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!
Featured Comment
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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I use Kieabasa sausage instead of Italian (much better flavor) and Kale instead of spinach!
I see that the kale has been talked about, but did anyone mention the red pepper? Sprinkled on the sausage as it cooks, really brings the flavor out. Also, the oil can be omitted (because who needs more oil in their lives?). At OG they wipe the excess sausage grease out of the tilt, but leave just enough residual to cook the onion and garlic (at this point they also throw in the cooked bacon). I do appreciate this recipe, though, as I’m terrible at scaling back the amounts when I try to make just a small batch at home.
I made this today (random 65 degree day in July!) and it was SO good! I did use turkey sausage instead of regular, kale instead of spinach, doubled the garlic, and used coconut creamer instead of the heavy cream, as both my girls are allergic to dairy. It was really excellent, thank you!
Great recipe! Based on previous comments…I used organic baby kale rather than spinach & mild italian sausage. I also used 1 cup of half & half, 1/2 cup whipping cream and chicken stock (rather than broth). Turned out wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
I bought all the ingredients to make this the other day but I couldn’t find heavy cream at my grocery store I saw heavy whipping cream in the milk section but I wasn’t sure if that’s the same as heavy cream
Has anyone tried doing this in the crockpot?
I’m thinking I could cook up the sausage and throw all of the ingredients in my crockpot in the morning. Then 1/2 hr before serving put in the spinach (I also prefer spinach to kale). Would that be okay for a creamy soup or would it curdle? The only cream style soup i’ve made in my crockpot before was with coconut milk… might also be good with this. 🙂
I added some red pepper flakes for a little spice.
I made this today for a friend who love olive garden soups I had to tastr it. Boy my mind was blown. I love soup just love it and this one hit the spot especially today as temperature hit another history -5 degrees. I b taking this soup to work tonight for her and other coworkers to enjoy I hope she an everyone enjoy. Sssh don’t tell anybody but i am going back for my second bowl.
Oh by the way it wonderful with white wine and crusty bread. Thank you for the recipe.
Shut the front door! This was freakishly good. Made this last night and it was a great hit! I used both kale and spinach. Just fabulous. Tastes way better than the OG one! Thanks for sharing!
With Kale is THEE BEST.
How thinly should we slice the potatoes? Thanks! Making this tonight!
There isn’t really a specific requirement on how thin the potatoes should be – but please note, the thinner they are, the faster they will cook through.
Made this for my in-laws and husband and OMG it was definitely a hit!
I made this soup the other night and it was delicious. My husband and I had leftovers for lunch. The only difference was I added less cream. Thanks for the recipe.
I have not tried this yet but will. Have tried putting cream in this kind f soup before and it always curdles. Looks awful. Is there any time to add cream? Thanks
Donna, it is best to add the cream at the very end of the recipe. Please reference the last step below.
Made this last night. It was so tasty! My two kids had this again as their breakfast this morning. My son wanted me to make more. My kids and I love all your recipes. They are yummy and very easy to make. Thank you!
Went to OG last nite. Had this soup. They use kale and there was not one speck of bacon in it — never has been at our OG. Make it all the time and don’t care if I add the bacon or not. Still a great recipe
Made this last night. My family went bat. shit. crazy. over it! They loved it and so did I. Thanks. That was Damn Delicious!
What a fantastic recipe! I added extra garlic, red pepper flakes and Cajun spices along with corn and shrimp! Was so tasty!! Definitely a keeper for Minnesota winters.
I made this soup for a dinner party and it was a huge hit! I use hot turkey Italian sausage each time. I couldn’t find good spinach or kale this last time so I used green beans because I happened to have some. It was really good! I sautéed the green beans with the turkey sausage before adding it to the soup, turned out great!!
Just made this! It was delicious. I used kale instead of spinach. 🙂