Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup (2024)

4.99 from 51 ratings

Servings: 6 people

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US Customary - Metric

• ▢ 1 pound ground Italian sausage, hot or mild
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion, diced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon soy sauce, can sub Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 3 tablespoons flour
• ▢ 5 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 3-4 small russet potatoes, about 1 lb.
• ▢ 3 cups kale, roughly chopped

Seasonings

• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: mustard powder, dried parsley
• ▢ ½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, dried basil
• ▢ 1 Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

For Serving

• ▢ Grated Parmesan
• ▢ Roughly Chopped Bacon

• Cook and crumble the sausage in a large soup pot over medium heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings and set the sausage aside. (1 additional tbsp. butter can be used if you don’t have drippings.)

• Add the drippings and butter to the soup pot and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, hot sauce, soy sauce, and seasonings and cook for 1 more minute.

• Add the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell is gone.

• Add the chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously. Add the heavy cream in the same manner. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

• Clean the potatoes and pat them dry. Cut them in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/4-inch slices. Add the the potatoes to the soup along with the cooked sausage.

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• Simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the potatoes are nearly fork tender. Stir in the kale and simmer for 5 more minutes.

• Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with red pepper flakes, grated Parmesan, and/or chopped bacon. Serve!

Pro Tips:

• Flavor Enhancers: The mustard powder, hot sauce, and soy sauce are flavor enhancers and can't be tasted outright in this recipe. The hot sauce doesn't make this soup hot/spicy. I usually use Frank's hot sauce.
• Sausage: Hot Italian Sausage is typically used in Zuppa Toscana, but mild Italian works if you are heat averse. My personal preference is Jimmy Dean Original Pork Sausage.
• The sausage in this recipe is cooked over medium heat as opposed to medium-high, this keeps it extra juicy and gives you enough drippings to make the roux, which also adds a lot of flavor.
• Cheese Garnish: I like to garnish bowls of this soup with freshly grated Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
• Spinach can be used instead of kale if preferred or needed.
• Be sure to pair this with my crusty, airy, No Knead Bread for dipping!

Slow Cooker Method:

• Note: Flour is not used for the slow cooker method.
• Follow steps 1 & 2 as outlined in stove top method. Transfer everything to the Crock Pot except for the heavy cream, potatoes, and kale.
• Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4.
• Add the potatoes during the last 45 minutes. Cook until fork tender but not overcooked.
• Flip heat to low, if not it’s not already. Slowly stir in the heavy cream, followed by the kale. Let it heat through for 5 minutes, then serve!

Storage:

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
• Cream based sauces don't reheatexactly back to their original consistency after being frozen/reheated, but this one comes close. Be sure not to overcook the potatoes if you plan on freezing.

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Stephanie