Zuppa Toscana Soup

This hearty Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe is inspired by Olive Garden's classic dish and is incredibly easy to prepare. Featuring Italian sausage, red potatoes, and kale, it's a delicious choice for lunch or dinner.

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This recipe was photographed and updated 11/2024.

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Shopping list:

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

This soup is the only reason I ever went to Olive Garden. I wasn’t there for the pasta—I’d always go for the soup, salad, and breadsticks during lunch with my sisters!

The flavors are incredible, and with this recipe, you can make it at home and save a little money instead of dining out. Whether you serve it on its own or pair it with a salad and breadsticks, it’s a delicious meal either way. It’s perfect for lunch, dinner, or even the lunchbox!

My mom started making this soup a few years ago, and I’ve made a few tweaks since then. Honestly, I think it turns out even better than Olive Garden’s version! You can make it on the stove top or in the slow cooker.

What I love about this recipe is how customizable it is. You can keep it the same every time, or switch up the meat and vegetables for a new twist. No matter how you make it, it’s always a hit!

If you love hearty potato soups, then you'll want to try my Ham and Potato Chowder or Sausage, Potato and Sauerkraut Soup!

Ground sausage is such an affordable ingredient! If you need some new recipes for ground pork sausage, try these Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties or Shrimp and Sausage Corn Chowder!

Keep scrolling for the full printable recipe 💙

Recipe tips and substitution ideas:

• Slow Cooker instructions: Add the cooked sausage, onions, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper, potatoes and broth to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add the heavy cream and kale, stir then cook for an additional 30 minutes.

• If your sausage creates a lot of oil while cooking, you can use a paper towel to soak up from the pan or 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 corn starch with 3-4 tablespoons of additional heavy cream and stir it into the soup when you add the heavy cream. 

• Try using kielbasa, pork or turkey Italian sausage or ground beef, chicken or turkey instead of sausage.

• Cauliflower, russet potatoes or yukon gold potatoes work great instead of red potatoes. Spinach also works great instead of kale.

Our favorite kitchen equipment and supplies used with this recipe:

• Meat and Potato Masher
• OXO Good Grips 7-Piece Nesting Measuring Beaker Set
• Chef's Classic 8-Quart Stockpot
• Epicurean Kitchen Series Cutting Board
• Rotary Cheese Grater 

Yield 6 servings

Author Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

35 Min

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 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 and crumble 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.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

530.64

Fat

36.95 g

Sat. Fat

16.45 g

Carbs

35.15 g

Fiber

4.48 g

Net carbs

30.67 g

Sugar

6.92 g

Protein

16.82 g

Sodium

1777.87 mg

Cholesterol

96.52 mg

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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