Classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! ย It tastes WAY better than the restaurant version, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Spicy crumbled sausage, silky potatoes, and an ultra creamy broth… it’s the perfect copycat soup!
Best Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe
My husband’s favorite soup is Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana, so naturally I wanted to find a way to have it at home (for way less money)!ย This soup has all the great flavors of the Olive Garden soup, but making at home is much more convenient, and I think it tastes way better! ย If you’ve never had this soup… it’s a creamy soup with tender potatoes, spicy Italian sausage, crispy bacon, and healthy kale.
WHAT’S IN ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP?
First, I want to clear something up.ย Even though zuppa toscana soup translates to Tuscan soup, it’s not a traditionally Tuscan soup.ย Olive Garden named this soup and made it incredibly popular all across the United States!
Zuppa toscana soup is made from crumbled Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale, chicken broth and cream.ย The combination is soul-warming and absolutely mouthwatering.ย What I love most about this copycat soup is that you don’t need a lot of ingredients to get such a rich flavor!
HOW TO MAKE ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP:
There are three main ways to make this delicious copycat soup; stovetop, slow cooker, and pressure cooker (instant pot).ย I’ll have directions for all three down in the recipe card, but let’s focus on the stovetop version for this how-to.
- Brown the Italian sausage.ย I like to use spicy sausage links and remove the casing, but you can also use bulk Italian sausage if you prefer.ย Use a wooden spoon to crumble the sausage as you cook it, then drain it very well, getting as much grease off of it as you can.ย Remove to a plate.
- Fry the bacon right in the residual grease from the sausage.ย This adds plenty of flavor!ย Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to the plate with the sausage.
- Cook the onion and garlic in the bacon grease.ย Again, boosting the flavor here!ย If you have a ton of grease after cooking the bacon, drain off all but about 1 1/2 Tbsp.
- Add the flour to the cooked onion and garlic, stirring to mix it all in.ย This is going to thicken your soup slowly, as it cooks.
- Add liquid and potatoes.ย I like to use chicken bone broth or chicken stock, but you can use broth if you prefer.ย When you add the liquid, make sure to stir well, so the flour is mixed in with the liquid and doesn’t clump up.
- Boil potatoes until tender.ย Don’t cook them TOO much, you want them tender when pierced with a fork, but not mushy.
- Stir in cooked sausage and bacon.ย This keeps the meats nice and crispy.
- Add cream and kale.ย Stir well and let the kale wilt.
- Enjoy!!
CAN THIS SOUP BE FROZEN OR REHEATED?
Reheated, yes.ย It makes for amazing leftovers the next day!ย Frozen, I’m not entirely sure.ย Soups with dairy have a propensity for separating when frozen.ย So if you want to freeze this soup, I would freeze it before adding the cream and kale.ย Just add those as you’re reheating the soup.
HOW TO MAKE ZUPPA TOSCANA THICKER?
This soup is traditionally pretty brothy, but if you prefer a thicker soup, it’s really easy to thicken it.ย You can either mash some of the potatoes in the soup, or mix 1 1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch with 2-3 Tbsp of additional heavy cream, and stir it in when you add the cream.ย Stir occasionally for the next 5-7 minutes and it’ll thicken up.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS COPYCAT ZUPPA TOSCANA RECIPE:
- Control the heat level by using either mild or spicy Italian sausage.ย I prefer the spicy variety with the creamy soup, but it’s your soup!
- No patience for peeling and chopping potatoes?ย In a pinch, I like to keep a bag of refrigerated diced potatoes on hand.ย My grocery store carries them next to the eggs (for some reason lol).
- Too much grease in your soup?ย It happens, especially with the Italian sausage, but you can fix it if it bothers you.ย Let the soup cool for 5-10 minutes, then gently skim off the grease layer.
- Want to try this soup but following a low-carb way of eating?ย Swap out the potatoes for chopped cauliflower florets!
GREAT RECIPES TO SERVE ALONGSIDE THIS SOUP RECIPE:
- No-Knead Artisan Bread
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Homemade Caesar Salad
- Caprese Garlic Chicken
- Chicken Marsala
- Stuffed Italian Flank Steaks
SHOP THE RECIPE:
- Dutch Oven – My secret weapon in the kitchen.. I use it for everything from soups to frying!
- Instant Pot – In case you don’t have one, this is the model I have and love.
- Hamilton Beach 7qt Programmable Slow Cooker – I received this as a gift and couldn’t be happier… works like a dream, switches to warm once the time is up, and is big enough to cook just about anything!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Simply Potatoes. ย All opinions are 100% mine.
Recipe originally published in 2015, recently updated with new photos and additional content.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage (mild can be substituted)
- 8 slices bacon, diced (divided)
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp flour (cornstarch can be substituted)
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 bunch kale (a couple of handfuls) de-stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes. optional
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot over MED-HIGH heat. Add a small drizzle of oil, then brown sausage, crumbling as it cooks. Drain well, then remove to a plate.
- Fry bacon is residual sausage grease until crisp, then remove to plate with the sausage. Drain all but 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp of bacon grease.
- Add onion to pot and cook 5 minutes, adding garlic the last minute.
- Sprinkle flour over onion and garlic in pot, then stir to combine. Pour in chicken stock, stirring as you pour. Add in potatoes and bring to a boil.
- Gently boil about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.ย Add in cooked sausage, most of the bacon, heavy cream and kale.ย Stir and cook 5-10 minutes until kale is wilted.
- Taste and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.ย Top with remaining bacon and enjoy!
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Chef Tips
CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS
- Heat large skillet over medium high heat and brown sausage.ย Drain.
- Fry bacon and set aside to a plate.
- Add onion and minced garlic and cook slightly.
- Add sausage, onion and garlic to the bottom ofย slow cooker.
- Add peeled potatoes, cover with chicken stock and water (if necessary) to completely cover potatoes and sausage.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 (potatoes should be soft)
- Before serving, whisk together heavy cream and cornstarch or flour until well mixed. Pour intoย slow cooker, add kale and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes until soup has thickened slightly.
- Taste, season according to your tastes, top with bacon, and serve.
ย
INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS
- Set a 6-qt instant pot to the saute setting. Add a drizzle of olive oil and Italian sausage. Cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess grease.
- Add bacon and cook until crispy, remove with slotted spoon to a plate.
- Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in cooked sausage, chicken broth and potatoes.
- Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then a controlled quick release.
- When the pin drops, open the lid.
- Whisk together flour/cornstarch and heavy cream, then add to pot, along with kale.ย Stir often and let heat through.
- Taste and season as desired.ย Top with bacon and serve.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
SHARON QUINN says
This like the third or fourth time making this… my husband LOVES it! ย We omit the bacon (he doesnโt eat pork) and At his suggestion I added clams & mussels this time….Delish!
EXCELLENT recipe!
Bekah says
Someone may have asked already, but is this soup better in the crock pot or on the stove?
The Chunky Chef says
Honestly, I think it’s great either way ๐
Sammy says
2 questions. Has anyone used coconut milk instead of heavy cream? And has anyone substitute chicken bone broth instead of broth? I love bone broth. Thank you in advance ๐
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t personally used coconut milk, but I know some other readers have done so successfully. Yes, bone broth would be delicious!
Lynnp says
Yummy! 2nd time making – used all broth (no water) as hubby likes a thicker soup. Made with more hot Italian bulk sausage, ย potatoes and used spinach instead of kale ย
Amanda Wright says
I have been making a variation of this soup for years, a thinner broth version. My whole family raved about how creamy and delicious this soup was, the perfect change for an annual favorite!
Tracey says
How long will it last in fridge?
The Chunky Chef says
I would say about 4-5 days.
Michelle says
Great every time I make it!
Brittany says
Hi, thanks for the recipe.. maybe itโs a stupid question, but is a serving size one cup?
The Chunky Chef says
Not a stupid question at all ๐ I don’t measure the serving size exactly, but I would estimate about a cup/cup and a half.
Alison says
Love this soup so much! Used pancetta instead of bacon and itโs so good! Definitely used more liquid than the recipe calls for but just eyeball it! Great recipe overall
TeeJ says
This soup is yummy! My hubby loved it! The caloric intake is a little high, but this is a winner if youโre in the mood for comfort.ย
Molly says
Just like the Olive Garden original except better. My 3 year old enjoyed it too. Itโs a winner! I did add fresh basil just to give it a little more Italian flavor.ย
Bridget Lund says
Just made it tonight. I love it. Iโve never tried the Olive Garden version so I canโt compare, but honestly how can you go wrong with spicy Italian sausage in anything?!it was delicious. Thank you!
Tara Martinez says
Great solid winter soup recipe. I make a couple of tweaks but it’s hard to go wrong with this one. Thank you for sharing it.
Shaun says
I make this every other week, one of my favorite go to recipes to make for my pregnant wife, absolute perfection!
To anyone who complains about having to scroll down through “life stories”, remember that this is more of a blog, don’t be rude.
Haylee says
I’m planning on making this tonight. Can I use frozen Kale as a substitute for fresh Kale?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tried it myself, but I think that would work well ๐
Nicole says
This soup is Amazing!ย
I have made it on the stove top but going to try it in my instapot. Thank you for sharing the recipe with us and making it convenient for stove top or instapot.ย
Amazing how rude and lazy some of these people commenting are. Maybe they will try the soup and shut up!!!!
Taste just like Olive Garden. Thanks again!!!!
Kaitlin says
Delicious! I found this to be too much bacon for us, and saved half of it for wraps and salads.
I love how creamy this one is, it was perfect for a chilly fall night!
Joe Schmoe says
Make your “Go To Recipe” button red, or in your case purple so we don’t have to hear your life story just to find the recipe.
The Chunky Chef says
I like the aesthetic of my site just fine thank you ๐ Plus that “life story” is actually all about the recipe.
Eileen says
Abbondanza superb! It was delicious and I thank you very much for the scrumptious recipe! My family enjoyed it with salad and bread sticks, of course! ๐ย
Denise says
Yum!!! I made this for the first time and all I have to say is Yum! My husband liked it too. We ate it with my husbandโs homemade bread. It was such a memorable meal! Thank you for the recipe!!!โค๏ธ
Becki says
Iโm not a huge fan of kale, would spinach work in place of it?
The Chunky Chef says
Absolutely ๐
Matt H. says
I found your recipe two weeks ago and I just had to leave you a comment to thank you for it. It is THE best soup I’ve ever tasted and it is so easy to make. My wife loved it so much, she had to tell her family, friends and co-workers who’ve then asked for your recipe. I’ve made it three times since and because it is so easy to make, it has had the same great, consistent flavor. Thank you again and I look forward to more great recipes from you.
Lori says
Yummy soup! ย Can I freeze the leftovers?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tried it myself (mostly because we don’t have leftovers past the next day lol), but also because freezing soups with dairy can be tricky, as they can have a tendency to separate during the freezing/thawing process. I do know a few other readers who have successfully frozen leftovers of this soup though.