Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup

Obsessed with Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup? So is the rest of the world. And now you can make your own version at home with this easy copycat recipe. Soup's up!

This copycat version comes together on the stove top in about half an hour, and it's easy enough to serve on its own — though pair it with a fresh salad or a basket of breadsticks and you've really hit the jackpot. We can't say this is the exact recipe served at Olive Garden, since that's top secret, but it tastes remarkably close.

What Does Zuppa Toscana Mean?

Zuppa Toscana literally means "soup in the style of Tuscany." It's traditionally made from kale, zucchini, cannellini beans, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, tomato, and either Italian sausage or rigatino, a type of Italian bacon. In this copycat version, the sausage adds a savory, meaty depth to the broth that makes the whole pot taste far more indulgent than the short ingredient list would suggest.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Italian sausage — mild or spicy both work well; this is what gives the broth its savory backbone.
• Kale — the traditional green here. Baby spinach can stand in if that's what you have on hand, though it wilts faster, so add it a few minutes later.
• Potatoes — russet or Yukon gold both hold up well simmered in the broth.
• Heavy cream — what gives the broth its signature richness. Half and half works as a lighter substitute if you want to cut back on the fat.
• Chicken broth, onion, and garlic — the aromatic base the rest of the soup builds on.

Helpful Tips

Brown the sausage first and leave a little of the rendered fat in the pot — that's where a lot of the soup's flavor comes from before the vegetables and broth even go in.

Add the kale toward the end of cooking rather than at the start. It only needs a few minutes to wilt down, and adding it too early leaves it overcooked and dull instead of bright green.

Stir in the heavy cream at the very end, off the heat or over low heat, and avoid letting the soup boil hard afterward — cream-based broths can separate if they cook too fast once the dairy is in.

How to Make Zuppa Toscana in the Slow Cooker

This soup also works beautifully in a crockpot, which makes it a great option for busy weeknights when you want dinner ready and waiting when everyone gets home. Here's how to adapt it:

1. Brown the meat first. Cook the sausage and chopped bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking the sausage into small pieces. Once the meat is mostly cooked, add the onion and garlic and let them soften for a couple of minutes.
2. Load the slow cooker. Transfer the meat mixture to the slow cooker, then add the potatoes, chicken broth, water, and red pepper flakes.
3. Cook. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
4. Finish with kale and cream. Stir in the kale and heavy cream, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 1-2 hours on low. Then switch the slow cooker to warm until you're ready to serve.

Browning the meat on the stove first is worth the extra pan — it builds much more flavor than adding raw sausage to the crockpot, and it lets you drain off excess grease so the broth doesn't turn greasy over the long cook time. A slow cooker liner makes cleanup even easier.

Love kale? Our slow cooker version has always been extra heavy on the greens. Feel free to double the kale to 3-4 cups if you want a heartier, more nutrient-packed bowl than the restaurant version.

Variations

• Use spicy Italian sausage instead of mild for a soup with more heat.
• Swap the kale for baby spinach or Swiss chard.
• Add extra kale, or an extra vegetable like diced zucchini, to work more greens into the pot.
• Substitute half and half for the heavy cream for a lighter version.
• Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little more kick in the broth.

Is Kale Good For You?

Kale is considered a superfood, and this soup is a genuinely delicious way to work more of it into your week. It's been linked to lower cholesterol and has detoxifying properties, and it shows up in all kinds of recipes beyond soup — try it in a Cauliflower Kale Salad, or baked into kale chips. The fat in this soup's broth actually helps your body absorb more of kale's nutrients, so it's a genuinely good pairing beyond just flavor.

What To Serve With Zuppa Toscana

A basket of warm bread is the natural partner for this soup. Our copycat Restaurant Style Breadsticks are a favorite — and fittingly so, since Olive Garden is just as famous for its breadsticks as its soup.

Our Copycat Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread is another favorite alongside this soup — it's by far the most popular bread recipe on the blog, and it's worth making an extra loaf, because it goes fast. A fresh Italian Chopped Salad rounds things out nicely too, for the classic soup-and-salad combination.

Storing & Freezing

Leftover Zuppa Toscana keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally, so the cream-based broth doesn't separate.

This soup can be frozen, but cream-based broths sometimes separate slightly in the freezer and turn a little grainy once thawed. If you're planning to freeze a batch, it works best to hold back the cream, freeze the soup base, and stir the cream in fresh after reheating.

More Recipes Like Copycat Zuppa Toscana Soup

If you love this Copycat Zuppa Toscana Soup, you'll want to check out these other delicious soup recipes:

• Slow Cooker Potato Soup with Tuscan Sausage
• Easy Keto Soup with Sausage, Peppers, and Spinach
• Poor Man's Soup
• Chili's Copycat Southwest Chicken Soup

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