Recipe

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana (Copycat)

Creamy potato soup with spicy Italian sausage, kale, and crispy bacon vibes, made in one pot with accessible ingredients.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A steaming bowl of Zuppa Toscana with sliced potatoes, crumbled Italian sausage, and ribbons of kale in a creamy broth on a rustic kitchen table

Jump to Recipe

If you have ever sat down at Olive Garden and thought, this soup is doing the most, you are not alone. Zuppa Toscana is cozy in a way that feels unfair for something that comes out that fast. Creamy broth, tender potatoes, spicy sausage, and kale that somehow tastes like it has always belonged there. It is comfort food with crisp edges and a little attitude.

This is my home version. It is not fussy, it is not precious, and it tastes like the good part of the restaurant bowl. We build flavor the easy way, brown the sausage properly, let the potatoes do their thickening thing, then add kale and finish with cream so everything stays bright and not sad.

Ingredients for copycat Zuppa Toscana arranged on a kitchen counter: Italian sausage, potatoes, kale, onion, garlic, bacon, chicken broth, cream, and seasonings

Why It Works

Browning = flavor. Cooking the sausage until it gets real color gives the broth that signature restaurant depth without extra effort.
Potatoes thicken the soup naturally. A quick simmer plus a gentle mash of a few slices makes the broth silky without flour.
Kale goes in, cream goes last. You get a creamy finish and greens that stay vibrant and tender instead of army-colored.
Easy to adjust. Make it mild, make it spicy, lighten it up, or go extra rich. The base is solid.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Refrigerator: Store cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. For food safety, cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Reheating: Warm gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often. Try not to hard-boil it since dairy can separate. If it thickens a lot, splash in broth or water until it is back to your dream consistency.

Freezing: Creamy soups can get a little grainy after freezing, but it is still totally doable. For best results, freeze the soup before adding cream, up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat, then stir in the cream at the end.

A glass meal prep container filled with leftover Zuppa Toscana soup, lid off, sitting on a kitchen counter next to a ladle

Common Questions

Can I make Zuppa Toscana in a slow cooker?

Yes, with one small rule: brown the sausage first. Add browned sausage, onion, garlic, broth, potatoes, and red pepper flakes to the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 to 7 hours or high 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are tender. (Very thin potato slices can finish sooner, so start checking early.) Stir in kale for the last 20 to 30 minutes. Add cream at the very end.

How do I thicken it without flour?

My favorite low-drama move: scoop out a cup of potatoes and broth, mash, then stir it back in. You can also lightly mash a few potato slices right in the pot with the back of a spoon.

Can I use spinach instead of kale?

Absolutely. Add spinach at the end and let it wilt for 1 to 2 minutes. Kale is more classic, spinach is faster and softer.

What potatoes are best?

Yukon Gold are my pick for creamy texture. Russets work too and will break down a little more, which thickens the soup.

Is it spicy like Olive Garden’s?

It can be. Use hot Italian sausage and a pinch of red pepper flakes. If you are cooking for a mixed crowd, use mild sausage and put red pepper flakes on the table so everyone can choose their own adventure.

Can I make it dairy-free?

You can swap the cream for full-fat coconut milk or an unsweetened dairy-free heavy cream alternative. The flavor will change slightly, but it still lands in the cozy zone.

A large pot of Zuppa Toscana soup simmering on a stovetop with visible potato slices and sausage crumbles before the cream is added

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot (5 to 7 quart)
Knife and cutting board
Wooden spoon or spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Ladle
Optional: potato masher

I wanted a culinary degree once upon a time, but what I really chased was the hands-on stuff. The kind of cooking where you learn by doing, by tasting, by burning one batch and nailing the next. Zuppa Toscana hits that sweet spot for me. It is a restaurant favorite that teaches a home cook a ton: brown your meat, build your base, let potatoes do the work, then finish with something fresh and green. Also, it is the kind of soup that makes people hover around the stove with a spoon like they are “just checking it.”

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana (Copycat)

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil (if needed)
1 pound Italian sausage (hot for classic kick, mild if you prefer)
4 slices bacon, chopped (optional but highly recommended)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste (start light, sausage and bacon bring plenty)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chopped kale (about 1 small bunch, stems removed, loosely packed)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving (optional)

Optional for serving: extra red pepper flakes, more Parmesan, and crusty bread.

Prepped ingredients for Zuppa Toscana including chopped kale, sliced Yukon Gold potatoes, and browned Italian sausage in separate bowls on a kitchen counter

Instructions

Brown the bacon and sausage. Set a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Scoop bacon out and set aside, leaving drippings in the pot. Add Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up, until browned with crispy bits, 6 to 8 minutes. If the pot looks dry, add a tablespoon of olive oil. If there is a lot of grease, spoon off a little so the soup does not turn oily.
Cook the aromatics. Add diced onion to the sausage and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Simmer the potatoes. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add sliced potatoes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Keep those slices around 1/4-inch so they get tender without disappearing.)
Thicken it the easy way. Use the back of a spoon to lightly mash a few potato slices against the side of the pot, or mash a small scoop of potatoes in a bowl and stir it back in. This makes the broth feel creamy even before the cream shows up.
Add kale, then cream. Stir in kale and simmer until it turns bright green and tender, 2 to 5 minutes depending on your kale. Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream. Warm 2 minutes. Do not boil once the cream is in.
Finish and serve. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and heat. Stir in the reserved bacon if you want it throughout, or sprinkle on top for max crisp. Serve with Parmesan and crusty bread.