✔ Updated · added a fix-it table, a nutrition breakdown and double-batch tips
This copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana is the creamy sausage, potato and kale soup, made in one pot in about 50 minutes. Now that the nights are cold again, it's back on our table every week, and it tastes even better the next day.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Brown the sausage until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C), then keep the soup below a boil once the cream goes in so it stays silky.
Why You'll Love This Soup
- One pot, from browning the bacon to stirring in the kale.
- Big flavor from few ingredients: spicy sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale and cream.
- Even better the next day, and easy to scale up for a crowd.
What Is Zuppa Toscana?
Zuppa Toscana means "Tuscan soup" in Italian. The version made famous by Olive Garden is a creamy, Italian-American soup of spicy sausage, sliced potatoes and kale in a chicken broth with a splash of cream. It is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, especially with crusty bread.
My copycat keeps the same flavors and makes the method simpler: brown the bacon and sausage in the soup pot, use the drippings to soften the onion and garlic, simmer the potatoes in the broth, then finish with cream and kale. My test for any copycat is whether it tastes like the bowl you remember, and this one passes every time.
Which Sausage and Kale to Buy
Sausage: I reach for hot Italian pork sausage, because that gentle chili warmth running through the cream is the whole point. Zuppa Toscana isn't on Olive Garden's own list of pork-free dishes, so pork sausage is the honest copycat choice. Mild Italian is fine for spice-shy eaters; I just pass the red pepper flakes at the table.
Kale: Curly kale gives you the frilly look of the restaurant bowl and softens in a few minutes. Tuscan kale (lacinato or cavolo nero) has flat, dark leaves that stay a little chewier, and it's my pick when I know there will be leftovers, because it doesn't go limp overnight. Either way, strip out the tough stems and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Slice the potatoes thin and even. 1/4-inch half-moons cook in about 12 minutes and hold their shape. Russets also release a little starch that gives the broth body.
- Use bulk sausage. If you only have links, slit the casings and squeeze the meat out. Mild Italian sausage works too; I add extra red pepper flakes for heat.
- Keep it below a boil after the cream goes in. A hard boil can make cream split. Low heat for a few minutes is all the kale needs.
- Add the kale last. It only needs 3 to 4 minutes to wilt, and it keeps its bright green color if you serve it right away.
- Taste before salting. Sausage, bacon and broth all bring salt. My mum's rule still holds: taste first, salt second.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup (Copycat)
6
servings15
minutes35
minutes520
kcal50
minutesAn easy copycat-style Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana: crumbled hot Italian sausage and crisp bacon with tender sliced potatoes and kale in a creamy, lightly spicy chicken broth, made in one pot in about 50 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the Soup
4 bacon slices, chopped
450 g hot Italian sausage, casings removed (1 pound)
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 medium), halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 cups kale, stems removed, chopped (about 1/2 bunch)
1 cup heavy cream
to taste salt and black pepper
- To Serve
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional
Directions
- Brown the Bacon and Sausage
- Cook the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Add the sausage and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned with no pink left and it reaches 160°F (71°C). Move it to the plate and spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat.
- Simmer the Soup
- Add the onion to the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits, and add the sliced potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Return the sausage to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream and kale and cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the kale wilts. Don’t let the soup boil after adding the cream.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with the crisp bacon and a little parmesan.
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Zuppa Toscana Troubleshooting
| Problem | Why it happens | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cream curdled or grainy | The soup boiled after the cream went in | Keep it below a simmer once the cream is in. Warm the cream first if your kitchen is cold |
| Greasy, orange slick on top | Too much sausage and bacon fat left in the pot | Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of fat before the onion goes in, or blot the surface with a paper towel |
| Thin broth | Waxy potatoes or a short simmer | Use russets, and mash a few slices against the side of the pot to thicken it |
| Potatoes falling apart | Sliced too thin or simmered too long | Slice 1/4 inch thick and check at 12 minutes |
| Kale tough or bitter | Thick stems left in | Strip the leaves off the stems and chop them small |
| Too salty | Sausage, bacon and broth all add salt | Add a splash of water or unsalted broth and a little more cream; salt only at the end |
Doubling It or Making It Ahead
- Double batch: use an 8-quart pot and brown the sausage in two batches so it sears. Simmer the potatoes a few minutes longer, since the bigger pot takes more time to come back to a simmer.
- Make ahead for a party: cook the soup through the potatoes up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. On the day, bring it to a gentle simmer, then add the cream and kale just before serving so the kale stays bright.
- Keep it warm: a slow cooker on Warm holds it for 2 to 3 hours. Stir now and then, and add a splash of broth if it thickens.
Nutrition (Estimate)
Per serving of about 1 1/2 cups (one-sixth of the pot), made as written with hot Italian pork sausage, bacon and heavy cream. Estimates from the ingredients.
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | About 520 |
| Protein | About 19 g |
| Fat | About 36 g |
| Carbohydrates | About 24 g |
| Fiber | About 2 g |
Turkey sausage, no bacon and half-and-half instead of cream bring it down to roughly 300 calories a bowl.
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
On busy nights I make this in a 6-quart Instant Pot. It takes about 35 minutes, and most of that is the pot coming up to pressure.
- Set the pot to Sauté. Crisp the bacon and lift it out, then brown the sausage until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C). Lift that out too, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat.
- Soften the onion for 3 to 4 minutes, add the garlic and pepper flakes, then pour in the broth and scrape the bottom really well. Stuck-on bits are what trigger the burn warning.
- Add the potatoes and the sausage, lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes, then quick release.
- Switch to Keep Warm, stir in the cream and kale and give it 3 to 4 minutes for the kale to wilt. Top each bowl with the bacon.
Variations
- Chicken Zuppa Toscana: use ground chicken or chicken sausage and cook it to 165°F (74°C).
- Lighter: use turkey sausage, skip the bacon and replace the heavy cream with half-and-half or evaporated milk.
- Dairy-free: stir in 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk instead of cream.
- Spinach instead of kale: stir in 4 cups of baby spinach right at the end; it wilts in a minute.
- Slow cooker: brown the bacon, sausage and onion first, then cook with the broth and potatoes on low for 6 hours. Stir in the cream and kale for the last 15 minutes.
- More Olive Garden-style soups: try our chicken gnocchi soup or minestrone soup, and serve them with homemade breadsticks.
How Olive Garden Serves Zuppa Toscana
At the restaurant, this is one of the soups in the Never-Ending Soup, Salad & Breadsticks deal. Olive Garden's specials page lists it at $9.99 for weekday lunch (Monday to Friday until 3 pm, for a limited time), and refills are for dine-in guests only.
Price checked in October on olivegarden.com. Prices vary by location, so confirm with your local restaurant before you go.
A restaurant serving is 8 fluid ounces (to-go orders get 16), and Olive Garden's nutrition guide lists the Zuppa Toscana at 220 calories per serving. My homemade bowl is bigger and richer, about 1 1/2 cups with bacon and heavy cream, which is why the card says 520.
For a full soup, salad and breadsticks night at home, I bake a tray of garlic-salted copycat breadsticks and set a pot of vegetable and bean minestrone next to this one for the meat-free crowd. Toss a big green salad and you're done. The rest of the menu, from the house dressing to tiramisu, is in my Olive Garden copycat collection.
Storing and Reheating
- Fridge: cool the soup and refrigerate it in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. The potatoes soak up broth, so add a splash of broth when reheating.
- Freezer: freeze the soup before adding the cream and kale for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: warm it gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring, until it is steaming hot (165°F). Avoid boiling, which can separate the cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's in the copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana recipe?
My copycat Zuppa Toscana uses hot Italian sausage, bacon, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, thinly sliced russet potatoes, kale and heavy cream. Brown the sausage and bacon, simmer the potatoes in the broth, then stir in the cream and kale at the end.
How many calories are in a bowl of Zuppa Toscana?
Olive Garden's nutrition guide lists its Zuppa Toscana at 220 calories per 8-ounce serving. My homemade version has about 520 calories per bowl of roughly 1 1/2 cups, because it's a bigger serving with bacon and heavy cream. Turkey sausage and half-and-half bring it down noticeably.
Can I make Zuppa Toscana with chicken?
Yes. Use 1 pound of ground chicken or chicken sausage seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon each of fennel seed and dried oregano plus extra red pepper flakes. Brown it until it reaches 165°F (74°C), then follow the recipe as written.
Can I make it with just a few ingredients?
Yes. The essentials are Italian sausage, potatoes, kale, onion, garlic, chicken broth and cream. Bacon and parmesan add flavor but are optional, so a simple 7-ingredient version still tastes great. That's the one I make on busy weeknights.
Can I freeze Zuppa Toscana?
Cream-based soups with potatoes can turn grainy after freezing. For best results, freeze the soup before adding the cream and kale for up to 3 months, then thaw, reheat and stir them in fresh. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Can I make Zuppa Toscana in an Instant Pot?
Yes. Brown the bacon and sausage on Sauté, soften the onion and garlic, then add the broth and potatoes and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes with a quick release. Stir in the cream and kale on Keep Warm until the kale wilts.
Is Zuppa Toscana spicy?
It has a gentle kick rather than real heat. The warmth comes from hot Italian sausage and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and the cream softens it. For kids or spice-shy guests, use mild sausage and skip the flakes.
Should I peel the potatoes?
You don't have to. The restaurant-style soup is usually made with unpeeled potato slices, which add color and save time. Scrub them well first. Peel them if you prefer a smoother, more uniform texture.
Why did my Zuppa Toscana curdle?
The soup most likely boiled after the cream went in. Turn the heat to low before adding the cream and kale, and keep it just below a simmer. Very hot soup can also split cold cream, so pour it in slowly while stirring.
Can I make Zuppa Toscana ahead for a party?
Yes. Make it through the potato stage up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently, then stir in the cream and kale a few minutes before serving.
Is this the same as Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana?
Olive Garden doesn't publish its recipe, so this is a copycat-style version built on the same things you taste in the restaurant bowl: spicy Italian sausage, potatoes, kale, bacon and a creamy broth. You can make it milder than the restaurant version by using mild sausage and skipping the red pepper flakes.
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