This hugely popular and easy Zuppa Toscana soup recipe is made with sausage, potatoes, kale, bacon and cream. It's always a crowd pleaser!
Do you love soup recipes as much as I do? Try my Chicken Tortilla Soup, Creamy Tortellini Soup, Chicken and Dumplings, or Beef Noodle Soup!
We can thank the American restaurant Olive Garden for the namesake of this Zuppa Toscana recipe, 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!
How to Make Zuppa Toscana:
Brown Sausage: Cook and stir it until it's nice and brown and crumbled into pieces.
Add Vegetables: Toss in chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped potato to the pot then add chicken broth and water. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
Finish It: Add some cream, cooked bacon, and chopped kale. Season it to your liking with some salt and pepper, then crushed red pepper flakes (if you like a little bit of heat). Serve the Zuppa soup with homemade artisan bread.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Homemade Zuppa Toscana 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, cooking potatoes until tender, and then stir in cream.
More Popular soup recipes:
- Spicy Chicken Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Taco Soup
- Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Chile Verde Soup
Follow me for more great recipes
Recipe
Creamy Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 1 pound hot ground Italian sausage
- 1 large onion , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 large Russet potatoes , 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
- In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, Add the ground sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, until browned. Remove some of the grease and move sausage to one side of the pan.
- 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
Nutrition
Follow Me
Recipe adapted from Food.com.
I originally shared this recipe October 2017. Updated September 2020 and September 2023.
This post contains affiliate links.
I make this all the time! It’s one of the first soups I go to when the weather gets cold. I will also change it up between kale and spinach, just depends on what I’m in the mood for.
I made this soup last year and it was a huge hit with the family. My grandmother requested me to make it today for her birthday dinner/gift. So delicious!
Turned out really yummy! I like this soup a little more creamy so I’ll probably add more heavy cream and less chicken broth next time.
We tried this soup last night and weren’t huge fans but it wasn’t bad! I think you definitely have to be a big soup fan for this one. This recipe makes a TON of soup though! Definitely a great option if you’re feeding a lot of people. Since my husband and I didn’t really like it and only had a serving each I brought the rest of the pot in to work in a crockpot and it didn’t last long there! Everyone I work with thought it was great!
If I was to make this again, I would probably do less potato, half and half instead of cream, and omit the kale/spinach entirely in favor of a side salad.
With all that being said, this is pretty spot on for an Olive Garden copycat!
Made this soup tonight, exactly as directed but with baby spinach in place of the kale. So perfectly delicious! Will definitely be repeating this one!
I’m really happy you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
I found you today and have spent the past hour looking at recipes. I am SO excited to start making them! I have a toddler and am pregnant so fast, easy dinners are a must. I think you may have just revolutionized my cooking!
Thanks so much Lauren! I’m so happy you found my site, and it seems like we have a lot in common already 🙂 ;my name is also Lauren, I have three littles and am expecting in April. Fast and easy dinners are essential! I’d love to hear what you try!
This was so delicious! I made it exactly as the recipe said and it was great. I have never been a fan of Kale but love it in this. Thank you for all your meal plans. All your recipes are amazing!
Thank you so much Trish–I’m so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the meal plans! Thanks for following TBFS <3
Hey Lauren! Thank you so much for this recipe it’s so yummy ,quick & easy!And my husband absolutely loved this soup!
I made this the other night. It was delicious and easy. Shared with my neighbors… She said the flavorings were “perfectly balanced”. I agree!
Made this today for a gathering. This soup was delicious. I used spinach and all liked the soup. I will make again.
Since I don’t like kale I made this with spinach and it was just great!