Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana gives me everything I love about the restaurant version in a homemade bowl that's richer and more flavorful. The creamy broth is deeply savory with spicy Italian sausage and smoky bacon throughout, the potatoes are chunky and tender, and the wilted kale adds just enough heartiness to every bowl. It's my favorite cold-weather dinner from fall all the way through winter. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth.

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

Servings:

Calories: 669kcal

Ingredients

1 pound spicy Italian sausage ground
8 slices bacon diced
1 cup yellow onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
4 cups chicken stock
4 large russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 bunch kale stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add a small drizzle of oil and cook the sausage, breaking it up as it browns. Drain well and transfer to a plate.
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
Using the remaining sausage fat, cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer it to the plate with the sausage, then drain all but 1–1½ tablespoons of the grease.
8 slices bacon
Add the onion to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic during the last minute.
1 cup yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves
Gradually pour in the chicken stock. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil.
4 cups chicken stock, 4 large russet potatoes
Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Add the cooked sausage, most of the bacon, the heavy cream, and the kale. Cook for 5–10 minutes, until the kale wilts.
1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 bunch kale
Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired. Top with the remaining bacon and parmesan cheese, serve hot.
Salt, Black pepper, Pinch of red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese

Notes

I've made this soup enough times to pick up a few tricks that make it even better.

Brown the sausage in batches: If your pot is crowded, the sausage steams instead of browning. Give it room so you get those deep, caramelized bits that flavor the whole broth.
Save a little bacon grease: Cooking the onion in the leftover sausage and bacon fat builds a richer base, so don't drain the pot completely.
Cut the potatoes evenly: Uniform 1/2-inch pieces cook at the same rate, so you won't end up with some mushy and some still firm.
Add the cream from a hard boil: Stir the heavy cream in during a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil, since high heat can cause it to separate.
Freeze before adding the cream: Flash freeze the soup base in portions before you stir in the cream and kale, then add those fresh when reheating. The texture stays much smoother than freezing the finished soup.
Adjust the heat to taste: The spicy sausage already brings warmth, so add the red pepper flakes gradually and taste as you go.

Nutrition

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