Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Recipe (Easy Copycat)

Why This Zuppa Toscana Tastes Like the Restaurant's

The flavor comes from three things: spicy Italian sausage browned hard so the fat and fennel flavor the whole pot, thin-sliced russet potatoes that soften and release starch into the broth, and cream added at the end so it stays silky. Bacon is optional but gives the smoky note many people remember from the restaurant bowl.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
• 4 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 medium russet potatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick
• 3 cups chopped kale, stems removed
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• Salt and black pepper
• Grated Parmesan, to serve

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brown the meat. In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, then remove. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up, until well browned, 8–10 minutes. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.
2. Build the base. Add the onion and cook until soft, 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds.
3. Simmer the potatoes. Pour in the broth, scraping up the browned bits. Add the potatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer until just tender, 15–18 minutes.
4. Finish. Lower the heat, stir in the kale and cook 3 minutes until wilted. Stir in the cream and bacon and heat through without boiling.
5. Season and serve. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper and more red pepper. Serve with Parmesan and warm breadsticks.

Tips for Restaurant-Style Results

• Slice the potatoes thin and evenly so they cook at the same rate and don't turn mushy.
• Use spicy sausage, not mild. If you only have mild, add ½ teaspoon fennel seed and extra red pepper.
• Add the cream off the boil; a hard boil can make it separate.
• Lacinato (Tuscan) kale holds its texture better than curly kale.

Crockpot Zuppa Toscana

1. Brown the sausage (and bacon) in a skillet and drain.
2. Add sausage, onion, garlic, potatoes, broth and pepper flakes to the slow cooker.
3. Cook on Low 6–7 hours or High 3–4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
4. Stir in the kale and cream for the last 15 minutes.

Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana

1. Brown the sausage on Sauté, then soften the onion and garlic.
2. Add broth and potatoes, lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release.
3. Switch to Sauté, stir in kale and cream and heat through.

Homemade vs. the Restaurant Version

At Olive Garden, Zuppa Toscana costs about $11.29 and has 220 calories per serving by the restaurant's published nutrition. A homemade pot makes six generous bowls for roughly the price of two restaurant bowls, and you control the salt.

Storing and Reheating

• Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container.
• Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat; don't boil.
• To freeze, freeze the soup before adding cream and kale, then add them when reheating. Potatoes soften slightly after freezing.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana: Questions People Ask