This warm and cozy Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat) is made in one pot! This hearty soup is loaded with tender potatoes, savory sausage and bacon, and fresh kale, all simmered together in a rich and creamy broth. It's the perfect comfort food that tastes just like it came from the restaurant, but it's even better because you can make it in the comfort of your own home!
One of my favorite things to make when the cold weather sets in is soup! We have soup at our house at least once or twice a week. It's the perfect way to warm up on a chilly night, and it's so easy to make too! You seriously can't go wrong with it. Unfortunately, my husband isn't a huge fan of soup...but this Zuppa Toscana may have converted him. This soup is packed with potatoes, sausage, kale, and lots of seasonings, it certainly doesn't lack texture or flavor. I can guarantee any "soup hater" will change their mind too!
Serve a big warm bowl of Zuppa Toscana with my Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia Bread, Garlic Butter Breadsticks, or Brioche Bread.
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🍲What is Zuppa Toscana?
Zuppa Toscana originates from Tuscany, Italy, the word literally translates to "Tuscan soup." Classic Italian Zuppa Toscana is made with veggies, beans, seasonings, and Tuscan bread. The American version, which you'd find at the Olive Garden, adds Italian sausage, bacon, and cream. It's obviously the more fattening option, but it is SO good with the additions! Definitely worth the extra calories in my opinion.
❤️Why You'll Love This Recipe
- One-Pot Meal - Raise your hand if you love doing dishes? I certainly don't! Everything for this soup cooks in one pot, which means you'll do less dishes! That's a weeknight dinner win in my book!
- Better Than the Restaurant - Yes, I said it! This homemade take on Olive Garden's classic soup is creamier, heartier, and packed with fresh ingredients. Since you're making it from scratch, you'll know exactly what's in it (no weird additives here!) and you can make it exactly to your taste preferences.
- Perfect for Meal Prep - This soup makes the perfect leftovers! I think the flavors get even better the next day, making it just as good, if not better, when you reheat it.
🛒Ingredients
- Italian Sausage: This one ingredient really is the heart of the soup, it adds amazing savory flavor and spice, and it makes every bite satisfying. Use mild, sweet or hot, it's really up to you!
- Kale: This leafy green balances the richness of the cream and sausage. It adds freshness, color, and a little bit of texture to the soup. It keeps the soup from feeling too heavy.
- Potatoes: I used yellow potatoes, but Yukon gold would also be perfect! The potatoes cook up all tender and creamy and soak up all the yummy flavors of the broth.
- Bacon: Pieces of crispy, smoky bacon take this soup to the next level. It adds the perfect savory that makes this soup irresistible!
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Italian Sausage: Swap with ground turkey, chicken sausage, or even a plant-based sausage for a vegetarian version.
- Kale: Spinach, Swiss chard, or collard greens work great if kale isn't your thing.
- Potatoes: Yukon golds or Russets are the most common substitutes, but red potatoes hold their shape nicely if you prefer a firmer bite. You could even try cauliflower florets for a lower-carb option.
- Heavy Cream: Half-and-half, whole milk, or canned coconut milk can be used for a lighter or dairy-free version of the soup.
- Bacon: Pancetta adds a similar salty smokiness, or you can leave it out altogether if you want a lower-fat soup.
🥣How to Make Zuppa Toscana
- Fry the sausage in a large pot over medium high heat. Break up the sausage with a spoon as you cook it. Drain and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Cook the bacon in the same pot over medium heat until crispy. Transfer cooked bacon to the plate.
- Sauté onions in the pot and cook until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant.
- Increase heat to high and add the chicken stock. Allow soup to come to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, fennel and chili flakes.
- Add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add heavy cream, sausage, bacon and kale. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until kale is softened, about 2 minutes.
🌟Expert Tips
- Pre-cut the bacon. I like to use kitchen shears to cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces before cooking it. It makes it easier to cook this way, and takes out the extra step of crumbling it!
- Thicken the soup. To create a thicker soup, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the chicken stock. Add it in while the soup is boiling and then continue with the rest of the recipe.
- Don't overcook the potatoes. Simmer the potatoes just until they're fork tender. If they cook for too long, they'll start to fall apart and make the soup starchy.
- Add the greens last. Kale only needs a couple of minutes to soften. Add it right at the end of the cook time to keep it looking bright green and frehs.
- Adjust the spice level. Use mild sausage and skip the red pepper flakes to please those more sensitive to heat, or double the flakes and use spicy sausage if you have heat-lovers.
💭 FAQs
Spinach can certainly be used! I'd recommend adding it during the last minute or so of cooking, and cooking it just until it starts to wilt.
Soups that contain dairy usually don't do well when frozen. They tend to get a grainy texture and they separate when rewarmed. If you do wish to freeze it, I would recommend doing so before you add the cream or kale (kale tastes best when fresh.)
To create a thicker soup, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the chicken stock. Add it in while the soup is boiling and then continue with the rest of the recipe.
🍛More Comfort Food Recipes to Try
📋 Recipe
Easy One Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 5 slices bacon
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 ½ quarts chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5 yellow potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ bunch kale chopped
Instructions
- Fry the sausage in a large pot over medium high heat. Break up the sausage with a spatula as you cook it. Drain and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Cook the bacon in the same pot over medium heat until crispy. Transfer cooked bacon to the plate. Remove most of the grease from the pot.
- Add olive oil to the pot. Sauté onions over medium high heat and cook until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant.
- Increase heat to high and add the chicken stock. Allow soup to come to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, fennel and red pepper flakes.
- Add potatoes to the pot and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add heavy cream, sausage, bacon and kale to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until kale is softened, about 2 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
- Storage info: Soups that contain dairy usually don't do well when frozen. They tend to get a grainy texture and they separate when rewarmed. If you do wish to freeze it, I would recommend doing so before you add the cream or kale (kale tastes best when fresh.)
- Pre-cut bacon: I like to use kitchen scissors to cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces before cooking it. It makes it easier to cook this way, and takes out the extra step of crumbling it!
- Spinach: Spinach can be used instead of kale. I'd recommend adding it during the last minute or so of cooking, and cooking it just until it starts to wilt.
- Thicken the soup: To create a thicker soup, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the chicken stock. Add it in while the soup is boiling and then continue with the rest of the recipe.
Ashley Amundsen says
Recipes that only require the use of one pot/pan are my favorite, especially on busy weeknights when I don't have the time or energy to wash a bunch of dishes! That's why I love this Zuppa Toscana recipe. It's so easy to make, it's so yummy, and you'll only dirty one pot. It's definitely a winner!
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings says
This looks so delicious! The perfect addition to our "omg is it spring yet" meal rotation.