Easy Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
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This Easy Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup is a super quick and simple copycat recipe with rich, creamy flavor you can’t resist!
If you’re like me and can’t get enough soup, then you should definitely give this Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup a try, right before you test out my Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup and Sausage and White Bean Soup.
You may have noticed I have a thing for Olive Garden soups. I know I’m not alone! What’s not to love though? There’s a reason they are so popular — they’re so flavorful and delicious. They seem to have some kind of “secret ingredient” that makes you come back again and again for that one-of-a-kind soup you can only get there. Right?
Well, I maybe not. Sure, there’s something to be said for the going-out-to-eat experience overall. And the not cooking thing. But, sometimes you can’t make it to a restaurant or it’s not in your budget, or your baby just barfed all over you and restaurants generally frown on bringing sick kids to restaurants.
However, it’s not completely true that you can’t enjoy a recreation of a restaurant dish in the comfort of home — and probably for about half the cost. Whole websites have been created that are solely devoted to mimicking restaurant meals, after all. So when I set out to create one of my favorites — this Zuppa Toscana Soup — I did it with determination and I did it with you in mind: You, the one who cleans up the puke, who manages the bank account, who works two jobs and just wants a delicious bowl of soup in front of them at the end of the day. And, guys, I think I kinda nailed it.
WHAT IS ZUPPA TOSCANA?
So, “zuppa” means soup in Italian. “Toscana” refers to the Tuscany region of Italy. Therefore, “Zuppa Toscana” translates to “Tuscan soup” or “Tuscan-style soup.” Traditionally, this soup is made with lots of veggies, beans, potatoes, olive oil, spices, Italian bacon, and Tuscan bread (it kind of reminds me of a minestrone).
The American version though adds Italian sausage and bacon, garlic, and heavy cream in addition to the potatoes and kale. While the American version might be a little on the heavier side, this soup eats like a meal, believe me!
IS ZUPPA TOSCANA HEALTHY?
For starters, Zuppa Toscana doesn’t have any grains or glutens in it, which is a plus if you are gluten free. It also contains a hearty helping of kale and potatoes, onions and garlic, all of which provide essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs every day. And chicken broth is good for your hair, skin, and nails and your immune system.
I admit though, that the sausage, butter, and heavy cream are not so great for you. They do provide protein and calcium, but also a lot of saturated fat. You could work around this by substituting a leaner Italian meat sausage, like chicken or turkey. You can also halve the butter and use fat free half-and-half or a plant-based cream or milk (like coconut), though this soup won’t be as thick and rich if you choose to do so, but it will still be yummy.
CAN YOU FREEZE ZUPPA TOSCANA?
Yes, you can freeze this soup if you have any leftovers, but I would eat it within two to three weeks. The kale will be browning and the potatoes might be a little off-color, but it will taste just fine. I wouldn’t leave it in the freezer for too long though, because when it warms up, the potatoes will be mushy and I just feel like this soup is meant to be enjoyed pretty close to the time you made it.
WHAT SIDE DISHES CAN YOU SERVE WITH ZUPPA TOSCANA?
To me, this soup is a meal in and of itself. However, it also goes great with the following sides:
- A nice, crusty baguette (with or without butter) for dipping right into the soup like the Italians do.
- A simple side salad works well or this Tomato Cucumber Salad rounds out the Mediterranean meal.
- Lemon Parmesan Roasted Asparagus complements this dish nicely, if you want a little extra nutrition from a veggie side.
- Rolls, either homemade or the kind you find in the freezer aisle make a nice, carby accompaniment.
- Oyster crackers — my husband eats them by the half box full, no joke. For better or worse, it’s his thing!
What people are saying about this Easy Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
“I have made this soup many times and it’s always a winner. Better homemade & a lot less expensive than ordering it at Olive Garden” – Lucile
“Just made it for the second time. I love it and My extended family LOVES it too. this time I made almost double the recipe because they are sure to ask for bowls to go. I added brown sugar bacon and the whole bunch of kale.” – Norma
“This is an awesome recipe. So delicious! I cut some of the fat by using half n half vs the full cream. I also use mild & hot sausages as my hubby doesn’t like too hot. Thanks for this posting!” – Christine
Easy Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound spicy Italian ground sausage, use mild for kid-friendly
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 4-5 yellow potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 cups chopped kale
- chopped bacon or bacon bits and grated parmesan cheese for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot saute sausage 5-6 minutes until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, add butter and saute onions over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute until fragrant.
- Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are tender. Stir in kale, and heavy cream. Add sausage. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve garnished with grated parmesan cheese and/or bacon if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
how do you think it would be if i omit the potatoes?
The flavor will still be good and you’ll have a lighter and lower carb soup. But the soup will be thinner and less creamy without the starchy potatoes. It may also feel a bit too rich and greasy without something starchy to balance it and it’ll be less filling. If you’re fine with all of that great! If not, you can add extra kale or another veggie like cauliflower or zucchini. (Cauliflower mimics the bulk of potatoes really well.) Or if you want it richer but still balanced, you can add a little less cream or a bit more broth so it’s not overly heavy.
Addictive
Could you use escarole instead of kale?
Yes, you can! I would add it the last 3-5 minutes of simmering.
This a quick and easy recipe and so delicious! I used fat free half and half with a small amount of heavy cream to cut down on the calories and fat. I have never had so many compliments on a dish I’ve made. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad it was a success for you! Great job 🙂
This is our 3rd or 4th time making this recipe. It is absolutely delicious! I always make a double batch because its loved so much in our house, we always eat all of it. We have a picky 12 year old and even she loves it.
The only thing we substitute is the kale for spinach. This comes back to the picky 12 year old.
Made this with 1/4 of the called for cream (trying to lighten up the calories) and still loved it!
Absolutely delicious. Entire family loves it!
Been enjoying this recipe for years, the nearest to Olive Garden as I’ve tried. Thanks for sharing here.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy it 🙂
This is the real deal! So good, especially for pregnancy nausea bc it’s a well rounded meal that goes down easy. I upped it a bit by using bacon fat with the butter, and adding lemon juice to taste, a teaspoon a time to the broth at the end. It tasted a little flat beforehand but the lemon made it to where I couldn’t stop sipping it. May just be the nausea talking though lol! Def a keeper!
This soup is absolutely delicious!! I added a heaping teaspoon of chicken base for a deeper chicken flavor. It’s perfect.
Hi! I really don’t know, as a happy dinosaur, how to do this. But, I was trying to respond to “have u made this?” about O.G.’s zappa Toscana. I haven’t needed to, as my most excellent sister was corporate Darden, seafood buyer when owned Red Lobster, brought entourage here to open former Smoky Bones, plus