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Souper-tasty and delicious, this Zuppa Toscana soup recipe makes one of my family’s favorite meals EVER.

What is Zuppa Toscana?

Zuppa Toscana is a hearty Italian-inspired soup made with Italian sausage, potatoes, and greens in a creamy broth. Olive Garden made it famous, but the homemade version is easier than you’d think — and honestly better.

Because we’re busy people, I don’t generally serve soup as a side. As with the stuffed acorn squash recipe, this is something I serve as a main dish. You could have it with a salad and it would be great, but this soup basically has a salad IN it, lol. One of the star ingredients in zuppa toscana soup is kale (or, alternatively, spinach).

You can make it many different ways, using ingredients you have on hand. I’ve given you a base recipe below, but don’t be afraid to change it up! For example, you can use frozen spinach instead of fresh (just thaw and drain it in a colander first) or substitute kale. I’ve used garlic powder instead of minced garlic. Use whatever kind of potatoes you have on hand. Just make the soup! It will be so yummy in your family’s tummies. Promise.

When I first found a Zuppa Toscana soup recipe, I had never even tried the soup at Olive Garden. It just looked good and I had all the ingredients on hand.

Since then, I’ve seen a lot of variations, including some recipes that include bacon! Well, I had never previously used bacon in my Tuscan soup. (Why not!?? Bacon is so good!) I just didn’t know it was a thing. Even without it, I thought my soup was the most amazing thing ever.

This spinach at Sam’s Club is a deal!

You know, my soup was so good, lol, that when I finally really tried Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden, I was kind of … well… to be honest, I was a little disappointed. It was Good! Don’t get me wrong. But it wasn’t better than mine. Because my Zuppa Toscana soup recipe is the best one, I guess. 😀

Yours will be the best too. Just make it. Here’s the recipe as I make it.

Can I use spinach instead of kale in Zuppa Toscana?

Yes — spinach works beautifully in Zuppa Toscana and is actually what I use most often. It wilts faster than kale and has a milder flavor, but the soup is just as hearty and delicious. Fresh or frozen both work; if using frozen, thaw and drain it first.

Ingredients:

Italian sausage – I like bulk hot Italian sausage the best, but you can use Italian sausage links – just remove the casings before you cook. You know what I’ve also used? Regular bulk pork sausage with Italian seasonings in it, like oregano, basil, and garlic. That’s just a little more work to do, but is a great substitute if regular pork sausage is what you have.

potatoes, cut into large bite-sized pieces – How many? It depends on the type of potatoes you’re using. If you’re using large russets, like what you would use for baked potatoes, you don’t need more than three. In the end, if you have 4-6 cups of cut up potatoes, you’ll probably be doing good. And make the dices rather large. Remember that they are going to cook for a while in the chicken broth, so larger pieces are not going to turn to mush as fast as small pieces. But you do want the pieces to fit on a spoon.

onions, diced – I use white or yellow, but remember: just make the soup! Use what you have on hand. Can you use onion powder? Hmm. I never have, but try it! You’ll lose the bulk and texture and fiber of the onions, but I keep saying “just make the soup,” so if you’re out of onions try onion powder or onion soup mix. It will probably be great.

celery with leaves – wash the stalk(s) of celery and cut just the tip of the ends, but leave the leaves on it. Soup is fancier with celery leaves. (And the celery flavor – which you want – is stronger in the leaves.) I use one or two, and I dice rather than slice. Can you omit the celery? Yes, definitely. Lots of recipes I saw don’t even include it. I use celery in my homemade chicken broth, so I don’t always add it to the Zuppa Toscana soup itself.

chicken broth – I like homemade, but I’ve used bouillon cubes many times. If you do use the cubes, omit any additional salt until you’ve tasted your soup. Those cubes are SALTY! In this version, I used 2 cups of homemade chicken broth and 4 cups of water for a total of six cups of liquid.

fresh kale, fresh spinach, or even frozen spinach (thawed and drained) – I like Zuppa Toscana with spinach instead of kale, but both are good! If you only have frozen spinach, put it in a colander in the sink and run some cool water over it to thaw it. Then, smush it down with a spoon to get the remaining water out of it. Now it’s ready to use. It still tastes good! Great, in fact. And that helpful hint makes zuppa toscana an easy meal to make from your freezer stash.

cream, half-and-half, or whole milk – I think the original recipe calls for heavy cream, but you can substitute other kinds of milk, including plant-based.

seasonings to taste – salt and pepper, maybe a dash of oregano, garlic, etc.

parmesan cheese – as a garnish. It’s so good

red pepper flakes – super delicious as a topper at the end, along with the parmesan. I just bought some at Aldi, but if you’re a frequent delivery-pizza buyer, those little packs work too. (Ask me how I know. Back in our old house, I always had dozens of packets of red pepper flakes from various pizza chains. Now I have a brand new fridge with no accumulated stash, so I had to buy red pepper flakes.)

bacon or bacon bits (optional) – as a garnish at the end or even cooked in the soup before the sausage.

Prep work:

Remove sausage from casings if you bought that kind. If you bought bulk Italian sausage, you’re good.

Dice onions and celery and set aside.

Cut up the potatoes. I personally like cubes that are a little larger – maybe an inch to an inch-and-a-half – but don’t stress over it. The larger cubes withstand the long cook time better, but you still need them to fit on your spoon. 🙂

Thaw your homemade chicken broth or crumble up the little bouillon cubes.

Instructions for making Zuppa Toscana:

1. Crumble sausage into a large soup pot and brown the sausage over medium or medium-high heat until it’s fully cooked. Stand over it and keep it stirred so 1) it doesn’t burn or 2) morph into one huge clump of cooked sausage and c) so you can smell that great aroma of the sausage cooking. This takes some time – about five to seven minutes.
2. If you end up with a lot of grease, drain most of it off. Leave one or two tablespoons.
3. Over medium heat, stir your diced onions and celery into the sausage grease and saute a couple of minutes until they are less crispy.
   
4. If you are using a stainless steel pot, you probably have brown bits sticking to the bottom about now. This is delicious flavor. Take a cup of the chicken broth and pour it into the hot pan. As it sizzles, stir around, scraping the bottom of the pot to get the browning incorporated into your broth. MMM, mmm! Nice.
   
5. Now you have sausage, onion, celery, and one cup of broth in your soup pot over medium heat. It’s time for the potatoes. Gently dump in the potato pieces so you don’t splash yourself with the hot broth, then pour enough broth & water to cover the potatoes and everything else. Put a lid on your pot if you have one and wait for that to come to a boil, maybe 15 or 20 minutes.
6. Grab your prepared spinach or kale and place it into the bubbly soup. Turn down the heat to about Low and stir occasionally until the spinach or kale is tender – about five minutes. Add milk and leave it on low heat another five minutes or just until it is heated through. Taste the soup and season with salt or pepper if it’s needed. (It might not be.)
7. Serve topped with parmesan, bacon bits, and red pepper flakes.

You can store leftovers of your homemade Zuppa Toscana in the refrigerator for several days and either reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. It’s even better the second day, if it lasts that long!

I’ve never needed to freeze it, because we love it so much we just have it for every meal until it’s gone. But if you do want to try freezing it, do it before you add the cream or milk. Let it cool completely, pop it into a freezer-proof container, and use it within a few months. Once you’ve reheated it, then add the milk or cream and heat through as directed by the recipe.

I hope this Zuppa Toscana soup recipe helps you bring your family or friends to the table to enjoy a good meal and good times together. It’s so easy and versatile, but has a warmth and distinct aroma and flavor that will stick with them and always remind them of home, even if home isn’t anywhere near Italy.

Yield: About 8 servings

Homemade Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden dupe)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

So delicious! Spicy, creamy, and hearty Tuscan soup made in your own kitchen with easy ingredients you can find in any grocery store.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage (hot or mild)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 or 2 stalks celery, diced (optional)
• 5 cups potatoes, cut up
• 5 to 6 cups fresh kale or spinach, chopped, or one package thawed and drained frozen spinach
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbs parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tbs red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Crumble Italian sausage into hot soup pot and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to break up clumps until sausage is well-browned.
2. Drain excess grease, leaving just one or two tablespoons to saute the onion.
3. Add onion and celery, if using, and stir just until vegetables are no longer crisp.
4. Pour about a cup of the broth into the hot pan and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits.
5. Add cut-up potatoes, cover with the rest of the chicken broth and all of the water. Cover and bring to a boil.
6. Once boiling, turn down heat and let simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15-20 minutes.
7. Add the kale or spinach to the hot soup and stir. Cook just until the greens are wilted/softened, about five minutes.
8. Turn heat down to low/medium-low, add 1 cup of cream or milk and heat through for an additional five or six minutes.
9. Serve with toppings of parmesan cheese, bacon bits, and red pepper flakes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 479Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 642mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 14gSugar: 11gProtein: 27g

Nutrition information is provided by a third party and I haven't verified its accuracy.

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