Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe

If you are a fan of Olive Garden, you have probably had their Zuppa Toscana soup and immediately fell in love with it.

This is a delicious and hearty Tuscan soup with a creamy potato and Italian sausage base. It also contains many other flavorful ingredients that all beautifully complement each other.

Traditionally, Zuppa Toscana soups also contain beans, so you can definitely add some to your recipe if you would like to.

If you are scared to try new soups and are unsure what to expect with this one, the closest soup it resembles is a minestrone soup, so if you are a big fan of those, you will love this Zuppa Toscana soup too!

Here is the best part, although this soup takes a while to make, there are tons of things you can do to save yourself some time. You can use a vegetable chopper to reduce prep time or buy pre-prepped products (like already chopped kale and potatoes or diced bacon).

I would recommend using the highest quality of Italian sausage you can find (within your budget of course) as it is the star of the show. If you are not sure what Italian sausage is, it is a pork and pork fat based sausage similar to Chorizo or Andouille (you can use these sausages as substitutes if you cannot find Italian sausage).

It is a smoked sausage that boasts flavors of fennel, oregano and star anise. All these flavors are also imparted in the soup so you can just imagine the symphonies of flavors you will experience.

Do yourself a favor and store the soup in the refrigerator (after it has cooled down completely) for a few hours, or even overnight, before serving it. Its flavor becomes even more prominent and rich after having rested and infused.

This recipe is a must-try and will definitely become a new family favorite.

How To Make Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place all of the sausages on a lined baking sheet or silicon mat and roast for 25-30 minutes until cooked all the way through. Once finished, drain the sausages on paper towels. Slice the sausages and set aside for later use.

To prepare the potatoes, peel all of them, cut them in half lengthwise, then slice each half into ¼ inch thick slices.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the diced onions for about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and diced bacon and cook until the bacon has become crispy.

Add the sliced potatoes, chicken stock and water and bring the pot to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes become soft.

Add the chopped kale and cream and mix the ingredients through. You can add more or less cream to adjust the consistency.

Serve the Zuppa Toscana with the sliced Italian sausages and along with bread or crackers.

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Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Laura Ritterman Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

520

kcal

This Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup is an incredibly easy soup to make that is perfect during any time of the year, for any occasion.

Ingredients

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage links

• 1 pound russet potatoes

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• ¼ cup bacon, diced

• 29 ounces chicken stock or broth

• 1-quart water

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 2 cups kale, chopped

• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with non-stick paper or a silicone mat. You can also spray with a non-stick cooking spray, although the sausage itself sometimes still becomes too dark.
• Place all of the sausages on the baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until cooked all the way through. Once finished, drain the sausages on paper towels. Slice the sausages into ¼ inch slices and set aside to later use as a garnish.
• To prepare the potatoes, peel all of them, cut them in half lengthwise, then slice each half into ¼ inch thick slices.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Sauté the diced onions until they become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and diced bacon and cook until the bacon has become crispy.
• The bacon fat adds incredible umami flavors and that is why you do not cook the bacon separately.
• Add the sliced potatoes, chicken stock and water and bring the pot to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the potatoes begin to become soft and fork-tender.
• Turn the heat down to a very low heat and add the chopped kale and cream. Mix the ingredients through to incorporate evenly. You might need to add more cream to adjust the consistency.
• Make sure the Toscana is heated through before garnishing with some slices sausages. This soup pairs exceptionally well with most breads and can also be served with crackers.

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Tips & Tricks

• Other meat sausages you can use instead of Italian sausage, which consist of pork, includes a turkey or chicken sausage. Beef has a very strong flavor so might overwhelm the rest of the ingredients. Try to find sausages that contain fennel and oregano, as those are the main herbs used in Italian pork sausages.

• You can buy pre-prepped ingredients to save yourself some preparation time. For example, you can buy pre-diced and chopped potatoes, onion, garlic, bacon and kale. Keep in mind, freshly chopped ingredients will always be more flavorful and fresh.

• This Zuppa Toscana soup goes incredibly with slices of bread, a favorite being ciabatta, or traditional Tuscan bread. You can toast the slices if you like, although a fresh buttered piece pairs beautifully and has a very neutral texture and flavor.

Conclusion

Personally, I love soups with texture, which makes this one great if you are the same. It has wonderful flavors that when paired with some bread, make an incredibly filling and delicious meal.

This Zuppa Toscana soup will definitely become a new family favorite and luckily, can be made year-round.

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