
One of the keys to this recipe is the kale, so I recommend that you keep it in this soup. But if you don’t like kale, try it with spinach or no greens at all.
Yes, the best thing about soups is that you can make soup and enjoy it for 3-4 days.
You can totally prepare in advance! You can cook bacon, sausage and veggies for up to 1-2 days ahead of time. Just store in the fridge until ready to make the soup! When ready, just add the veggies and sausage to the pot and continue with the recipe.
Once the soup is cooled, store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
OTHER SOUP RECIPES-
Fall and winter months call for warm and cozy soups for dinner! Here are some other delicious soup recipes:
Follow me on all my socials for my new Soup Series for more delicious and effortless soup recipes!
Copycat Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz bacon chopped
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 cup medium carrots shredded
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 lbs red potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 32 oz broth
- 4 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups chopped kale fresh or frozen
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until browned.
- Remove the bacon from the pot and add to a paper-towel lined bowl and set it aside. Carefully spoon out the extra grease, leaving about 2 Tbsp of bacon grease in the pot for sautéing.
- Add the ground sausage to the pot and cook, breaking apart as it cooks, for about 4-5 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the sausage to a bowl or plate and set aside.
- Add the chopped onions and carrots to the pot and sauté in the bacon and sausage grease on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. (If you are skipping the bacon, sauté the veggies with 1 Tbsp butter or olive oil.)
- Meanwhile, peel and rinse the potatoes and dice into even sized pieces about ½-inch cubes. (You can leave the skins on, if you prefer.)
- Once the veggies are tender, add in the minced garlic and cook for about a minute, until fragrant.
- Add the cooked sausage, diced potatoes, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne powder to the pot and mix to combine.
- Pour in the chicken broth and water and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Once the water is boiling, cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, until tender.
- When the potatoes are cooked through, add in the chopped kale, bacon, and heavy whipping cream and bring to a soft boil.
- Remove from the heat and top with freshly chopped greens and grated parmesan.
- Serve immediately with desired sides.
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