Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe
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An Olive Garden copycat recipe! This zuppa toscana soup is made with crumbled sausage, tender potatoes, spinach and bacon. So cozy, so hearty!
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My husband always gets this at Olive Garden so I thought I’d make it at home for him. He RAVED about it- said it was better than Olive Garden’s and could eat it every night. Thanks so much for an easy yummy recipe!
Why you’ll love Olive Garden zuppa toscana
- Copycat recipe. This is Olive Garden’s most favorited, most-loved soup, and you can whip this up right at home in a single pot, which is always a win on those super busy weeknights (hello, easy cleanup here). It’s made with crumbled Italian sausage, tender russet potatoes, sneaked in leafy greens, and all the crispy bacon crumbles sprinkled on top.
- Allows for complete customization. By making this restaurant-favorite at home, you have full control over all the ingredients. Make it spicy, make it mild, make it extra creamy, or make it a little lighter with healthier swaps.
- Leftovers taste even better. Similar to lasagna, zuppa toscana tastes even better the very next day, really letting the flavors marry overnight.
- Budget-friendly. You can enjoy restaurant-quality soup for just a fraction of the cost using better quality ingredients all around.
WHAT IS ZUPPA TOSCANA?
Zuppa toscana is a soup from northern Italy in Tuscany. Translated word for word, zuppa toscana literally means Tuscan soup, also known as minestra di pane in Italy (bread soup).
Key Ingredients
- Italian sausage: mild or spicy
- Aromatics: garlic and onion
- Liquid: chicken broth or chicken stock
- Potatoes: russet potatoes
- Greens: baby spinach or kale
- Cream: heavy cream or half and half for a lighter version
- Seasoning: salt and pepper
- Topping: bacon crumbles
How to make Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe
- Cook the bacon. Place the diced bacon in a Dutch oven over medium hight heat. Pro tip: you do not need to add oil as the bacon will render its own natural fat. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, bubbly, and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside, leaving 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the Dutch oven.
- Brown the sausage. Add the Italian sausage with the casing removed. Crumble and break apart the sausage as it cooks, stirring until browned and cooked through. Drain the excess fat but reserve 2 tablespoons in the Dutch oven.
- Sauté the aromatics. Stir in the garlic and onion until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Simmer. Stir in the chicken broth and russet potatoes. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
- Finish. Stir in the spinach (or kale) and heavy cream.
- Serve. Season with salt and pepper, and serve warm, sprinkled with the reserved crispy bacon.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH ZUPPA TOSCANA
Tools For This Recipe
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
Is zuppa toscana soup spicy?
The spicy Italian sausage does pack a little bit of heat, but you can substitute mild Italian sausage for milder flavors.
What is heavy cream?
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
How can I store leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, gently reheating on the stovetop until warmed through.
Is this freezer-friendly?
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the heavy cream and bacon (cream soups tend to separate when frozen) in individual freezer bags. To reheat, thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop, adding heavy cream and bacon when serving.
Can I make this in the Instant Pot?
Absolutely! I have a recipe for that here.
Do you have a recipe for Olive Garden’s pasta e fagioli?
Yes! You can find the copycat recipe here.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe
An Olive Garden copycat recipe! This zuppa toscana soup is made with crumbled sausage, tender potatoes, spinach and bacon. So cozy, so hearty!
Video
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium hight heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; drain excess fat, reserving 2 tablespoons in the stockpot, and set aside.
- Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat, reserving 2 tablespoons in the stockpot.
- Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in spinach until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, garnished with bacon.
Equipment
Notes
- Render some bacon fat. Save some of the leftover bacon fat to cook the sausage and aromatics – this will add a rich, smoky base layer to the soup. And the bacon crumbles will double as a garnish when serving.
- Use starchy potatoes. Russet potatoes have a high starch content, naturally thickening the soup into a velvety consistency while soaking up the rich flavors.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Add the cream slowly. Always add the heavy cream at the very end of cooking, pouring very slowly to prevent curdling.
- Make it dairy-free. Substitute coconut cream or skip the heavy cream.
- Add garnishes. Garnishes are always optional but a fresh sprinkle of grated Parmesan or some crispy bacon will take your soup to the next level, adding more flavor, texture and contrast.
- Freeze without the heavy cream. The dairy (heavy cream) may separate or look grainy when thawed. If you are planning to freeze the soup, hold off on the heavy cream and bacon, and portion the soup into plastic freezer bags in individual servings. Label, date, and freeze up to 2 months.
Did you make this recipe?
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As soon as my friend sent me your link, I went to the grocery store in a snow storm! It was delicious! Definitely going in my “keeper” file! Lol the grocery literally had no spicy or medium Italian sausage left in the case. I had to settle for mild and added red pepper flakes. Made me think many people were whipping up your recipe in Minnesota today!
I made this soup tonight. It was very good, however the half and half curdled . Did not affect the taste. Any hint to prevent?
Joyce, I recommend using heavy cream as the recipe indicates.
Great recipe! I use 12cups of chicken broth and a can of evaporated milk instead of the cream. I’ve never used the cream but that sounds really good as well. My whole family loves this soup.
I freakin’ love this soup! I make it all the time. Great idea using spinach instead of kale!
OMG. like totally OMGEEEEEEEE !!! this is like so YUMMERS. i need to take a selfie of me and this soup…it is so OMG i just ROFL and out my window it was so OMG…YUM NOM NOM NOM NOM. SWOOOOONN.
IMO, The kale is much better in this soup. My family loves this also!!
Diana, I think that’s really based on personal preference. I’m not the biggest fan of kale so I absolutely love the spinach in this!
This was such a great and easy recipe! Definitely going on my staple recipe list. Thank you!
This soup was soooo good. I always order it when I go to OG. I must say this was way better than theirs. I too used kale like they do. My family gobbled it up. My FIL was slurping the last bit with a spoon out of the pot. Thanks for posting this recipe.
I am making this tonight but with turkey Italian sausage and using skim milk instead. It smells fantastic. I always try to make recipes healthier as I am trying to lose weight but don’t want to miss out on stuff.
Chung-Ah, thank you, thank you, and thank you! I made this tonight. It was fantastic! My hubby and son loved it. It is in my soup rotation! I stumbled upon your website. I will definitely keep coming back for more. Keep up the good work!
This was fabulous! I used frozen spinach from my garden and Regular Jimmy Dean sausage. Great!!
can I use cauliflower instead of potatoes to make it low carb? Do you have another substitute for the potatoes? Thanks!
Yes, you can definitely substitute cauliflower but you may have to adjust cooking time as needed.
OH my GOD!!! Best soup ever!! Make this recipe…you will regret it…seriously amazing food!!! Thanks so much!!! This is just make you happy food!! Can you tell that we like it? I saw this recipe and immediately went to the store and then proceeded to make it! 10 Stars!! Thanks Chung-Ah, you ROCK!!!
I’m so glad you liked this recipe! This has quickly become a favorite of mine and you just reminded me that I need to make it again!
Making this tonight with kale and extra garlic. Yum!
Sounds amazing! Let me know how it turns out.
Amazing! My guy said it was better than the Olive Garden’s. 🙂
This soup looks so incredible, you did a fantastic job 🙂 can’t wait to try this for myself!
I make this as well. I have used spinach and Kale. I also add a can of diced tomatoes and I use light cream and I love it as does my family and my co-workers.
My family LOVED this!!!! We had it for dinner tonight and my kids said it was just like the olive garden!!! Thank you so much!
I made the soup this past weekend. My husband is already begging for me to make it again. I didn’t make enough that’s for sure!!! It was excellent and by far the easiest soup I’ve made yet. Thank you for the excellent recipe! 🙂
I’m so glad the hubby likes it so much! This is definitely one of my favorite soups, and the batch sure wasn’t enough for us too!
This soup is amazing! I think the only difference between Alyssa’s recipe and mine is that I use kale instead of spinach. Your pics are GORGEOUS!
You are too sweet. Thanks, Trish! And yes, this recipe is the best. I could have this soup every single day. I can’t wait to try it with kale next time!
I just finished making this soup… Easy and amazing! My husband loves it too! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be making this again!
Haha…restaurant not recipe. Clearly the lack of sleep is getting to me!