Creamy Zuppa Toscana

 This hugely popular Zuppa Toscana is an Italian-inspired soup made with sausage, potatoes, kale, bacon and cream. 

I could eat this zuppa toscana soup every day of the week, not joke. If you asked me my other favorites, i’d say: Creamy Tomato Basil Soup,  Corn Chowder and Spicy Chicken Soup.

We can thank the American restaurant Olive Garden for the namesake of this Zuppa Toscana, which translates to “Tuscan Soup”. As usual, the homemade version is fantastic, healthier than what you’d find at a restaurant, and seriously EASY to make!

Ingredients in Zuppa Toscana:

How to make Zuppa Toscana:

1. Brown sausage: Cook and stir it until it’s nice and brown and crumbled into pieces.
2. Add chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped potato to the pot. Add chicken broth and water.
3. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
4. Finish it off: add some cream, cooked bacon, and chopped kale. Season it to your liking with some salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if you like a little bit of heat).

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To make ahead: The entire soup can be made 1-3 days ahead of time, stored in the fridge.

To freeze: make the soup according to instructions but don’t add the cream, and don’t cook the potatoes until tender. Allow soup to cool, then store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm on the stove. Stir in cream and cook until potatoes are tender.

Consider trying one of these classic soup recipes:

• Spicy Chicken Soup 
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Taco Soup
• Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
• French Onion Soup
• Chile Verde Soup

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Recipe

4.98 from 43 votes

Creamy Zuppa Toscana

Creamy Italian soup with sausage, potatoes, chopped kale and bacon. This easy, comforting soup is always a crowd favorite!

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Author Lauren Allen

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Calories 564

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound hot ground Italian sausage
• ▢ 1 large onion , chopped
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢ 2 large russet or gold potatoes peeled, quartered, and then chopped in ¼ inch slices
• ▢ 5 slices bacon , cooked and crumbled
• ▢ 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cups water
• ▢ 3 cups chopped kale (ribs/stems removed)
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• ▢ salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ▢ crushed red pepper flakes to taste, if desired

Instructions

 

• Brown ground sausage into small pieces in a large soup pot of medium high heat. Remove some of the grease.
• Add chopped onions, garlic, and potatoes and sauté for a few minutes. Pour in chicken broth and water and allow mixture to come to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium low and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.
• Stir in the bacon, chopped kale, and cream. Season with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for 2-3 more minutes or until warmed through.
• Serve with homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks.

Notes

Kale: you could also use spinach.

Slow Cooker: Sauté ground sausage, onion, garlic and potatoes in a pan, then add to the slow cooker with water and broth. Cook on LOW for 5 hours or HIGH for 3, or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream and season to taste.

Instant Pot: Use the Instant Pot to sauté the sausage, onion, garlic and potatoes on sauté setting. Turn pot off and add water and broth. Cook on High pressure for 4 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release. Stir in kale and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make Ahead Instructions: The entire soup can be made 1-3 days ahead of time, stored in the fridge.

Freezing Instructions: To freeze Zuppa Toscana, make the soup according to instructions but don’t add the cream, and don’t cook the potatoes until tender. Allow soup to cool, then store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm on the stove. Stir in cream and cook until potatoes are tender.

Nutrition

Calories: 564kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 17gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 1283mgPotassium: 875mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 3930IUVitamin C: 58.8mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 2.4mg

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Recipe adapted from Food.com.

I originally shared this recipe October 2017. Updated September 2020 with additional tips, process photos and a video.