Zuppa Toscana is one of Olive Garden’s most popular soups…but I personally think this recipe is even better than the restaurant version! Either way, I love them both and you cannot go wrong with a copycat Olive Garden recipe.
This soup uses Italian sausage, kale, bacon, and broth to form a deliciously creamy finish.
Zuppa Toscana ingredients:
You will need:
- 1lb mild ground italian sausage (you can replace with spicy)
- 8 slices of bacon, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 32oz chicken stock
- 4 large russet potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 bunch kale, destemmed and cut into small bite sized pieces
- 1tbsp. olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
HOW TO MAKE ZUPPA TOSCANA
STEP ONE: Drizzle olive oil into a large soup pot and heat over medium-high heat. Then brown the ground Italian sausage, drain the grease, and transfer sausage to a plate.
STEP TWO: Fry bacon in the same pot then move the cooked bacon to the plate with the Italian sausage. Remove grease from the pot.
STEP THREE: Add diced onions to pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic in for the last minute.
STEP FOUR: Pour in chicken stock, add in potatoes, and cook about 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
STEP FIVE: Add in cooked sausage and the majority of the bacon (just leave enough for toppings), heavy cream, and kale. Stir and cook until kale is soft and wilted. About 8-10 minutes.
STEP SIX: Season with salt and pepper and top with bacon crumbles!
Want to make it spicy? Replace the mild ground Italian sausage with spicy! OR you can top the soup with crushed red pepper.
Looking for more soup recipes? Try these!
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
30 Minute Broccoli Cheese Soup
Zuppa Toscana

This soup uses Italian sausage, kale, bacon, and broth to form a deliciously creamy finish.
Ingredients
- 1lb mild ground italian sausage (you can replace with spicy)
- 8 slices of bacon, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 32oz chicken stock
- 4 large russet potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 bunch kale, destemmed and cut into small bite sized pieces
- 1tbsp. olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Drizzle olive oil into a large soup pot and heat over medium-high heat. Then brown the ground Italian sausage, drain the grease, and transfer sausage to a plate.
2. Fry bacon in the same pot then move the cooked bacon to the plate with the Italian sausage. Remove grease from the pot.
3. Add diced onions to pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic in for the last minute.
4. Pour in chicken stock, add in potatoes, and cook about 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
5. Add in cooked sausage and the majority of the bacon (just leave enough for toppings), heavy cream, and kale. Stir and cook until kale is soft and wilted. About 8-10 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper and top with bacon crumbles!
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