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Zuppa Toscana (Sausage, Bacon, Potato, and Kale Soup)

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Love the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana? It’s so easy to make it at home. This creamy sausage, bacon, potato, and kale soup is total comfort food!

Zuppa Toscana closeup

This post was originally published on September 23, 2015. I’ve updated it with new photos, text, and a better written recipe. 

Easy Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe

If you haven’t tried this soup yet, now is your chance. It’s popular for a reason. It’s easy to make, very satisfying, and feels like a treat. Probably because it has bacon. And sausage. And cream. And potatoes. The kale totally cancels out the calories from the sausage and bacon so you can feel good about eating this. I wish.

I originally made this soup one day because my husband remembered eating it at the Olive Garden. I searched out copycat recipes probably back in 2013 or 2014 and then adapted it to make it more my own. I then published the recipe on my blog back in 2015, which feels like a lifetime ago. I still have yet to actually try the Olive Garden’s version, but I do know one thing – my version tastes amazing. 🙂 

We hadn’t made this soup in a while, but I can tell you that my husband was ecstatic to eat all the leftovers again from the latest batch of photos. We’re on day three as I write this up, and he’s still excited to have a bowl of this for dinner. 

I don’t make a lot of copycat recipes, but this one’s definitely a keeper. 

Copycat Zuppa Toscana in two bowls

What is Zuppa Toscana?

“Zuppa Toscana” literally means “Tuscan soup”, but from an American point of view, it commonly refers to the soup found at the Olive Garden restaurant. It’s a fairly brothy (not too thick) soup. 

What kind of potatoes to use in Zuppa Toscana?

I typically use red potatoes, but Russets (or even other varieties) will work just fine. I don’t peel the potatoes, but you definitely can. This soup is pretty forgiving on the quantity of potatoes. I typically use four medium-to-large red potatoes, which I know is really subjective. I’d aim for around 1.5 pounds of potatoes if you’re looking for weights. 

You may also like my sausage, kale, and gnocchi soup or my lasagna soup.

Zuppa Toscana in a bowl with a spoon

How to make Zuppa Toscana

  1. Sauté the bacon in your soup pot. I like to give it a few minutes head start prior to adding the sausage pieces. Cook until the bacon is crispy and the sausage is browned.
  2. Meanwhile, I like to prep the remaining ingredients.
  3. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken stock and water to the pot, followed by the potatoes and Italian seasoning. Bring the soup to a boil and cook until the potatoes are done.
  4. Stir in the cream and kale. Cook another 5-10 minutes or so until the kale is nice and tender. Season to taste. 

Zuppa Toscana recipe notes:

  • I like to use thick-cut bacon and Johnsonville mild Italian sausages. Feel free to use spicy sausage if you want some more kick.
  • Substituting spinach for kale works fine.
  • To lighten the recipe up a little bit, you could definitely drain some of the fat from the bacon and sausages. I admit I don’t do this. It just makes the soup way more flavorful.
  • If you need to, replace the cream with half-and-half. With recipes like this, I prefer to go all out haha. You can’t beat real cream in my opinion. 
  • This is not a thick soup. 
  • This soup makes yummy leftovers. If you freeze the soup, it can separate a bit when reheating, though, so reheat on a low temperature and stir it well.

Own an Instant Pot? Try my Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana recipe. 

Easy Zuppa Toscana soup recipe in a bowl

Have you tried Zuppa Toscana? Leave a comment below.

Questions? Let me know!

Zuppa Toscana closeup
4.72 from 14 votes
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Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe

Love the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana? It's so easy to make it at home. This creamy sausage, bacon, potato, and kale soup is total comfort food!

Course Soup
Cuisine Italian American
Keyword Zuppa Toscana copycat, Zuppa Toscana recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6
Author Natasha Bull

Ingredients

  • 1 (17.6 ounce) pack Italian sausages
  • 5 strips of bacon (thick cut works best)
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth (beef works too)
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 large red potatoes roughly cubed (leave skins on)
  • 1 dash Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1 small bunch of kale torn into bite-size pieces (remove stems)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Using kitchen shears (or a knife), cut the bacon into small pieces and add it to the pot. Cook the bacon for a few minutes over medium-high heat. I like to give the bacon a bit of a head start so it gets nice and crispy.

  2. Take the sausages out of their casings. I lightly slice the sausages length-wise with a sharp knife to make a slit in the casings, and then it's really easy to get them out. I then use my fingers to break the meat into bite-size pieces and add them to the soup pot as I go.

  3. While the sausages and bacon cook, I chop the onion and potatoes, making sure to give the pot a stir occasionally.

  4. When the sausages and bacon are nicely browned and getting crispy, stir in the onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

  5. Add the chicken stock, water, potatoes, and Italian seasoning to the pot.

  6. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat to simmer.

  7. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes and onions are tender.

  8. Add kale, cream, and salt and pepper and cook for a further 5-10 minutes or until the kale is soft and wilted.

Recipe Notes

  • If you're worried about calories, you could probably use fewer sausages than I do without changing the taste of the soup too much. You can drain some of the fat too if you wish. I keep it in for flavor!
  • Adapted from one of the many copycat Zuppa Toscana recipes out there. I can't remember which one (I did try to find it) - I memorized it and adapted it quite a while ago.
  • I use a 5-pack of Johnsonville Mild Italian sausages in this recipe.
Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup - Salt & Lavender
My original photo for this soup… circa 2015

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Linda V says

    5 stars
    We just loved loved this recipe! I did use spinach in place of the kale. Just incredibly delicious. This will be a go to recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hmmm I’d prob just use water instead of the broth. Do you have any bouillon/stock cubes by chance? Better than Bouillon? Worcestershire sauce? I’m trying to think of anything that could add a bit of that salty flavor to water.

      Reply

  4. Stacy says

    I was just wondering if I could add other veggies like carrots celery red,yell,& oran. sweet pepper and zucchini to this soup. If so would it throw the taste off a lot.

    Reply

  5. Jane M says

    5 stars
    Easy to make and amazing flavor! Added extra kale – I had plenty from garden. Also, used breakfast sausage links – used up what was in refrigerator. I sautéd onions/garlic before I added liquid. I will definitely pass this recipe to my daughters. Thank you!

    Reply

  6. Tina says

    Hello Natasha! I have made this soup a multitude of times and it is always a hit! The one difference is that I sauté the onions and a bit of celery until the colour lightens (5 or 6 minutes). I then add the potatoes and continue to sauté for 5 minutes before adding the liquid. This locks in more flavour. So delish!

    Reply

  8. Toya Crutchfield says

    5 stars
    I make this delicious soup often, especially on a cold night. I add fresh thyme, parsley, leeks and a small amount of fresh fennel all sautéed with butter and sherry which takes it to a whole new level of richness and food for the soul.

    Reply

  9. Yolanda says

    This is a great recipe and is easy for someone who can’t cook-like me! My family loved it and I’ll be making this more often.

    Reply

  11. Samantha Lopez says

    5 stars
    I am in love with this soup it’s so AMAZING and DELICIOUS! Wonderful recipe I’d recommend it tremendously to everyone! 😍😍😍😍

    Reply

  12. J.Pursell says

    5 stars
    Love following you on insta- have made several of your recipes! 🙂 This one my fiance LOVES, and its’s so easy

    Reply

  13. Melissa Grimes says

    5 stars
    Outstanding! One of the best soups I’ve ever made! Super easy, too! I did add a good bit of salt and pepper, but other than that made exactly as directed. Thank you for posting this!

    Reply

  14. Lexi says

    5 stars
    Wish I could post a pic! The Soup was beautiful and very tasty. Very close to the Olive Garden version. I often get this soup to go and add bacon and cheese, so this recipe is a keeper!
    Thanks!

    Reply

  15. Tess says

    1 star
    This was… not good. Hard to believe another commenter said it was “the tastiest soup they ever made.” Despite containing browned sausages, it had almost no flavor. The broth was thin, chickeny water with some separated cream/oil floating unappetizingly in it.

    I should’ve known — the recipe calls for dumping in the cut up onion, potatoes and garlic to the pot AFTER adding in chicken stock and water. What’s the point of even adding onion and garlic if they go straight into a pot of liquid and you’re not going to sautee them to draw out their flavor? Feels like a Cooking 101 oversight.

    This was the first recipe from the blog I’ve tried. The photos are mouthwatering but I’m hesitant to try others now.

    [Apologies for the double post. Forgot to rate the recipe.]

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it, Tess. You do have a point with the garlic and onion – although I do think the soup does have plenty of flavor without sautéing them, I’ll put them in as a sauté step. I do that in most recipes. I do have a note in the recipe card already that states you can drain off some of the sausage fat. I’ve made this soup tons of times without draining the fat, and it’s always been a hit.

      Reply

      • Chef Lopes Jr says

        5 stars
        Agree that exactly what it says and by doing that with meat add extra flavoring accenting each other perfectly this isn’t split pea!!! Thanks for the soup recipe sorry so many negative people without taste buds on here!

        Reply

  16. Michelle says

    5 stars
    This soup is perfect.The seasoning was just the right amount, and it was creamy and filling. I wouldn’t change anything about it.

    Reply

  17. Teresa Nix says

    5 stars
    I picked my very first homegrown kale harvest this morning and immediately went looking for a recipe to use it in. I’m very familiar with the soups at OG, so I knew this one had to be a winner. I was right, it’s fabulous! With autumn finally making an appearance, this comfort food is perfect. So delicious! Thanks for sharing it with us!

    Reply

  18. Linda says

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe and in my regular rotation from Fall to Spring, sometimes even Summer! My husband will always go for seconds! We shop at Trader Joe’s every week, and they have a very good chicken Italian sausage that I use in this recipe. I also use pancetta instead of bacon. Don’t forget to sprinkle on the parmesan cheese to finish it off!

    Reply

  19. Jessica says

    5 stars
    This is a favorite of mine and yours was perfect. I did drain some fat off and used half and half instead of cream to cut calories a tiny bit. It was excellent!!

    Reply

    • Marcie Harkness says

      Great soup &even better the next day had my gall bladder out & a few years later found that grease was a little much i drain it out of the bacon&sausage it cuts down on to much oils in it i love this soup have made it for years making it today another freezing cold. snowy Colorado day yummy!

      Reply

  20. Amanda Nelson says

    Made this tonight. Exactly as described. This was the tastiest soup I’ve ever made. Absolutely perfect. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  21. tiffany says

    hi! im making this right now in a crockpot so that its ready later today in the evening. i cant wait! ive tried two of your other recipes and they were both DELICIOUS! i cant wait to try this one!

    Reply

  22. Whitney @ WhittyPaleo says

    I have drifted through some of your soup recipes and they just look and sound so tasty! It’s still a little cold in the UK – I’m so going to try them out (with just some minor subs being Paleo and all). Love your site, thanks for the lovely recipes!

    Reply

  23. Elizabeth says

    I forgot to add bacon …but this is the best soup…I will make this for Christmas dinner with bacon. yummy. Thank you for posting the recipe.

    Reply

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