by Traci ·
5 from 45 votes
Total 30 minutes minutes
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This easy Zuppa Toscana is a comforting soup made with sausage, potatoes, kale, and bacon in a savory cream broth the whole family will love!
Table of Contents hide
1) Why you'll love this Zuppa Toscana recipe
2) Ingredient notes
3) How to make zuppa toscana
4) Recipe tips and variations
5) More soups to love
6) 📖 Recipe
7) Easy Zuppa Toscana Recipe
Why you'll love this Zuppa Toscana recipe
- It's better than Olive Garden Zuppa because you control the ingredients!
- The ingredients are simple and always available.
- You only need one pot for this zuppa toscana recipe.
- This easy recipe is written for any cooking level.
- It's pure comfort food the whole family agrees on.
This easy Zuppa Toscana is love at first bite. It uses simple ingredients like Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes, and kale in a cream broth, which makes this the ultimate bowl of comfort food when it's cool outside.
Of course, this soup is delicious on its own, but everyone goes crazy for soup with bread, right?! It's even better with soft French bread, topped with crispy homemade croutons, or dunked with crostini.
Ingredient notes
- Olive oil - Or other cooking oil.
- Onions and garlic - These are key aromatics for this tasty soup recipe.
- Italian sausage - Use spicy or mild sausage. I know the restaurant version of Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana is made with spicy sausage.
- Potatoes - I prefer Russet potatoes because they're starchy and tend to fall apart easier than other varieties, which helps thicken the soup.
- Kale - Use any variety of kale for this recipe. Spinach is also a great option!
- Chicken broth - I prefer a low sodium broth since this zuppa soup recipe uses naturally salty ingredients.
- Water - Plain water helps build the soup volume without adding extra calories and fat.
- Heavy cream - This makes the broth so rich and delicious.
- Crumbled bacon - This can be pre-cooked, or you can cook bacon using your favorite method. It's added as an optional soup topping just before serving.
How to make zuppa toscana
This soup requires only one pot: a cast iron dutch oven or a heavy-bottom stainless steel pot. See recipe footnotes for the Instant Pot method.
Start by heating olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and garlic, stirring as needed. Add sausage and sauté until cooked through. Drain excess grease.
Next, add potatoes, kale, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the cream and crumbled bacon.
Serve and devour!
Recipe tips and variations
- Bacon - If using raw bacon, you can dice and saute it in the pot until crispy before you start the Zuppa recipe. Then, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside until ready to serve.
- How to thicken this soup - The potatoes will naturally thicken the soup as it cools, but you can always mash a few potatoes into the soup while it's warm to thicken.
- Use kale or spinach - Any fresh kale can be added at any point in the cooking process. When substituting fresh spinach, I prefer to finely chop and add it just before serving to prevent overcooking it.
More soups to love
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Grandma's Homemade Vegetable Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Split Pea Soup with Ham
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
📖 Recipe
Easy Zuppa Toscana Recipe
This easy Zuppa Toscana is a comforting soup made with sausage, potatoes, kale, and bacon in a savory cream broth the whole family will love!
Prep TimePrep Time: 10 minutes mins
Pressure cook: 2 minutes mins
Total timeTotal Time: 30 minutes mins
Yield 8 cups
Author Traci Antonovich
5 from 45 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil or butter
- ½ medium Onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 pound Italian Sausage (uncooked) spicy or mild
- 5 medium Russet Potatoes diced into ½ inch cubes
- 4 cups Kale or Spinach loosely chopped
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Water or more chicken broth
- ⅓ cup Heavy Cream
- ⅓ cup Crumbled Bacon about 6 slices cooked * see footnote
Equipment
4-quart soup pot or 6-quart pressure cooker
Instructions
See recipe footnotes for the pressure cooker method.
Heat OLIVE OIL in a 4-quart soup pot on medium-high.
Add ONIONS and GARLIC. Sauté a few minutes until tender, stirring as needed.
Add SAUSAGE and sauté until cooked through, stirring as needed.
Add POTATOES, KALE, CHICKEN BROTH, and WATER.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes until potatoes are cooked through.
Stir in CREAM and COOKED BACON. Add more KALE (or spinach), if you like. Serve warm.
*see recipe notes below on how to thicken the soup.
To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to five days freeze up to 90 days.
Final step
Click stars to vote. Please visit 'Comments' below for reviews.
5 from 45 votes
Video
Recipe Notes
- bacon - If using raw bacon, you can dice and saute it in the pot until crispy before you start the zuppa recipe. Then, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside until ready to serve.
- How to thicken this soup - The potatoes will naturally thicken the soup as it cools, but you can always mash a few potatoes into the soup while it's warm to thicken.
- Use kale or spinach - Any variety of fresh kale can be added at any point in the cooking process. When substituting fresh spinach, I prefer to finely chop and add it just before serving to prevent overcooking it.
Pressure cooker instructions
- Select "Sauté" on the cooker and add OIL. When the display reads "Hot", add ONIONS and GARLIC. Sauté until tender, stirring as needed.
- Add SAUSAGE (without casings) and sauté until cooked through, stirring as needed.
- Press "Cancel" and drain excess fat, if needed.
- Add POTATOES, KALE, CHICKEN BROTH, and WATER. Stir to combine.
- Secure lid, turn pressure valve to "Sealing" position. Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook” 5 minutes on HIGH pressure. When cook cycle is done, allow pot to sit undisturbed for a 10-minute (NPR) natural pressure release. Carefully turn pressure valve to "Venting" position to release any remaining steam.
- Remove lid and resume step #6 above.
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to see it!Follow @thekitchengirl on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag #thekitchengirl. This always makes my day!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 1012mg | Potassium: 883mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3497IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg
Course Dinner Recipes, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Diet Gluten Free
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Reader Interactions
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Comments
Kelly says
Could I substitute a can of coconut milk to make this dairy free?
Reply
Traci says
Sure, in equal amounts, but it will turn into a very coconut-ey soup. I'm sure you are aware of that. Enjoy!
Lynne says
This was amazing!!! My husband‘s favorite soup at Olive Garden is Zuppa Toscana … I was so excited to be able to prepare it for him at home and he absolutely loved it!!! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!!!!Reply
Traci says
Wow, great to hear, it Lynne 🙂 I always love when the other half signs off and glad you gave this recipe a try. Thanks so much for the feedback - much appreciated!
Sandy says
I use coconut cream in place of the cream since my guy has dairy allergy and it is delish!Reply
Traci says
Yes! That's a common substitution. I love how versatile Zuppa toscana really is. Thanks for the feedback! 🙂 Cheers!
Sheryl McDougall says
I have made this twice with spinach and am finally making with kale. This is a wonderful recipe.Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad to hear you're enjoying it 🙂 I think Kale is my fav. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. Cheers!
Adrienne says
So delicious. We have made this twice now in the last month! Kids gobbled it up and asked for seconds.
I double the recipe using a hot and spicy turkey sausage and Italian sausage. Thank you!Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad you're enjoyed the Zuppa 🙂 It's one of our favs and your selections sound delicious. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback! xoxo
MsCali2GA says
This recipe was perfect for a hearty weeknight winter dinner. I used my InstantPot, so it was super quick. I ended up having to use spicy ground Italian sausage because that is all the grocery store had and it was a bit too spicy for my liking so I added a little extra salt to neutralize the spice and it turned out absolutely perfect. Another tip is to use chicken bouillon powder make your own chicken broth. It is much more flavorful than the boxed or canned chicken broth. This recipe was awesome though, simple ingredients and easy to follow instructions.The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. I've actually used Better than Bouillon as my broth of choice for over 10 years. I find it to be less salty than regular bouillon. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂 xoxo
Janet says
I love this recipe. After making it and enjoying it a few times I used chorizo sausage, white and regular sweet potatoes and less broth so it was more of a stew. It was delicious.Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
So glad to hear it, Janet! I love the idea of Zuppa Toscana with sweet potatoes YUM! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it 🙂
Stephanie says
I’ve made this before and our family devoured it! Thanks so much! Question - can I double this recipe in the Instant Pot? Any changes to process or time?Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks so much, Stephanie. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, you can double this recipe in the 6 quart cooker (or larger) using the same instructions. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Andreea says
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have only tried 1 other recipe in IP and this soup was a hit with all my friend during the Thanksgiving dinner. Even my 2 very picky fiends had 2nd servings and they loved it. I am so happy I found your website and I am sure I will try many many other recipes.Thank you
Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome and thank you for taking the time to let me know 🙂 I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it. xoxo
Nataliya says
Just made it! Very good dish!
I didn't have heavy cream or half and half (I thought I had it!) so I added milk at the end plus a spoon of sour cream to my bowl. In addition, I wanted more sustains so I added a bit of oatmeal. Thank you for the recipe, definitely a keeper for this rainy season. Thank you for sharing it!Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Nataliya yessss! So glad you're enjoying it and thanks so much for the feedback. Cheers!
Jen says
I made the Zuppa Toscana For dinner tonight. Super good. Everyone ate it up and I usually can’t get my son to eat kale. He ate two bowls! I did the stove top version, because I don’t have a pressure cooker. It was really easy which I appreciate because I don’t love spending a ton of time in the kitchen.Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Jen! This makes my day 🙂 I love it when we can get the kiddos to eat green things and love it. Zuppa Toscana is a great way to do just that. Thank youuu for the feedback!
Theresa says
Do you think this could be made in a crockpot? My son’s family is coming to town and I will have to double the recipe.
Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Theresa, yes Zuppa Toscana could be easily made in the crockpot. You would need to sauté the sausage, onions, and garlic on the stove, add everything to the crockpot, and cook on high for roughly 3 hours or low for roughly 6-8 hours. It depends on how soft you want your potatoes, so you can play that by ear. Hope this makes sense. Let me know if you have questions. Enjoy!!
Kara says
Has anyone done his with sweet potatoes? My family prefers them for dietary reasons and am thinking of trying it.
Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Kara, that would be delicious, but I would cut the cook time down significantly whether it's the Instant Pot or stove. Let me know which one you'll be using 🙂
Anne says
Your recipe for Zuppa Toscana was a HUGE hit...all the men in my life loved it! Traci, your soups are all I make!!!
Thank youReply
The Kitchen Girl says
Awwwww, yay Anne!!! This makes my day 🙂 ❤️ Thanks for the feedback...much appreciated!
Pam says
If you could see our weather here today you would understand why I'm running to the store for the ingredients to make this soup right now.Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Lol that's awesome! I mean, the soup part Thanks, Pam...enjoy!
Beth says
I love easy comforting soups in the winter. Totally can't wait to try this one!
Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Beth! Hope you love it! 🙂
Angela says
One of my favorite soups done so quickly in the instant pot. What a great recipe!Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Angela! Love hearing that! Zuppa Toscana made in the Instant Pot is like a dream come true! 🙂
Shanna says
This is my favorite soup ever. It is the closest thing I have tried to the original. So yummy!!!Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Shanna! Yep, the copycat zuppa toscana is so much the real thing 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
Jessie says
I'm on a soup making kick, for lunches these days! This copycat recipe is one of my favorites!Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! Right there with you on that 🙂 Thanks!
Emily Liao says
This is by far one of my favorite winter soups to make! So creamy and flavorful 🙂Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Emily! So glad to hear it! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Carrie Robinson says
Oh yum! This looks like perfect comfort food to me. 🙂
Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! Hope you enjoy!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
I can’t wait to try this recipe at home, it looks very tasty!
Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Shadi! Hope you love it 🙂
Eileen Kelly says
I needed a quick soup that the family would love and this zuppa toscana hit the spot. Easy and absolutely delish! I will get some precooked bacon, from your tips for the next time. Lovely soup.Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Eileen! I'm so glad to inspire your family dinner. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
rika says
I love using my instant pot for this soup! So easy and quick!Reply
The Kitchen Girl says
Meee too, Rika! This Zuppa Toscana Instant Pot version couldn't be easier 😉
