This Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat is actually better than the original! It has a creamy both base and is loaded with sausage and potatoes.
This Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat is one of our favorite soups. It is the perfect for the cold days of fall and winter, but really it is great any time of the year. The soup is a creamy and hearty with a bit of a kick. If you like some heat in your soup, be generous with the red pepper flakes. If you prefer a more mild flavor, a little goes a long way. If you like Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana, you are going to love this (I think it tastes better than Olive Garden’s – it is more creamy and flavorful). This goes PERFECTLY with our Our Version of The Pizza Factory’s Breadtwists recipe.
Don’t be scared of the kale in this soup. It is so good cooked and really adds to the flavor and texture of the soup. It is one of my favorite parts. I love when I can get a spoonful of sausage, potato, and kale all in the same bite. This may be a weird family thing, but I also love crunching saltine crackers over this soup. Seriously, don’t knock it till you try it, it’s actually really good!
How to Make Our Version of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup
Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat
INGREDIENTS
- 3 14 oz chicken broth
- 2 cups whipping cream
- red pepper flakes to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb bacon cooked and crumbled
- 4-5 cups kale chopped
- 1 lb Johnsonville mild Italian ground sausage
- 3 to 4 medium potatoes scrubbed and cut into small slices
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a fry pan to about medium heat. Shape the sausage into small rounds and brown stirring frequently.
- Then remove to a plate lined with paper towels to de-grease.
- Put everything except for the potatoes together in a large crockpot and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.
- Add potatoes the last 40-60 minutes (if you add them too soon they will get too soft). Serve with breadsticks.
More Slow Cooker Soups to Try
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup: Chicken and Rice Soup warms you up on cold fall and winter days. It is also ideal for busy days. The ingredients go into the Slow Cooker in the morning and a nice, hot meal awaits in the evening.
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup: There are so many different vegetables in this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup. It is very healthy and hearty.
- Slow Cooker Cheese Tortellini Soup: This Cheese Tortellini Soup is a flavorful, easy slow cooker meal. Tortellini, sausage, and spinach in a creamy tomato soup and slow cooked to perfection.
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup: This is one of the easiest soups you will ever make. It is filled with flavorful meat and vegetables. Everyone loves it!
- Our Version of Olive Garden’s Pasta E Fagioli Soup: This is another Olive Garden copycat soup recipe. It is an hearty, Italian seasoned soup that is also made in the Slow Cooker.
byumomof4 says
September 9, 2010 at 1:50 pmThis soup is over-the-top delicious!!
I have made it several times for my family, and it gets devoured!! (and if there are leftovers, they just taste better 😉
I have also made it vegetarian, too…
Trader Joe's vege broth and no sausage. (YUM!!!) My family loves it just as much!!
Robert and Stacey Hall Family says
September 9, 2010 at 8:47 pmHow big is the cans of broth, or can you tell me how many cups? And when you say whipping cream, is that like the liquid or the actual like cool whip?
Liesel Haight says
November 28, 2017 at 2:16 pmI use heavy whipping cream out of the cartoon. If I want to cut down on the calpries I just switch it out for fat free evaporated milk 🙂
Erica says
September 10, 2010 at 12:02 am@Robert & Stacey – The cans are about 14oz.. the whipping cream is the liquid kind that you find in the cartons back by the milk. Hope this helps! – Erica
Claire says
September 11, 2010 at 9:58 pmDoes Olive Garden's have bacon? I am just wondering because that is about the only ingredient I don't have and we usually use turkey bacon, which doesn't crumble very well so I'm wondering if it will make much of a difference if I don't even use it. Thanks!
EBWalker says
September 12, 2010 at 3:47 pmNo- Olive Garden's does not have bacon. That is just Erica and Jared's version.
mary says
October 9, 2012 at 7:52 amI disagree with Bacon not being added to olive gardens. When I order this soup from there,there is always Bacon pieces.
jena says
May 7, 2014 at 10:49 amthere is crumbled bacon in olive gardens recipe
Tatanya says
March 25, 2018 at 11:53 amThere isn’t bacon. -OG fired employee
lynn Gregory says
October 23, 2012 at 10:47 pmI would love to have the recipe.
Thanks for breaking it down into family size. This is my very favorite soup.
Lynn
Samantha says
November 2, 2012 at 5:54 amCould I get a copy of the recipe please? Guess whats for dinner tonight…..
gabby says
October 4, 2010 at 11:40 pmHi your recipes look very yummy !!!
I just have a question what's kale? can I substitute for something else?
I don't know if I can find it here in Mexico , so please let me know
thanks for sharing your recipes!!!!
Erica says
October 4, 2010 at 11:46 pmKale is usually found by the spinach or lettuce. It looks similar to your leafy green lettuce but feels more stiff. A store employee at your local supermarket could probably point you in the right direction. As far as I knoe, there aren't any great substitutions for kale. Hope you are able to find it!
-Erica
StakerFamily says
January 6, 2011 at 8:15 pmMade this last night with the AWESOME bread twist recipe. It was very simple and so good. Perfect recipe for a cold evening. I loved it. Can I say the breadsticks have to be one of the easiest recipes for homemade "bread" ever. Love that you can just whip them up after adding potatoes to the soup and it is all done at the same time 🙂 Love your site!
Collin says
January 30, 2011 at 12:04 amIncredible recipe, I used regular Johnsonville Italian sausage but only put in half as much, which ended up being perfect. I also made the breadtwists with a little wheat flour. My family was raving about it the whole week
Jess says
February 10, 2011 at 7:32 pmI made this last night for my family and it was sooooo delicious!! My husband loved it AND MY TWO YEAR OLD ATE ALL OF IT!!! Needless to say, I will be making this again. Thank you, Thank you!!
Cow and Pig Designs says
March 21, 2011 at 2:25 amThis is my favorite soup EVER!!
Shannon says
June 22, 2011 at 8:44 pmThis recipe is so delicious… we made a few adjustments, but now we can't even enjoy the olive garden version because this one tastes so much better!
Alison says
September 14, 2011 at 12:39 amMade this tonight along with your breadtwists. My daughter asked if we could have it for every meal and that when she is a Mommy she is going to make it for her children 🙂
Erica says
September 14, 2011 at 12:52 am@ Allison– That is SO cute!!!! haha I am so glad that she liked it! What a cutie!
Artistic Accents by Darla says
October 2, 2011 at 1:26 amI'm so excited to try this and 'thought' I remembered to pick up all the ingredients but forgot cream 🙁 I might try a can of coconut milk instead ? or will I ruin it completely?
Erica says
October 2, 2011 at 2:27 am@ Darla— I wouldn't do coconut milk… but that's just me! If it were half-and-half, I would say "sure" but I don't know if coconut milk will taste that great.
Artistic Accents by Darla says
October 2, 2011 at 6:51 pmOk, thanks Erica! I'll do it right 🙂
Love this site!
Erica says
October 2, 2011 at 7:51 pmThanks Darla! If you have any more questions feel free to ask! I'm always happy to help! 🙂
Kyrstin says
October 3, 2011 at 12:45 amHi Erica! I am in the process of making this soup, I subbed half and half for whipping cream and the cream is almost curdled/separated from the remainder of the stock… Any ideas what I may have done wrong? Or is this normal? Thanks 🙂
Erica says
October 3, 2011 at 12:57 amHi Kyrstin–
I have never seen it curdle before. I know I have done 1/2 half and half and 1/2 cream.. but not entirely half and half.. either way it shouldn't really separate. Did yours look like the picture above? It doesn't really come out as a creamy consistency, it is more of a milky/watery consistency. I don't know if that made ANY sense at all but that is the best I can describe it. I am baffled if it curdled.. that is really weird.
Kyrstin says
October 3, 2011 at 1:16 amNo unfortunately it's entirely separated. I've just tried straining out the curdles but no luck. I will attempt to try it again in the future with whipping cream. There is no saving this batch. Thanks for your help!
Erica says
October 3, 2011 at 1:29 amKyrstin– Did you do this in a crockpot? Here is my advice to you.. and I will probably change it here on the recipe.. but add the cream just like 20 minutes before serving. That might make a difference.
Denise and Nathan says
October 9, 2011 at 9:19 pmCurious how many servings this makes?? Also, saw your recommendation above with adding the cream 20 minutes before. By doing that does it alter the taste, consistency, or what? Looks yummy, thanks for sharing!
Erica says
October 9, 2011 at 9:53 pm@ Denise and Nathan –
I know that with cream soups, sometimes they turn out grainy when you add the cream or cheese too soon or if you bring it to a boil. The 20 min. thing was just a suggestion so there is a better chance of it holding it's creaminess. It is a consistency thing. I would say this makes about 4-6 servings.
Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
Thanks!
Erica
Denise says
October 9, 2011 at 10:06 pmThanks for your fast response!! I will will add the cream later on in the process, thanks for the clarity! I've made Zuppa before, but with a different recipe, so I want to try this one and compare! You have a very good tasting blog! Thanks for sharing your talents with us!
Erica says
October 9, 2011 at 10:18 pm@ Denise –
Any time! Thanks for the compliments! We will do our best to keep the recipes comin'!
Josh&Sharsti says
November 10, 2011 at 9:05 pmbest winter soup ever! My husband loved it too, which is great because he usually isn't a soup guy. (I think it was the sausage that did it for him). Great job! I love your recipes. I made the bread sticks too, and it was delicious!!
Josh&Sharsti says
November 10, 2011 at 9:05 pmbest winter soup ever! My husband loved it too, which is great because he usually isn't a soup guy. (I think it was the sausage that did it for him). Great job! I love your recipes. I made the bread sticks too, and it was delicious!!
Callie Stewart says
December 6, 2011 at 1:05 amI just made your soup and Will and I loved it! Thanks for making me feel like a good cook. 🙂 We miss you guys!
Deena says
December 14, 2011 at 12:00 amMade this last week and it was amazing! Looked forward to the leftovers the next day for lunch. I didn't have Kale so I used spinach. Making it again tonight with the kale.
chae says
March 21, 2012 at 12:19 pmThis soup recipe is awesome I loved it. I had never had it before but I will definately have it again. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was great.
Sonya Grady says
March 22, 2012 at 11:55 pmBest soup I’ve ever “made up” . I enjoy cooking and make up all my own recipes. This is a must try soup. Everyone loves it, especially my son. I hope you enjoy it too. 😉
Tammy says
April 21, 2012 at 6:50 pmOlive garden uses cavallo greens so those can be used if you can find them.
Maggie says
September 10, 2012 at 8:24 amAbsolutely fabulous soup! My finance says it’s the best soup he’s ever tasted. I’ll be making it again real soon! Thanks for the recipe.
Claire Harper says
September 22, 2012 at 12:47 pmCould this become a freezer meal by any chance and how would I go about that?
Emily says
September 22, 2012 at 6:09 pmUnfortunately, I don’t think this one would do great as a freezer meal.
Kat says
October 13, 2012 at 5:25 amI am going to try it in the crockpot, but not add the cream until the last few minutes. I think to freeze it, I would take out half before I add the cream, freeze that portion. When you reheat it, add the cream. I do that with chowders and it seems to work pretty well.
Amanda says
October 31, 2012 at 7:35 pmMade this in a crockpot tonight while getting ready for Halloween and added the cream at the end. What a great soup recipe! I am officially in love with your website and going to try all the recipes/
Judy says
December 11, 2012 at 8:50 pmI made this for dinner to night. I did not use a crock pot. From start to finish it was done in less than an hour. It tasted great. My husband who said he was not very hungry because of a big lunch had two bowls.
Johanna says
September 23, 2017 at 8:43 amI agree, Judy. It’s almost easier to do it in the hour than in a crock pot.
Katy says
April 17, 2013 at 8:02 amHi, what kind of potatoes did you use? I wasn’t sure whether to use red potatoes, Yukon, or russet!
Emily says
April 17, 2013 at 8:14 amI use russets
Johanna says
September 23, 2017 at 8:49 amSometimes I use cannelloni beans instead of, or even with the cut up potatoes. Would use less potatoes if I do that. And I do like a bit of diced toms and parsley in it too. .Wonder what the calorie count would be with this Fab soupI sprinkle with parmesan when I serve it. Also, Trader Joes has wonderful breadsticks, if you don’t want to do it from scratch.
Kristina says
September 16, 2013 at 9:26 amThank you for posting this. I followed this recipe to the ounce and it was a total success.
Nell says
March 9, 2014 at 1:01 pmI love this soup! I order it for lunch all the time with a Peach Bellini tea or the frozen Peach Bellini.
KaeCee says
July 20, 2014 at 6:37 pmHi! I am wondering if anyone has tried using coconut/almond/soy milk in place of whipping cream. Did you notice a difference? Thank you!
Emily says
July 21, 2014 at 9:20 amWe haven’t, has anyone else?
Donnetta says
January 12, 2015 at 10:08 pmDo you have the calories and fat for this recipe? Thanks.
Erica says
January 14, 2015 at 4:41 pmWe don’t. You could probably check it on the Olive Garden website or check a calorie counter online… hope this helps!