The temperature is dropping, pumpkin spice everything has taken over, and all of my favorite stores are stocked with patent leather booties, and heavy cardigans. You know what that means! Fall is finally here and I figured the best way to kick off the season is with my…I mean EVERYONE’S favorite fall special; Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana soup. I swear, as soon as you type in “Zu” on Google, prepare to be inundated with all of the best copycat recipes. I get it, it’s such an easy and delicious soup recipe, it’s worth every share.
What I love the most about this soup is how it gets better over time, so be sure to save some for the next day! When it comes to this soup, I think everyone has their own approach and adds their special preferences and little extras along the way, yet somehow we all end up serving the same great-tasting soup that brings people together. I’ve made Zuppa for friends and small gatherings and years later and we still reminisce about it, because it’s that good!
The flavors in the soup are simple and start with 2 key ingredients; Italian sausage & onions. Once the onions and sausage have cooked down they act as the key flavor agents for this soup and while I love a seasoned dish, you really don’t need a lot of seasoning. Here is what I use:
Italian Sausage– Spicy or mild sausage will work great in this soup
Aromatics – onions and garlic
Potatoes – Sliced red or russet potatoes
Spices – Salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
Chicken broth
Heavy cream
Kale
HOW I MAKE MY ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP
Step 1
Cook the sausage in a large pot until there is no pink, about 7-9 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onions to the same pot and cook until they are translucent then add in the garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir in the seasonings and mix well.
Step 2
Pour in the chicken broth and bring the broth to a rolling boil. Add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are tender for about 10 minutes. Add the cooked sausage and kale. Cook the kale until it reaches your desired tenderness. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Step 3
Top with crushed bacon pieces and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Print
Best Zuppa Toscana Soup (Olive Garden Copy Cat)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
Description
A delicious soup favorite made with Italian sausage, onions, garlic, and potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb hot or mild Italian sausage
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, diced
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 5 red or russet potatoes, sliced
- 1 bunch of kale, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 slices of cooked bacon, optional
- Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Cook the sausage in a large pot until there is no pink, about 7-9 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onions to the same pot and cook until they are translucent then add in the garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir in the seasonings and mix well.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring the broth to a rolling boil. Add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are tender for about 10 minutes. Add the cooked sausage and kale. Cook the kale until it reaches your desired tenderness. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Top with crushed bacon pieces and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Keywords: Zuppa Toscana soup
This is the BEST soup! I never tried using Red potatoes but will use them when I make my pot of soup. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks Jay!
I made the Zuppa Toscana soup on Sunday and my husband said “that was the best soup you ever made” and it was. I used the red potatoes this time around and even used spicy sausage. Everything blended so well together and tasted so…good. Looking forward to trying the Turkey meatballs!
Wonderful! I love the red potatoes in this soup; I think they add a nice creaminess to the broth. So glad you enjoyed it!
One of my fave soups! I’ll have to try this recipe!