Zuppa Toscana Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
A homemade version of the fan favorite Zuppa Toscana soup from Olive Garden.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 medium potatoes, chopped into 1/2" cubes about 2.5 cups
- 6 oz bacon, thinly sliced about 5 slices
- 24 oz sweet or spicy Italian sausages 3 large links
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt additional to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper additional to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 stalks kale
- 2 tsp fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Chop your onions, garlic, and potatoes. Thinly slice your bacon and remove the casings from your sausages.
- In a large pot, cook the bacon until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove all the bacon from the pot. Place in a small bowl and set aside.
- Remove all but about 1 tbsp of the rendered bacon fat from the pot. Add Italian sausages and cook until browned. Use the end of your wooden spoon to break up the sausages until they are bite-sized crumbles. Remove the sausages and place in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Add the onions and cook until they are translucent. This may take about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for just a minute, then add potatoes and the sausage you cooked earlier and mix.
- Add chicken broth and water. Mix and bring the light boil then simmer with lid closed for 15 minutes.
- While the broth is simmering, wash and chop your kale and get your seasonings ready (salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper flakes).
- Remove the lid and add heavy cream, seasonings, and kale. Pop the lid back on and allow to simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Add grated parmesan and fresh parsley and stir until well mixed. Add additional salt and pepper if needed to taste.
- Ladle the soup into individual bowls and top with additional parmesan and about 1.5 tbsp of the cooked bacon from earlier.