Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana is a creamy, hearty soup loaded with bacon, sausage, potato and kale. This one pot Zuppa Toscana soup recipe comes together quickly and is so filling and delicious – sure to be a hit with the whole family!

Don’t forget the dinner rolls or crescent rolls to serve alongside this delicious soup!

Zuppa Toscana

Back in November of 2011, I shared the recipe for my favorite soup ever, Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana soup. It went bananas and has since been one of the most popular recipes on my site. It’s a recipe that I make at least once a month and more like once a week during the winter. My whole family loves it and you guys do too!

After numerous requests, I shared a slow cooker Zuppa Toscana recipe in 2014. That version has also been insanely popular and well-loved by my readers.

I am now sharing a one pot version that makes this soup so simple and easy, you’re going to make it more than ever. Instead of baking the bacon and browning the sausage in the oven, everything is done in one pot. I used my new dutch oven that my Dad got me for Christmas! I love how all the drippings from the sausage and bacon add so much flavor to the soup! It’s fantastic!

“Exactly like Olive Garden ( maybe even better) I like my soup soupy so I did add a little more chicken broth! Best ever!”

RHEA

What To Serve With Zuppa Toscana

This creamy soup recipe is warm and comforting on its own or served as a hearty side dish with dinner. We like to eat it with some sort of homemade bread or roll on the side. Here are some of our favorites:

1. Dinner Rolls
2. Biscuits
3. Cornbread
4. Sweet Potato Biscuits
5. Crescent Rolls
6. Angel Biscuits

More Comfort Food Favorites

Chilly weather is our favorite time for comfort food just like this Zuppa Toscana recipe. Here are some more delicious recipes to try:

1. Mac and Cheese – extra cheesy, and so delicious! 5 star reviews!
2. Tuna Casserole – from scratch sauce makes this classic even better than you remember!
3. Crockpot Chili – a must make for the weekend!
4. Tater Tot Casserole – a great go-to dinner for busy weeknights!
5. Chicken Stir Fry with the most delicious sauce!
6. Perfect Pot Roast and Gravy

What You’ll Need

You are going to love how easy this creamy Zuppa Toscana recipe is! As always, you can find a printable recipe card at the end of this post. Now let’s take a look at what you’ll need to have on hand:

• spicy Italian sausage – you can use mild Italian sausage instead but I do love the flavor of the spicy version.
• bacon – Use good quality bacon for the best results.
• onion – I use a yellow onion for this recipe.
• garlic – you can use the pre-minced garlic to save a little time.
• chicken broth – or chicken stock. I like to use the low-sodium version so I can control the salt.
• russet potatoes – these will need to be thinly sliced. Consider using a mandoline for slicing the potatoes – it creates uniformity which allows the potatoes to cook at the same speed and also reduces prep time.
• crushed red pepper flakes – these are optional. Omit if you are hesitant about the heat level.
• chopped kale – I buy the pre-chopped kale a lot just to save time. You can use spinach instead of kale.
• heavy whipping cream – this gets added just before serving and tuns the savory broth into something rich and creamy. Half and half or whole milk are options to use here.
• Parmesan cheese – I love to grate fresh Parmesan cheese right over the top of the soup just before serving.

How To Make Zuppa Toscana Soup

1. Brown sausage in a large pot or dutch oven. Remove and set aside.
2. Add bacon to pot and cook until crispy.
3. Stir in onion and cook until onion is translucent.
4. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add chicken broth, water, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper if desired.
6. Add sliced potatoes and cooked sausage to the pot and bring to a simmer.
7. Cook until potatoes are tender.
8. Add kale to the soup, and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
9. Stir in heavy cream and let heat through.
10. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese on top.

Storage Information

Refrigerator: Let the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup cool to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container. Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Freezer: Let the soup cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe airtight container. Good for up to 3 months.

FAQs

Trish’s Tips and Tricks

• Make sure you have all of your ingredients chopped and measured out beforehand. This is a basic cooking “must-do,” but one that I must remind myself to do on a consistent basis!
• Every cooktop and range is different. If you feel like something may overcook or not cook enough, feel free to change the heat settings or the timing of something and check for the doneness of the ingredients instead. This is especially important in soup.
• Add extra broth or water when the consistency of the soup is too thick for your liking. I like to keep extra water around because I tend to find some soups too salty and strong, so adding some water is a go-to strategy for me. Much of this is personal preference, so taste your soup often to make sure you like it. On the other hand, if you would like to thicken your soup, make a quick slurry by whisking together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of liquid (broth, water, milk) and then whisking into the soup.
• I use a mandoline for slicing the potatoes. It takes about one minute to have them all perfectly and uniformly sliced.

I add a bit of crushed red pepper flakes to the soup as well as a bit of salt and pepper. Totally optional. The soup already has a lot of salt from the bacon and heat from the spicy Italian sausage so feel free to omit if you’d like.

I know you’re going to go crazy for this one pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup! Less dishes is always a good thing 🙂

More Soup Recipes

1. Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
2. Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
3. Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
4. Ham and Cabbage Soup (Instant Pot)
5. Chicken Enchilada Soup
6. Sausage Kale Soup

How To Make Zuppa Toscana

Originally published January 22, 2017.