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Zuppa Toscana Recipe
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4.96 from 112 votes

Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)

This Zuppa Toscana recipe (inspired by the classic dish at The Olive Garden) is easy to make, full of the most delicious zesty Italian flavors, and so cozy and comforting. See note above for Crock-Pot and Instant Pot instructions.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: 30 minute, instant pot, slow cooker
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage (I recommend spicy)
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 medium white onion peeled and diced
  • 1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes diced
  • 5 to 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 to 3 cups chopped fresh kale
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  • 6 pieces bacon cooked and crumbled

Instructions

  • Cook sausage in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a separate plate, reserving 1 tablespoon grease in the stockpot for later*, and discarding the excess grease.  (I actually like to briefly rinse my cooked sausage in a strainer to remove even more excess grease.)  Set aside.
  • Add onions to the stockpot (with the grease), and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add the potatoes, chicken stock, and cooked sausage, and continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Stir in the kale and cream, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve warm, garnished with the bacon bits.