Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe
Zuppa Toscana is a classic Olive Garden copycat recipe. This creamy, hearty soup is the perfect way to warm up on a cold day.
When I was younger one of my favorite restaurants to visit with my friends was Olive Garden. As young college students, the unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks would always be at the top of our list.
For me that meant Zuppa Toscana. There is just something about this creamy hearty soup that hit the spot every single time! And now, with this recipe, you can make Zuppa Toscana in your very own home!
If you didn’t spend the early part of you college years at Olive Garden, you may be wondering what is Zuppa Toscana? Well, it’s a rustic, hearty soup loaded with bacon, Italian sausage, potatoes and kale in a rich creamy broth. Sounds fab no?
You’ll be surprised at just how easy this soup is to make. I whipped it up in no time on a cool fall day. It makes a great lunch or weeknight dinner.
What is in Zuppa Toscana Soup?
- BACON: This adds a smokiness.
- ITALIAN SAUSAGE: Use mild or hot. Whichever you prefer.
- ONION
- GARLIC: You’re going to use an entire head of garlic. I know it sounds like a lot but trust me here!
- POTATOES: Russet potatoes are perfect for this. They will hold up well in the soup.
- KALE: Kale gets a lot of hate and I don’t quite understand why. It’s a hearty green loaded with nutrients. It works really well in soup because it holds up to cooking and keeps a bit of its texture. I use curly kale in this recipe but Tuscan kale would also work. To learn more about the different varieties of kale check out this article on The Kitchen.
- FENNEL SEED: Fennel seed has an anise flavor. It’s often in Italian sausage but I like to add a bit more to the soup to add a bit more warm flavor.
- CRUSHED RED PEPPER: To add a kick!
- BROTH: Use low sodium chicken broth so that you can control the salt content.
- HEAVY CREAM: This adds the classic rich creaminess that is one of my favorite parts of this soup!
How do you make Zuppa Toscana Soup?
A pretty easy soup to throw together. Unlike Beef Stew or Chili, nothing needs to simmer long here. Zuppa Toscana is a perfect soup to make on a cold weeknight dinner.
- STEP #1: Cook bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove it to a paper towel lined plate, reserve pan drippings.
- STEP #2: In the same soup pot, brown sausage. Use a slotted spoon to remove it to the same plate that the bacon is on. Reserve 1 tablespoon of pan drippings.
- STEP #3: Add garlic, onions, fennel seed and crushed red pepper. Cook just until the onions have started to soften, 3 – 5 minutes.
- STEP #4: Pour in chicken broth and water then add potatoes. Cook just until potatoes are fork tender. Return the sausage and bacon to the pot.
- STEP #5: Stir one tablespoon of hot broth into the heavy cream to temper it. Add the tempered heavy cream to the soup. Stir in kale and cook just until it’s wilted. About 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with plenty of Parmesan cheese.
There you have it! Following this Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe and you’ll be enjoying this classic recipe in no time. And I’m sure your family will enjoy it just as much as mine.
Serve this along side a green salad with garlic vinaigrette and some of the my easy garlic bread for a great soup and salad meal at home!
Looking for more Copycat Recipes? Try these
- Capellini Pomodoro
- Burgerville Spread Copycat
- Mexican Pizza Recipe
- Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer
Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 6 slices thick cut bacon diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 whole head garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 russet potatoes diced into bitesized pieces
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bunch curly kale removed from stem and rough chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove it to a paper towel lined plate, reserve pan drippings.
- In the same soup pot, brown sausage. Use a slotted spoon to remove it to the same plate that the bacon is on. Reserve 1 tablespoon of pan drippings.
- Add garlic, onions, fennel seed and crushed red pepper. Cook just until the onions have started to soften, 3 - 5 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and water then add potatoes. Cook just until potatoes are fork tender. Return the sausage and bacon to the pot.
- Stir one tablespoon of hot broth into the heavy cream to temper it. Add the tempered heavy cream to the soup. Stir in kale and cook just until it's wilted. About 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with plenty of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.