Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana is a hearty Italian, homemade, creamy sausage and potato soup just like you get at the restaurant!
THE BEST COPYCAT RECIPE
Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana is one of my family's favorite soups. This soup is so easy to make and you only need one pot! These kinds of soups are really a full meal. Just serve with OLIVE GARDEN BREADSTICKS and it's the perfect dinner!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
It's an Italian-inspired soup that is full of potatoes, sausage, kale, bacon and its all simmered in a creamy chicken broth.
Zuppa Toscana just means Tuscan Soup in Italian. But it sounds fancier in Italian, right? 😉 It's like PASTA E FAGIOLI just means Pasta and Beans in Italian but it sounds so much better when you say Pasta e Fagioli.
Traditionally, in Italy, Zuppa Toscana is made with beans, potatoes, bacon and bread. So this version is our Americanized version of that Italian soup.
Kale is in the same family as collard greens and mustard greens and if you've ever cut those, then you'll be familiar. If you've never dealt with any kind of large green, it can seem very intimidating. But it's easy. The main goal is to remove the leaves from the stem. We don't want to eat the stem. You'll be cutting the kale in a "V" pattern to separate the leaves from the stem. Like any other green, you need to rinse it very well to remove any dirt or grit.
I am no wine expert but I would definitely go with a white wine like a Chardonnay or perhaps a German Riesling if you prefer something sweeter. If you'd much rather have red wine, I would suggest a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Yes this can be frozen. I would suggest that you do not overcook the potatoes though. Sometimes when reheating the soup from frozen, the potatoes will completely break down and be mushy. It needs to be stored in a freezer-safe, airtight container.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- bacon
- Italian sausage
- yellow onion
- garlic
- chicken stock or chicken broth
- russet potatoes
- salt and pepper
- kale
- heavy whipping cream
- grated Parmesan cheese
HOW TO MAKE OLIVE GARDEN'S ZUPPA TOSCANA:
First chop up the kale. If you've never worked with greens before, it's important to remove the stems and wash any grit off. Cut the kale in a "V" pattern to separate the leaves from the stem. Chop up leaves into bite size pieces. You want about 2 cups worth of leaves. Then put kale into a colander and rinse well to remove any dirt or grit that might still be hanging on. I also like to massage it a bit as I rinse. I think this helps to really soften the kale. Let it drain well.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, brown and crumble sausage along with onions. During the last couple minutes of cooking, toss in garlic. Once cooked, drain excess grease.
Return sausage mixture back to pot and pour in chicken stock. Then add in cubed potatoes.
Cover and allow potatoes to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until tender. Once potatoes are tender, pour in heavy cream and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
Then stir in kale and chopped, cooked bacon. Bring mixture back up to a simmer and allow the kale to soften and wilt.
Give it a test (be careful - it's hot!) and see if you need more seasoning like salt or pepper.
Then serve!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 2 cups kale washed and cut into bite size pieces
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 32 ounce container chicken broth (or stock) 4 cups
- 3 cups russet potatoes cubed
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- Garnish: Parmesan cheese grated, to taste
Instructions
- First chop up your kale. If you've never worked with greens before, it's important to remove the stems and wash any grit off.
- Cut the kale in a "V" pattern to separate the leaves from the stem. Chop up leaves into bite size pieces. You want about 2 cups worth.
- Pu chopped kale into a colander and rinse well to remove any dirt or grit that might still be hanging on. I like to massage the kale at this point. This will help to really to soften it up. Let it drain well.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot, brown and crumble sausage along with onions.
- During the last couple minutes of cooking, toss in minced garlic.
- Once sausage is fully cooked, drain excess grease.
- Return sausage mixture back to pot and pour in chicken stock.
- Then add in cubed potatoes.
- Cover pot and allow potatoes to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until tender.
- Once potatoes are tender, pour in heavy cream and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
- Then add in kale and chopped, cooked bacon.
- Stir again. Bring mixture back up to a simmer and allow the kale to soften and wilt.
- Give it a taste test (be careful - it's hot!) and see if you need more seasoning like salt or pepper. Then serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published April 2013
Updated and republished: October 2021
Jen
This soup with a loaf of crusty bread is now my go-to meal when I’m taking someone dinner. Always a hit!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Woo hoo! So wonderful to hear that Jen!!
Haleigh
Amazing soup ! We make it once a week at our house. I have a question though... for the nutritional value is that per cup of soup ? I am a diabetic so I need to know how many carbohydrates I’m eating at a meal. If you could let know what unit of measurement you used to get that nutritional value that would be great !
Brandie @ The Country Cook
That's so great to hear Haleigh!! Yay!! As for the nutrition value, I tell everyone to use their own trusted personal nutritional calculators. The nutritional information here is only provided for general information purposes only. Especially if you have a health condition that requires you keep a tight control on what you eat. Plus, some health apps these days let you adjust the amounts etc. so you can really tailor it to your needs and can sometimes provide healthier substitutes based on your diet needs. So it helps keep things consistent no matter what site you get your recipe from. I hope that helps! https://www.thecountrycook.net/disclaimers/
Carmen Mansfield
OMGOODNESS! I have made this soup several times! Much better than OG, because it's homemade with LOVE! My family absolutely loves it and I always have to make a double batch!
Thank u for this amazing recipe!
AJ
Great recipe! I’ve made this a few times and it’s become a fall/winter staple. I make it with spicy Italian sausage since we like some kick to our food. My SIL has substituted with cauliflower and it’s still yummy! This last time I made it I used a package of frozen diced hash browns as I was in a pinch and it worked well. Thanks for a tasty recipe!!
Jennifer Bowerman
This is one of my favorite go to recipes. I've now made it so many times I don't have to refer to the recipe but I wanted to comment in case someone else was looking to make this. I typically reduce the cream to about 1/2 a cup to 3/4 cup. I just find it doesn't need that much and still has a rich flavor from all the other fat sources. I also put lots and lots of extra Kale, which I put a little olive oil and salt and pepper on first, before it goes into the soup.
Pjean
I have made this several times and it is perfect. We love it with a loaf of crusty bread. YUM!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
Carla
This is a great recipe! My friend has made it for me before and now I’m going to try making it! Just curious... Has anyone ever made this in the crockpot?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thank you so much Carla!!
Erin
I've made this so many times and it's always delicious!
Leah
I love love love this recipe, made it about 4 times now!! I think it’s way better than OG. I use precut kale or baby kale and it still turns out wonderful. Many thanks for sharing!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Woo hoo!! Thank you so very much Leah!
Mimi
I’m making this soup tonight for my kids. Can I make it in a crockpot after browning the sausage and onion of course?
Shannon
Heavenly!! Made the recipe x4 for daughters baby shower. Everyone one raved about it and asked for the recipe!!
I am wondering though, if anyone has ever frozen it before? I love to have on hand for those gotta have it moments:)
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Awwww wow!! So happy to hear that Shannon. Thank you so very much! I haven't personally frozen it but I think you can definitely do that. As long as it is sealed well, it should hold up in the freezer. 🙂
Margaret
Made this tonight and it was awesome! My family loved it and I only had half and half at home so I used that instead of heavy cream. So delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Yay!! Thank you Margaret! You are so sweet to come back and leave a review! So happy you loved it!!
CLee
I order this each time I visit Olive Garden, well... since I’ve decided that eating out wasn’t something I wanted to continue doing, I wanted to give this recipe a try. THIS RECIPE IS BOMB!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!! Breadsticks, soup, paired with a salad is perfect for a cold day!!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Woo hoo! Yay!! This is so wonderful to read. I am thrilled you loved it!!!
Diane
My family loves this soup!! Thank you for posting it!!! Definitely will make this again !!!
Brittany
So delish!!! I didn’t add bacon and it was still good. I think the only thing I would change is to dice my potato’s a bit bigger (my own fault). I love how SIMPLE this recipe is!!!!
Payton
This has become one of our go-to dinners. So fresh and simple and my goodness delicious!!! We always pair it with a loaf of French bread. Leftovers don’t last long!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thank you so much Payton! I am so thrilled to read this!!
Karen
I made this yesterday and we loved it. It was very close to Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana. Love it!
Carol Keller
I love Olive Garden but I like this recipe even more. I really don't like Kale so I add fresh spinach to each bowl before adding soup. Delicious........... btw, I never have whipping creme so I add milk or half and half or whatever I have (sometime condensed) Still delicious.....Thanks!
Carrie Nelson
We love this soup! My Husband is a huge fan of it and says that its better than Olive Gardens! we enjoy it so much that I make it year round! Gotta love a really good one pot meal too!
Sylvia
Recipe turned out well. I added one chicken bouillon cube for flavor and used real Bacon bits pieces in place of fried bacon.
Amy
Thank you for this recipe!!! The Zuppa Toscana is my absolute favorite soup. I followed your recipe and it tasted exactly the same as Olive Garden. I'm so glad I can make it from home now!
Sonni
Love this recipes! I also add a can of white cannelini beans and use once can of evaportaed milk instead of heavy cream. A sure winner in this household, thanks for the recipe!
Marsha
I made this soup last night, and my husband commented that it’s better than the OG version. Thanks so much for posting this.
Katie
Wow! This soup turned out perfect. Thanks for the great recipe!
Audrey
This is a great recipe but I was wondering if there’s a healthy version of it?
Destiny
Cauliflower instead of potatoes
Caress
Cauliflower is awesome with this recipe!!!
Devonne
What do you mean by whipping cream? Are you talking about the whipped cream that goes on top of pies etc....
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Devonne, check out my ingredient photo above and you'll see what I am talking about. Heavy whipping cream is a liquid and you can find it where the milk is located in the grocery store. Hope that helps! 🙂
Sara
Can this be made in a crockpot I wonder?? Has anyone tried it that’s way?
Morton Lennox
Hi Brandie!
Paula
Can this soup be frozen?
Bekka
The Zuppa Toscana is my favorite soup from Olive Garden and I've been making it almost exactly like yours for years! Really, the only difference is that I add Fennel Seed. It makes it perfect in my opinion!
Christina W
I just wanted to let you know this has become one of my favorite soups to make! My six year old son loves it and I always find myself coming back to your recipe!
Ashley
This is a great recipe! To make it lighter, I use Turkey Sausage and Half and Half rather than heavy cream. Still turns out great. Recently discovered your website, I'm excited to try more of your recipes.
Amy Fleming
So this is the husbands fav soup ever from the olive garden, i made it the other night and he said it was far superior to the Olive Garden and one of the best things I have ever made.
Fabulous recipe thank you so much!
Anonymous
I love love love this soup recipe!! Lol, and by coincidence I work at OG & I grab a bowl of this for a get up & go between shifts 🙂 I wonder if you can freeze it though with the kale inside? Believe it or not, we do add our fresh kale to this soup & the spinach to the gnocchi soup just right before we bring it up to serve.. Oh, one more thing.. let your friend know he's in about 85% of our guests.. The hardest time saying those two soups 😀 But you just let us know an ingredient & we happily know exactly what you're looking for-it's a little gift we try to have for you 🙂 And if you ever want to try the breadsticks but without so much salt, just let your server know.. We will happily serve without the seasoning on top 🙂 Happy Monday everyone!!
Trisha
I can't wait to try this! I love OG soups. Is there a health reason to cut off stems from leafy greens?
Mary Halterman
They are very fibrous. And difficult to chew.
kcnoa
I have made all their soups and they are all just like OLIVE GARDEN's de lish!
Becky Badger
And I forgot, I use vegetable broth instead of chicken and I use different greens. Spinach is very good as well, if you don't like kale. Any green you have on hand and like best will work.
DeDe
Oh my this looks good! I never have soup at OG. We go maybe once a year. I guess am missing out! I pinned it last night and it has been repined 14 times by this morning. People must love this stuff. We are having a cool off here this coming week so I will be making it. Eating kale sounds different, but I am game for a change. Thanks for your blog and all the posts.
Sue Boyer
Never had the soup. I get too filled up to eat my other food but I always thought it looked good. Thank you for the recipe. I can eat it at home now.
Consider yourself hugged,
http://simpleesue.com/try-one-new-recipe-a-week-bed-and-breakfast-cherry-crumb-coffee-cake/
Krista Low
This is just amazing! I pinned this and I am quickly becoming hungry! I would love for you to link up this recipe @ http://ahandfulofeverything.blogspot.com/2013/04/great-idea-thursday-1.html! Krista @ A Handful of Everything
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry
You have such yum inspiring recipes. I have pinned this.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thank you so much Bintu!
Kathy ~~~
I made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! It's a keeper that is for sure. Thank you so much!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Kathy! I'm so happy you had a chance to try this one and that you enjoyed it! I appreciate you letting me know 🙂
karlsmom
I am wishing so hard that someone would come up with a home made version of the OG chicken gnocci soup!!!!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Might have to work on that one next! I am terrible and totally impatient when it comes to making gnocchi though. Might have to make a cheater version. Haha.
brandi
Maybe with instant mashed potatoes?
Trisha
I have made it using pre-made gnocci found in the pasta isle at Wal-Mart. The soup was so delicious! I'm wondering if OG makes their own? I'm thinking they don't;)
South Your Mouth
EAU MAH GAH!! I love this soup! Not a huge OG fan in general (too pricey and too commercial) but I go for the soup at least twice a month. I've been wanting to recreate this recipe for a while and I've seen others online but since your recipes never disappoint, I'm using yours!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Mandy, this recipe got my husband to eat kale. The man has never eaten kale in his life. So I definitely consider it a winner!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
It's been years since I've been near enough to an Olive Garden to go but I do remember the endless salad bowl and breadsticks and all the girlies around the table sipping wine. 🙂 Love this soup!
Joy Shepherd
Sadly, i order my soup the same as your friend! I can never remember the name of the soup! Its the sausage potato soup.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Nothing wrong with that Joy. They know what you are talking about. I think it is cute 🙂
Kari Lindsay
This is one good looking, rich soup! Nicely done!
Kim of Mo Betta
I made a copycat version of this soup not long ago too, I 'healthified' it a little, and it was still delicious! I need to try the salad dressing and breadsticks at home!
Pam
When we would go to Olive Garden this soup and the salad are the only things I order. (I'm not a fan of their bread sticks too salty for me)
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Pam, you should give the breadstick recipe above a try. You can tweak the salt to make it to your liking. I think you'd really love them!
Sugar Cookies to Peterbilts
Winter has returned here in Wisconsin, so I am craving soup again! This recipe sounds delicious. Believe it or not, I have never been to an OG (I can be hip, right?). Looking forward to trying my first OG food 🙂
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hope you like this one!
Anonymous
The bread sticks sound great. I have to try them. THanks for sharing!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hope you like them. They don't always turn out as pretty as I would like since I'm kind of an impatient baker but they sure do taste yummy!