Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe
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So easy to make and 10x better than the original! With Italian sausage, potatoes, spinach + bacon!
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why i love this recipe
A homemade replica version of the most favorited Olive Garden soup? Yes, please! Now this copycat recipe comes together in one single pot, which is always a win on those super busy weeknights (hello, easy clean up here), loaded with crumbled spicy Italian sausage, tender russet potatoes, sneaked in greens and all the crispy bacon bits on top.
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).
tips and tricks for success
- 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, pouring very slowly to prevent curdling.
- Make it dairy-free. Need a dairy free option? Substitute coconut cream or skip the half and half.
- Add garnishes. Garnishes are always optional but a fresh sprinkle of grated Parmesan or some crispy bacon will certainly take your soup to the next level, adding more flavor, texture and contrast.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH ZUPPA TOSCANA
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
The spicy Italian sausage does pack a little bit of heat but you can substitute mild Italian sausage as needed.
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.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the heavy cream and bacon (cream soups tend to separate when frozen) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding heavy cream and bacon when serving.
Absolutely! We have a recipe for that here.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe
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.
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OMG, absolutely amazing, SO GOOD
LOVED this! I used Trader Joe’s brand of Hot Italian Sausage and it certainly made the dish as a whole spicier (not a complaint) and my partner could not believe there were no other seasonings used. Would probably use 2 potatoes, or 3 smaller ones next time – the broth barely covered the 3 average potatoes I added in. Also might use half-and-half, or just less heavy cream, as when I used a full cup the broth ended up even lighter than pictured.
How many servings does this make?
I don’t have heavy cream would 1/2 & 1/2 work?
Yes, the broth just wont be as thick, but it should work.
If I do not have heavy cream, I add 2T of flour, letting it cook for a minute or two, immediately before adding the chicken broth/stock. I’ve even done this with whole milk. It lends just enough thickening to make up for the lack of cream. You could probably add up to 3T flour, depending on how thick you want it.
So delicious and addicting. It’s full of flavor and freezes well.
Is there any reason this wouldn’t freeze well? We love this recipe and I’ve been thinking about making it in bulk
Generally speaking, milk or cream soups–as opposed to those which appear creamy because they are actually pureed vegetables–do not freeze well. The freezing-and-thawing causes their consistency to break down.
My husband loved this recipe!! Thank you for posting, it’s now one of his favorites!!
Better than Olive Garden’s!
As described, delicious! I found I had potatoe gnocchi and used in lieu of potatoes!
This was delicious and comes together fast. I used kale instead of spinach and used 1 cup frozen instead of 3. This is my fave at Olive Garden.
So good! The only thing I change is the potatoes for frozen cauliflower. Lowers the carbs and tastes delicious. My husband even loves it with the cauliflower.
I saw everyone else’s comments raving about this, maybe I missed something, but mine was kind of tasteless??? What did I do wrong? Next time I’ll do 50/50 spicy/mild Italian sausage but the broth part of it was tasteless. Otherwise everything else was on point.
I completely understand where you’re coming from, but over the years this has become our absolute favorite and something I have ready when guest visit. A few things I learned to do… Cook bacon, remove, and add onion to bacon fat (about 2tablespoons) Let those get pretty brown. Add garlic. Then add your seasonings of choice to these veggies. Now add your sausage into the pot.
It’s all about layering the flavors. The broth will take the seasoning and salt from meat and veggies, but I have found after the potatoes go in, you lose some. This is a soup that HAS to sit for a day- so I leave out spinach until the rewarm.
I think the biggest difference in mine is I homemaker the chicken broth. An alternative, if you don’t have chickens or farm fresh near you..is to boil down a rotisserie from the store..with just a little meat left on it.
I hope these tips help!!
First and foremost, this soup is DELICIOUS! Having said that, I would caution others to think carefully about the broth to potato ratio and the serving size. Since I was only cooking for two, I halved the recipe to get 4 servings (yes, I even used 1.5 russet potatoes…not sure what I’m going to do with that other half of a potato…). Not only did I have to add an additional 1.5 cups of broth to be able to cook the potatoes uncovered, but even then, it only came out to make 3 servings total for us. We were eating it as our entire meal (in normal size soup bowls), no other sides, so maybe that made a difference? If you were serving it with a hearty salad and bread then maybe you could get away with 8 servings for the total recipe, but if you’re eating it as your entire meal, you’ll likely only get 5-6 servings out of the whole recipe. Next time I’ll sub the heavy cream for half and half as others suggested to lighten it up, but I have no doubt it will still be outstanding!
This recipe is amazing!! So easy and quick. My husband and I are big fans of brothy soups so we only used two potatoes instead of 3 and it worked out perfectly for us! Thank you for this recipe!! I’m so excited to make this for a potluck (when it’s safe to gather again) 🙂
Awesome Awesome Awesome….I didn’t garnish it with bacon, sausage has enough grease lol…. hubby LOVED it!! Wish I could post pic…..Thank you
Mm this sounds delicious.. I’ve never had toscana soup before (Aussie, hello!) & I am lactose intolerant so I’m wondering if it would be a sin to leave the cream out at the end? Thanks so much!
I’ve used coconut milk as a substitute and it’s delicious!
I had to doctor up my liquid to potato portion, but it was nonetheless amazing!
This is one of my favorite recipes. I have been making it for a few years now and come back to it every now and then, especially in fall and winter months or when I feel a cold coming on. I sub kale for spinach sometimes depending on what’s in the fridge, which is also delicious, and often use half and half instead of heavy cream for less calories. If you haven’t tried it yet you are missing out!
Delicious! I let mine simmer all day and added the heavy cream once I got home from work. It was so good. Better than Olive Garden!
I made this with sweet sausage and it was delicious. My husband got this soup at Olive Garden all the time but said just as good with a little parm on top. Definitely a keeper.