This Zuppa Toscana soup recipe is quick and easy to make and full of rich flavor. Stovetop, Crock-Pot and Instant Pot options included!
Olive Garden Forever, xoxo
Like so many of us who grew up in the ’90s and early 2000s, I can still remember piling into a booth with friends, endless salad and breadsticks on the table, and that first spoonful of their creamy Zuppa Toscana. That rich, garlicky, cozy soup always hit the spot on a chilly evening — pure comfort in a bowl. ♡
I have to admit, it’s been ages since I’ve actually set foot in an Olive Garden, but I’ve loved making this soup at home for decades. It’s actually incredibly easy to make, and arguably even better when you can adjust the spice, creaminess, and all those crispy bacon bits to your own liking.
This homemade version comes together easily in one pot with spicy Italian sausage, creamy potatoes, kale, and a silky broth that’s pure comfort food perfection. It’s hearty enough for chilly nights but simple enough to whip up any day of the week. Serve it with some crusty bread for dunking, and you’ll see why this nostalgic classic is a forever favorite in our house.
Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Recipe Tips
Here are a few quick tips to be sure that your zuppa toscana turns out perfectly each time:
- Use good-quality sausage: The sausage is the star here, so choose one with bold seasoning (spicy Italian is my favorite) to infuse the broth with lots of rich and zesty flavor.
- Don’t overcook the kale: Add it during the last few minutes of simmering so it stays vibrant green and tender, not mushy.
- Adjust the spice: If using mild sausage, feel free to add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for extra heat.
- Do some multitasking: Feel free to cook the bacon alongside the soup while it simmers to save time, if you’d like.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few variations that you’re welcome to try with this classic zuppa toscana soup:
- Add extra veggies: Sliced bell peppers, carrots, celery, leeks, mushrooms or zucchini make delicious additions. Feel free to also swap fresh baby spinach for kale.
- Add beans: Add in a can of white beans (rinsed and drained) for extra protein.
- Make it lighter: Substitute half-and-half or whole milk in place of the cream for a lighter broth. You can also swap the cream for coconut milk for a plant-based, subtly sweet twist.
- Make it vegetarian: Use plant-based sausage and vegetable stock, and skip the bacon.
FAQ
“Zuppa Toscana” translates to Tuscan soup in Italian. The Olive Garden version is loosely inspired by traditional Tuscan flavors but made with a creamy American twist — featuring sausage, potatoes, and kale in a rich broth.
Unfortunately, no, I don’t recommend freezing this one.
Highly recommend it with crusty bread and a side salad (bonus points if it’s Olive Garden–style with Italian dressing!).
Yes! Use the sauté function to brown the sausage and onion, then add the potatoes, garlic, and chicken stock. Pressure cook on High for 5 minutes, quick release, and stir in the cream and kale afterward.
Definitely. Brown the sausage and onion first, then transfer everything (except the cream and kale) to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 5–6 hours or high for 2–3 hours, stir in the cream and kale, and cook another 10 minutes until wilted.
Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)
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.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Such an easy recipe to follow, loved the suggestion of rinsing the sausage. My family devoured it! ❤️❤️
I did the stovetop version. The soup turned out great but I felt it was missing something. I sauteed some halved sweet grape tomatoes (about 3/4 cup) in olive oil until the skins started to come off. And then added it to the prepared soup. It really made the soup pop with color and flavor.
Was a hit with the family!!! Only thing missing is the Olive Garden breadsticks. After realizing how cheap and easy this is to make will definitely be a new regular on the menu in my home!!!
Delicious! Made this recipe and I loved it.
This soup is yummy, I will make it again & again.
Yep this was better than I imagined. I love this Olive Garden soup so much! I did more than a pound of sausage to make it a little more hearty and omitted bacon because I don’t love bacon. I could’ve definitely done more than 2 cups of kale since I did extra sausage but all in all this was seriously so delicious and easy to make.
I’ve been using this recipe for years, and I absolutely love it! Thank you!
Love! I make it with hot Turkey sausage, to lessen the fat content a bit. Texture is a little different but tastes the same. One of my husband’s favorite meals!
I just made this tonight.
OMG.
This recipe for is going in the “Constant Rotation” file! I really think your recipe might be better than OGs! It was simple and quick and I could taste the fresh flavors of good chicken broth, crunchy kale, tender potatoes (I used russets. Wonderful) and spicy sausage. Even better, I didn’t need to over season this the way OG does and my soup had body since I used the heavy cream I had leftover from New Years.
Thank you so much for this. I made the Beef Stroganoff soup last week and thought that was excellent, but this is in an entirely different category!
Soup came out so delicious! Very simple, super tasty, easy prep. Also chilled and warmed up beautifully. I plan to make it again soon! I just didn’t add the bacon. I did notice another recipe, on another site, similar to this called for flour or cornstarch to be added- would that make the soup more thick?
Hello, I am one of your followers in Instagram, I want to thank you for sharing delicious recipe ?
Thanks, Melanie! :)
Did you find kale in Barcelona? We have a home south of Barcelona we visit a couple of times a year and I’ve been looking for kale the last few times we visited and none of the markets had heard of it. I read on line that kale is not typically available in Spain so I was wondering if that hasn’t recently changed?
Thanks for the recipe!
Kristen