BEST Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe (2024)

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4.80

40 minutes minutes

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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 03/04/2019

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Classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! 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)! 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! 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. Even though zuppa toscana soup translates to Tuscan soup, it’s not a traditionally Tuscan soup. 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. The combination is soul-warming and absolutely mouthwatering. 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). 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. I like to use spicy sausage links and remove the casing, but you can also use bulk Italian sausage if you prefer. 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. Remove to a plate.
Fry the bacon right in the residual grease from the sausage. This adds plenty of flavor! 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. Again, boosting the flavor here! 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. This is going to thicken your soup slowly, as it cooks.
Add liquid and potatoes. I like to use chicken bone broth or chicken stock, but you can use broth if you prefer. 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. Don’t cook them TOO much, you want them tender when pierced with a fork, but not mushy.
Stir in cooked sausage and bacon. This keeps the meats nice and crispy.
Add cream and kale. Stir well and let the kale wilt.
Enjoy!!

CAN THIS SOUP BE FROZEN OR REHEATED?

Reheated, yes. It makes for amazing leftovers the next day! Frozen, I’m not entirely sure. Soups with dairy have a propensity for separating when frozen. So if you want to freeze this soup, I would freeze it before adding the cream and kale. 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. 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. 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. I prefer the spicy variety with the creamy soup, but it’s your soup!
No patience for peeling and chopping potatoes? In a pinch, I like to keep a bag of refrigerated diced potatoes on hand. My grocery store carries them next to the eggs (for some reason lol).
Too much grease in your soup? It happens, especially with the Italian sausage, but you can fix it if it bothers you. 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? 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. 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!

BEST Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe

4.80 from 470 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Calories: 790

Servings: 6 servings

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Classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than the restaurant version

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. Add in cooked sausage, most of the bacon, heavy cream and kale. Stir and cook 5-10 minutes until kale is wilted.
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Taste and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Top with remaining bacon and enjoy!

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Chef Tips

CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS

Heat large skillet over medium high heat and brown sausage. 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 ofslow 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 intoslow 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.

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. Stir often and let heat through.
Taste and season as desired. 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.

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Reader Interactions

Keshia H. says
Posted on 9/20 at 9:51 pm
My bestie shared this recipe with me. I made it today with a few variations because I don’t eat pork (chicken sausage & turkey bacon) and substituted lactose-free milk & butter for the heavy cream. It was so yummy! Totally better than Olive Garden’s because it’s pork and lactose free! My hubby & son also thought it was delicious. Thank you! 🥰
Reply
- Ashley says
  Posted on 9/22 at 4:12 pm
  I wanted to do the same. How much butter and lactose free milk did you use??
  Reply
Deena says
Posted on 9/20 at 6:32 pm
Excellent!!! Can you freeze?
Reply
- The Chunky Chef says
  Posted on 9/20 at 7:44 pm
  I’m not entirely sure. Soups with dairy have a propensity for separating when frozen. So if you want to freeze this soup, I would freeze it before adding the cream and kale. Then just add those as you’re reheating the soup 🙂
  Reply
AC says
Posted on 9/20 at 2:58 pm
Can you use frozen kale over fresh? The store was out when I went and it’s all they had.
Reply
- The Chunky Chef says
  Posted on 9/20 at 7:40 pm
  I’ve not tested this recipe using frozen kale, but I think it would work just fine.
  Reply
Joseph says
Posted on 9/7 at 2:41 pm
My wife and I love this recipe so much!
We use the slow cooker version and it comes out perfect every time. It has definitely become a staple at our house.
Reply
Stephanie E Leech says
Posted on 9/6 at 8:40 pm
Really good, but the broth is a bit too thick. Zuppa has a thinner broth, which I prefer. I also added 1 1/2-2 cups more broth.
To me, I’d say, use more broth, and only add 1TBSP of flour.
Super yummy and hits the spot! I always use sage ground sausage and add an extra clove of garlic.
Reply
Lora Waters says
Posted on 7/30 at 10:22 pm
Only changes I made was an extra 32oz of organic chicken stock, and added a little more kale. super good soup, glad I tried the recipe!
Reply
Regina says
Posted on 7/26 at 6:28 pm
Loved this soup so much.Can’t wait to make it for my family.
Reply
Heather says
Posted on 7/20 at 2:33 pm
This recipe has become a staple in my house! My husband asks for it all the time! The only thing I do different is I cook my bacon in the oven on a sheet pan covered with foil at 400 degrees and I do this while I am prepping my other ingredients and cooking the sausage. I just prefer my bacon in the oven and I find it cuts the work down a bit. I do use a bit of the bacon grease when I saute the onion so you get that flavor as if they had cooked together. This soup also heats up great on the stove for another lunch or diner so I always make a double batch! Thanks for the great recipe!
Reply
Gay B says
Posted on 7/19 at 1:09 pm
This is so good and easy. It’s become a staple in our household.
Reply
Ty says
Posted on 7/18 at 5:37 pm
During the pandemic, I decided to learn a bit about cooking. I love Olive Garden, and the zuppa Toscana, saw this recipe, and decided to make my first ever soup. Weell, it was fantastic! Better than OG, actually. Going to do the beef stew next!
Reply
Rickey L Keen says
Posted on 6/30 at 9:30 pm
This recipe is awesome, absolutely delicious. I have been cooking this for my best flriends and family for several years now ….. tonite I smothered my plate with grated parmesan cheese and let it melt…….. Wow…. I will never eat it again without the grated parmesan cheese…….pure perfection. Chef Rick from Louisiana
Reply
Adrienne says
Posted on 6/17 at 9:17 pm
Good flavor just like Olive Garden 🙂 I did need more chicken stock because my soup turned more into a potato mush rather than a soupy like texture so maybe if you make this keep a spare thing of chicken stock on hand!
Reply
Tommie says
Posted on 6/6 at 9:02 pm
This is by FAR my most favorite soup. I can’t say enough how much I love this! Have never eaten Olive Gardens version. Lol I can only think this version and almost ANY homemade version would be much healthier.
The only alterations I made were, 1) I used organic super low sodium chicken broth. 2) I doubled the recipe. 3) I prefer red potatoes or gold potatoes over russet.
4) I always add the kale last also, but I don’t cook it more than maybe 3-4 mins. I love the crispness of kale in this soup. It just gives it a very fresh texture and taste. Otherwise, this is the perfect recipe, loaded with flavor and nothing at all needs to be changed! Oh, one last thing is I don’t use any oil to cook the sausage or bacon in. So, it’s all for health reasons basically!!
Thank you for posting.
Reply
Que Coner says
Posted on 6/3 at 10:36 pm
I used swiss chard instead of kale only because I had alot of it and needed to get rid of the chard. It came out just as good.
Reply
Darius Ontiveros says
Posted on 5/22 at 11:47 am
I really liked it and it was pretty easy to make. I went with cauliflower instead of potatoes and extra pepper flakes for some added kick.
But the real praise comes from my highly stoic, somewhat apathetic, 16 y.o son, who said “Umm, I like this”. Such high praise from a teenager does not come easy nor come often!
Thanks!
Reply
- Tommiejj says
  Posted on 6/6 at 9:05 pm
  The cauliflower is a really great idea to cut carbs.
  Reply
- Drew says
  Posted on 10/31 at 8:43 pm
  Living the low carb lifestyle, I’m getting tired of cauliflower in everything. I used turnips in place of the potatoes and it turned out fantastic! They have the same texture as the potato would have, and soaked up some of that bacon grease.
  Reply
Teri says
Posted on 5/21 at 7:09 pm
Deliciousness!! I’ve made it 10 times or more. Never fails. Always delicious. Is it 790 calories a serving?
Reply
- The Chunky Chef says
  Posted on 5/21 at 9:27 pm
  So happy you love the recipe! Yes, the calories are per serving, but they’re auto generated by a program, and I take them more as an estimate that a true count.
  Reply
Michelle G says
Posted on 5/16 at 4:22 pm
This is now a regular, well-loved recipe in my household. I’ve made it at least 5 times now, and as long as I follow the recipe to a T, it always turns out delicious.
Reply
Anetha says
Posted on 5/11 at 8:21 am
I did make this recipe and it is actually better than Olive Garden’s. Sorry Olive Garden but I say that because mine have a lot more meat (chunks instead of crumbles) and a lot more flavor!🤗🤗
Reply
Alexis says
Posted on 5/9 at 10:06 pm
This is my 3rd recipe of yours this week. I think I found my new fav chef 🙂
Reply
Susan says
Posted on 4/30 at 6:59 am
Instant mashed potatoes is also a great soup thickener.
Reply

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