This creamy Tuscan soup recipe features chopped kale, potatoes, sausage, and bacon. It’s easy, hearty and delicious. Next time you’re craving Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana you can make this homemade version instead!
This easy Tuscan soup recipe is a copycat version of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana. Although we haven’t eaten there in ages, every now and then I get a hankering for something. That’s when I get busy in my kitchen and create a homemade version of whatever I’m craving. This cheesy Five Cheese Ziti al Forno came about that way, and today, we’re making soup!
Is it worth making this soup from scratch instead of just going out to eat? Yes. 100%. This soup is incredibly easy to make, flavorful, and hits all the right notes. Plus, have you noticed how people-y it is outside? The introvert in me says no thank you. 😆
Why You’ll Love This Zuppa Toscana Recipe
- Easy. It requires hardly any effort to make this copycat recipe. All you need is a big pot and a few simple ingredients. Everything is cooked in one pot too!
- Hearty. Between the veggies, sausage, and bacon, this simple soup is totally satisfying. Perfect for filling hungry bellies with minimal effort.
- Flavorful. Every bite of this Tuscan soup is bursting with flavor. The veggies are cooked in bacon grease at the beginning, which can’t help but make them extra irresistible.
What is Zuppa Toscana?
“Zuppa” means “soup” in Italian and “Toscana” refers to the Tuscany region of Italy. Therefore “zuppa toscana” literally means “Tuscan soup.”
This kind of soup is usually made with veggies, potatoes, bacon, and sometimes beans. The American version of Zuppa Toscana adds Italian sausage in addition to the bacon and also includes heavy cream to give the finished soup a rich and creamy texture.
Tips and Variation Ideas
- The cream goes in at the end. Make sure you stir in the cream after you have turned off the heat. If you add the cream while the soup is still cooking it may separate instead of blending into the soup base.
- Add beans. If you would like to turn this into a Tuscan white bean soup you can add a can of cannellini beans (rinsed and drained). I’ve also used kidney beans in this recipe and those are delicious too!
What Goes With Tuscan Soup?
This hearty soup is a meal in and of itself, so you really don’t have to make a side to go with it. If you would like to serve it with something bready on the side, I recommend a thick slice of crusty bread. Popovers or Bavarian pretzels also go nicely with this soup.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat on the stove: Ladle your desired amount into an appropriately sized pot and warm over medium-low heat until it reaches your desired temperature.
- Microwave: You can also reheat single servings in a microwave-safe bowl. A single serving usually reheats in about 1 minute and 45 seconds to 2 minutes. Stir halfway through to make sure the soup warms evenly.
More Soup Recipes to Try
- Vegetarian French Onion Soup
- Knoephla Soup
- Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)
- Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
Tuscan Kale Soup (Zuppa Toscana)
This creamy Tuscan soup recipe features cooked sausage, potatoes, bacon and kale. You can also add kidney beans or white beans if you like.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced
- 1 ½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed and broken apart into 1-inch chunks
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4 celery sticks, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 medium waxy potatoes, cubed
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans or white beans, rinsed and drained (optional)
- 10 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
- 3 cups chopped Tuscan kale, packed
- ½ cup heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- Warm the pot. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Cook the bacon. Add the bacon and sauté until browned (about 5 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set aside to drain.
- Cook the sausage. Add the sausage to the pot and sauté until browned on all sides (about 5 minutes). Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside
- Saute the veggies. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and season with sea salt. Sauté until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes)
- Add the garlic. Sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute)
- Add potatoes, beans, stock and sausage. Add the potatoes, beans (if using), chicken stock, and cooked sausage. Make sure you have rinsed and drained the canned beans before adding them to the soup.
- Cook. Bring the soup to a boil before reducing the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the kale. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the cooked bacon and the heavy cream (if using).
- Serve! This soup is perfect with a crusty slice of bread.
Last Step:
Please share a rating and comment if you enjoyed this recipe! Your feedback helps this little blog thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Keywords: tuscan soup, tuscan kale soup, olive garden zuppa toscana
Filed Under:
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.