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Zuppa Toscana Soup {Olive Garden Copycat Recipe}
4.9 from 243 votes

Zuppa Toscana Soup {Olive Garden Copycat Recipe}

Zuppa Toscana Soup replicates the hearty and creamy soup featuring Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale, and a touch of half and half. This version includes savory sausage and bacon cooked with onions before simmering with potatoes and kale in a flavorful broth. The addition of sugar and optional fennel seeds balances acidity while enhancing aroma. The creamy finish enriches the soup’s smooth texture and rounds the robust flavors.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lb Italian sausage (casings removed if necessary)
  • 4 oz Bacon (about 4 slices), diced into small pieces*
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
  • 3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth low-sodium
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes scrubbed and rinsed then sliced into halves, halves diced into 1/6-inch slices
  • 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds crushed (optional
  • salt freshly ground
  • black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1 1/2 cups kale packed, chopped
  • Romano cheese optional, finely shredded, for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into 1-inch pieces and add to saucepan.
  2. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Drain sausage onto a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels, set sausage aside. 
  3. Add diced bacon to saucepan, return to heat and saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced onions and saute mixture until bacon is cooked through and onions are translucent, about 3 - 5 minutes longer.
  4. Add chicken broth, water, sliced potatoes, sugar, fennel seeds, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in cooked sausage. 
  5. Cover saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are nearly tender, about 10 - 15 minutes. 
  6. Add in kale then simmer until potatoes are soft and kale is tender, about 5 - 10 minutes longer. 
  7. Stir in half and half and warm through. Use a spoon or ladle to remove excess fat from top of soup if desired. Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.

Notes

  • Slicing potatoes evenly ensures they cook uniformly for consistent texture.
  • Adding garlic in the last minute of sautéing onions enhances the depth of flavor.
  • Using turkey sausage provides a leaner alternative while keeping the dish hearty.
  • Reduce water amount for a less brothy, more concentrated soup flavor.
  • Extra cooked bacon can be added as a garnish for presentation and flavor contrast.