Stovetop or Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup Recipe

This hearty Zuppa Toscana soup recipe is similar to Olive Garden's and is so simple to make. Sausage, red potatoes and kale are the main ingredients in this delicious lunch or dinner.

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This recipe was revised, photographed and updated 12/2021.

This soup, right here, is the only reason I ever went to Olive Garden. I never really went there for pasta, just soup salad and breadsticks during lunch with my sisters!

The flavors are amazing. With this recipe, you can make it at home, and save a few bucks on eating out. Serve it alone, or with a salad and breadsticks, you have a great meal either way. 

My Mom started making this soup a few years ago. I've adapted it slightly since then, but it turns out so much better than Olive Garden's in my opinion. 

It's easy to adapt and change up the ingredients. Make it the same every time or change up the meat or vegetables for something a little different. Any way you make it, it turns out tasty every time!

Keep scrolling for tips, process photos, additional potato soup recipes and more! 

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What are the ingredients in this recipe?

• ground sausage
• yellow onion
• garlic
• crushed red pepper
• salt
• black pepper
• red skinned potatoes
• chicken broth
• heavy cream
• fresh kale
• shredded parmesan cheese

How to make:

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for measurements and instructions!

Recipe tips:

• If your sausage creates a lot of oil while cooking, you can use a strainer to drain the oil and then return sausage and onion mixture to the pot. 

• You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

• Traditionally Zuppa Toscana is a brothy soup. However, if you like your soup a little thicker it’s easy to do! Simply mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3-4 tablespoons of additional heavy cream and stir it into the soup when you add the heavy cream. 

More potato soup recipes you might like:

• Ham Bone and Potato Soup
• Potato Dill Soup
• Sausage, Potato and Sauerkraut Soup
• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Peas and Potato Soup
• Corn and Potato Chowder with Wild Rice

You can add or substitute with these ingredients:

• ground beef, chicken or turkey instead of sausage
• russet or yukon gold potatoes instead of red
• cauliflower instead of potatoes
• spinach instead of kale
• kielbasa instead of ground sausage

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More hearty soup recipes you may love:

• Chicken and Barley Soup
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup
• Beefy Tomato Macaroni Soup
• Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup
• Chicken, Mushroom and Cabbage Soup
• Vegetable Beef Soup

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

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Yield 6 servings

Author Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

35 Min

Stovetop or Slow Cooker Easy Zuppa Toscana Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground sausage
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups chopped fresh kale
• shredded parmesan cheese, optional for topping

Instructions

1. Heat a large soup pot on medium high heat.
2. Add ground sausage and onion and cook until sausage is no longer pink.
3. Push the sausage and onions to the side of the pot to create a small area in the middle where you can place your minced garlic.
4. Allow garlic to cook for about 30 seconds, then stir into sausage and onion mixture.
5. Add in crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper, potatoes and chicken broth.
6. Allow to simmer on medium-high heat for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
7. After 15 minutes add in the heavy cream. Stir well and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
8. Finally, add the fresh chopped kale to the soup. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
9. Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese prior to serving.
10. Slow Cooker:
11. Add the cooked sausage, onions, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper, potatoes and broth to a slow cooker.
12. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
13. Add the heavy cream and kale, stir then cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Notes:

If your sausage creates a lot of oil while cooking, you can use a strainer to drain the oil and then return sausage and onion mixture to the pot. 

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Traditionally Zuppa Toscana is a brothy soup. However, if you like your soup a little thicker it’s easy to do! Simply mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3-4 tablespoons of additional heavy cream and stir it into the soup when you add the heavy cream. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories

530.64

Fat (grams)

36.95

Sat. Fat (grams)

16.45

Carbs (grams)

35.15

Fiber (grams)

4.48

Net carbs

30.67

Sugar (grams)

6.92

Protein (grams)

16.82

Sodium (milligrams)

1777.87

Cholesterol (grams)

96.52

Hot Eats and Cool Reads is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you try from this blog/website. You may not always have the same results I do due to variations in ingredients, humidity, altitude, cooking temperatures, typos, errors, omissions, or individual cooking abilities. 

You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful. I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual's dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual.

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