Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana tastes just like the restaurant original! A creamy soup filled with Italian sausage, potatoes, and kale.
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This Olive Garden Tuscan Soup copycat is so incredibly simple to make and tastes just like what you can get in the restaurant! I made it a touch thicker (less broth) because I like thicker soups, but add more stock as desired to make it as thin or thick as you want! I LOVE a good homemade copycat restaurant recipe to enjoy some of my favorite dishes without having to go out. Find more restaurant copycat recipes here and specifically copycat Olive Garden recipes here!
This sausage potato soup is one of the most popular on the Olive Garden menu. The base of the soup is a chicken stock with a little cream and packed with ground Italian sausage, potato slices, and kale. It is hearty but not as hearty or heavy as a chowder or cheese soup, which makes it the perfect balance!
Making the zuppa toscana soup only takes 45 minutes and it holds over very well. First cook the sausage, then the bacon, garlic, and onion. It seems like a lot of onion at first, but you really do not notice it being onion heavy when you eat it. You can also substitute some chopped onion for onion powder if desired (1 Tablespoon of onion powder for 1 cup of chopped onions). Then add the chicken stock, get it boiling, and add the potatoes to cook. Finish it off by adding the cream, cooked sausage, and kale. That is it!
Now how soft or firm you should make the kale in this Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana is definitely a personal preference. I am big on texture in food in general, and love the kale to be more on the firm or crispy side to contrast the soft potatoes and creamy soup. For firm kale, only cook for a brief period of time or add to your bowl when serving. For softer kale, cook it longer in the soup until it wilts.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 2 pieces bacon chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups diced yellow onion 1/4 inch dice, approximately 1/4 pound
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1.5 pounds russet potatoes sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup kale chopped (approximately 1/3 bunch)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the sausage and cook until cooked through, approximately 5 minutes.
- Remove sausage from pot and set aside.
- Put the pot back on medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.
- When boiling, add the potato slices. Reduce heat to medium.
- Cook on a simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are just tender, approximately 20 minutes.
- Add the cream, cooked sausage, and kale to the soup. Stir and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt or pepper as needed.
I just love soup recipes and Tuscan soup is sure to be a winner. Italian is always a favorite of mine. Thanks for the copy cat recipe.