First time I had zuppa toscana at Olive Garden, I forgot the breadsticks were even on the table. Me! The breadstick person. So yeah, I’ve been chasing that bowl at home for a while, and this Olive Garden zuppa toscana copycat is where I landed: spicy sausage, bacon, skinny potato slices and kale, all swimming in a creamy garlic broth. One pot. Around 50 minutes. Feeds eight hungry people (or four, plus lunch tomorrow).
Here’s the short version before we get cooking:
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Total time | 50 minutes (15 prep, 35 cook) |
| Servings | 8 bowls, about 1½ cups each |
| Difficulty | Easy, one pot |
| Key ingredients | Italian sausage, bacon, russet potatoes, kale, heavy cream |
| Make ahead | Yes, keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge |
| Other methods | Crockpot and Instant Pot (chart below) |
Cold snap outside? Make this tonight. Costs way less than dragging the whole family to the restaurant, and nobody has to put real pants on.
Zuppa Toscana Recipe Card
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana (Copycat)
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped (about 6 oz / 170 g)
- 1 lb Italian sausage (450 g), hot or mild, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup / 150 g)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes plus more to taste
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (960 ml)
- 2 cups water (480 ml)
- 1 1/2 lb russet potatoes (680 g, about 3 medium), scrubbed, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 4 cups curly kale (about 3 oz / 85 g), stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- grated Parmesan for serving (optional)
Method
- Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until crisp and deep brown. Transfer to a paper towel, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Add the sausage and cook over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned with no pink left (160°F / 71°C).
- Spoon off the extra fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
- Add the onion and cook 4 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth and water, scrape up the browned bits, then add the sliced potatoes. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook 15 to 18 minutes with the lid cracked, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Stir in the kale and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green and wilted.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Warm 2 minutes without boiling, then season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the crumbled bacon and grated Parmesan.
Nutrition
Notes
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Why This Zuppa Toscana Copycat Tastes Like Olive Garden
I’ve tried a lot of copycat versions. Most get close, then you take a bite and go, hmm, not quite. After way too many pots (my family stopped complaining around pot four) I think it boils down to three little things.
Number one is the potatoes. Look closely next time you’re there. No cubes! They’re thin half-moons, skin on. Cut each russet in half the long way, then into slices about as thick as two quarters stacked (1/4 inch, roughly). They go soft fast. The edges crumble into the broth a little, and that’s your thickener right there, zero flour.
Two: bacon goes in first, and the sausage browns in whatever bacon fat is left behind. Smoky plus peppery, that’s the whole base right there. Tip out most of the grease. Leave a spoonful though! Pour it all off and the broth ends up tasting kinda watery, ask me how I know.
And three, cream at the very end, heat on low. I boiled it once (impatient, hungry) and got these sad little greasy dots floating everywhere. Stir it in gently instead and you get that pale orange, velvety broth you remember.
Zuppa Toscana Ingredients and Swaps
Nothing fancy on the list, and it forgives a lot. Regular grocery store stuff. Half of it’s probably sitting in your fridge already.
- Italian sausage: hot if you like heat, mild for kids. Buy bulk sausage or squeeze it out of the casings.
- Bacon: regular sliced bacon, not thick-cut, so it crisps fast.
- Russet potatoes: starchy, so they soften and thicken the broth.
- Curly kale: holds its shape and stays a little chewy, just like the original.
- Chicken broth: low-sodium, because sausage and bacon bring plenty of salt.
- Heavy cream: for that rich, restaurant body.
- Onion, garlic and red pepper flakes: the quiet background flavor.
Don’t skip the kale, it’s kind of the point. The curly kind hangs on to its chew even after a couple days in the fridge, where spinach just goes limp and slimy. Strip the leaves off those tough stems with your hand and tear them up, roughly bite size. No knife needed.
Missing something? These are the swaps I’ve tried and what you’ll notice:
| Ingredient | Swap | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Italian sausage | Mild sausage + extra ½ tsp red pepper flakes | You control the heat |
| Heavy cream | Half-and-half or full-fat canned coconut milk | Lighter; coconut adds a faint sweetness |
| Russet potatoes | Yukon Gold | Creamier, holds shape, less thickening |
| Curly kale | Lacinato kale or baby spinach | Lacinato is softer; add spinach only at the end |
| Bacon | Skip it, add 1 tbsp olive oil | Less smoky, still very good |
| Chicken broth | Vegetable broth | Lighter flavor, add a pinch more salt |
Do You Need Bacon in Zuppa Toscana?
Nope. It’s in the restaurant version, sure, and I love the salty crunch on top. But I’ve run out before. Browned the sausage in a little olive oil, threw a pinch of smoked paprika in with the garlic, and honestly? Nobody noticed.
How to Make Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
All the exact amounts are in the recipe card above. This part is about what you should see, hear and smell along the way.
- Crisp the bacon. Cook it in a large pot over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until it stops sizzling loudly and turns deep brown. Lift it out onto a paper towel.
- Brown the sausage. Add it to the bacon fat over medium-high heat and break it up as it cooks, about 6 minutes, until no pink is left (the safe temperature for pork sausage is 160°F, or 71°C).
- Spoon off the extra fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Too much and you’ll get an oily film on every bowl.
- Onion in, about 4 minutes till it’s floppy. Garlic and pepper flakes go in for maybe 30 seconds, the second your kitchen smells amazing you’re done.
- Broth and water now. Scrape all those brown stuck bits off the bottom (flavor!), then dump in your potatoes.
- Lid cracked, simmer 15 to 18 minutes. Poke a slice with a fork. Slides right in? Good.
- Stir in the kale and cook 3 to 4 minutes. It’ll turn bright green and wilt a little.
- Heat way down. Cream in, a couple minutes just to warm, no bubbling. Taste it now and salt and pepper as you like.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the crumbled bacon and a little grated Parmesan.
First creamy soup ever? This is a nice one to start with, honestly, since the potatoes handle the thickening. No roux. Nothing to scorch.
Stovetop, Crockpot or Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana?
Stove is my go-to, mostly because I’m impatient. It’s happy in other pots too. Cream and kale always wait till last though, no matter the pot.
| Method | Time | Texture | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stovetop | 50 minutes | Potatoes hold shape, brightest kale | Weeknights |
| Crockpot | 6–7 h LOW or 3–4 h HIGH | Very soft potatoes, deep flavor | Busy days |
| Instant Pot | About 30 minutes (5 min high pressure + 5 min natural release) | Soft potatoes, slightly thicker | Last-minute dinners |
Crockpot zuppa toscana is doable, but yes, you still brown the bacon and sausage in a skillet first. Sorry about the extra pan! I tried skipping it once and the sausage came out gray, rubbery, kind of sad. Then sausage, onion, garlic, broth, water and potatoes all go in a 6-quart crockpot. LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or HIGH for 3 to 4 if you started late. Kale and cream go in for the last 20 minutes, lid on.
Instant Pot people: steps 1 through 4 on Sauté. Pour in broth and really scrape the bottom, otherwise hello burn warning. Potatoes in, high pressure 5 minutes, let it release on its own for 5, then kale and cream on Keep Warm.
Why Everyone Is Making Zuppa Toscana This Fall
Apparently I’m not the only one obsessed. I peeked at Google Trends (U.S.) on October 18, 2026 and searches for “zuppa toscana olive garden copycat” had jumped around 120% in 30 days. Copycat soups in general were blowing up that week.
Pinterest too. Their Pinterest Trends numbers through October 21, 2026 had “cold weather recipes” up something like 700% for the month. So, soup season showed up early.
Want a backup for lazy nights? Back in April 2026, Tasting Table tried 12 of Rao’s jarred soups and put Rao’s Sausage & Potato Soup at number one, calling it a pretty good zuppa toscana dupe. Spinach and cannellini beans in there though, no kale. Fine in a pinch! For a crowd, homemade wins on price by a mile.
Zuppa Toscana Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Most problems with this soup come from rushing the end. Here’s what usually goes wrong and how I fix it:
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Greasy film on top | Sausage fat not drained | Lay a paper towel on the surface for a second, then lift |
| Cream curdled | Boiled after adding cream | Keep heat low; whisk in 2 tbsp more cream off the heat |
| Thin broth | Potatoes cut too thick | Mash a few slices against the pot and simmer 5 minutes |
| Mushy potatoes | Cooked too long or too thin | Slice 1/4 inch and check at 15 minutes |
| Too salty | Regular broth + salty sausage | Add 1 cup water and a splash of cream |
Zuppa Toscana Variations
Made the classic a few times? Good, now mess with it. Here’s what we rotate through.
Chicken Zuppa Toscana
Not a pork house? Chicken sausage works, or plain ground chicken. Plain chicken is a bit boring by itself, so I crush 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed between my fingers and add a little more salt. Suddenly it tastes like sausage again.
Dairy-Free Zuppa Toscana
Full-fat coconut milk instead of cream (shake that can like you mean it). It’s a touch sweet. Weirdly great next to the spicy sausage, I didn’t expect to like it this much.
Low-Carb Zuppa Toscana
Trade the potatoes for one small head of cauliflower in little florets, 8 to 10 minutes. Is it the same? No. Still cozy though.
Zuppa Toscana With White Beans
This one is a nod to the old Tuscan soups, which were made with beans, potatoes and kale (the zuppa toscana history is worth a quick read). Add a drained 15-ounce can of cannellini beans with the kale.
What to Serve With Zuppa Toscana
Salad and breadsticks, same as the restaurant. Can’t beat it. Something crunchy and green with a tangy Italian dressing really helps after all that cream.
Garlic knots for dunking. Or any crusty loaf, really. Having friends over? Put this out with a pot of one-pot lasagna soup and call it a soup night.
Love creamy potato soups? Our crockpot loaded potato soup is the cheesy, bacon-topped cousin of this one, and it’s great for game day.
How to Store and Reheat Zuppa Toscana
Day two might be the best day. Kale’s still chewy, broth gets thicker, flavors settle in.
Into the fridge within 2 hours, and finish it in 3 to 4 days (that’s what the FoodSafety.gov storage chart says). To reheat, medium-low on the stove, splash of broth, stir now and then till it’s steaming, 165°F (74°C). Keep it under a boil or the cream breaks on you.
Freezing it? Eh, sort of. Potatoes go a bit grainy and cream doesn’t love the freezer. What I do: make a batch minus the cream, freeze that up to 3 months, and stir the cream in while reheating.
Zuppa Toscana FAQ
What is in Olive Garden zuppa toscana?
The Olive Garden one has Italian sausage, bacon, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, russet potatoes, kale and heavy cream. Creamy, a little spicy. The old-school Tuscan soups are a different thing, more beans and stale bread.
Is zuppa toscana spicy?
A little. Hot sausage plus pepper flakes give it a kick, but the cream calms it way down. Cooking for kids? Mild sausage and just a pinch of flakes.
Can I use spinach instead of kale?
Sure. Toss in 4 cups baby spinach right at the end along with the cream, it wilts in like a minute. Leftovers won’t be as nice, spinach gets soggy.
Should I peel the potatoes for zuppa toscana?
Don’t bother. Skin stays on at the restaurant too and it looks nicer. Scrub them, slice 1/4 inch, done.
How do you thicken zuppa toscana?
Lid off, 5 more minutes, and smash a few potato slices against the pot with your spoon. That starch does the job. More cream helps too, obviously.
Is zuppa toscana Italian?
Kind of! The name just means “Tuscan soup,” and Tuscany has loads of bean, kale and bread soups. This creamy sausage one, though, is really an Olive Garden thing.
Oh, one more thing. Slice the potatoes while the bacon’s going. Saves ten minutes, and dinner’s ready before anybody asks “what’s for dinner” a second time.
So, grab a pound of sausage this week and give it a go. If you make it, I’d really love a star rating on the card, plus a comment: hot sausage or mild? Pin it to your soup board for the next chilly night. And if you want another creamy pot after this, go for the broccoli cheddar soup.
