Zuppa Toscana is probably one of the richest, most hearty soups out there, and definitely one of my favorites. This creamy soup with tender potatoes and flavorful Italian sausage is modeled after the famous Zuppa Toscana from The Olive Garden restaurant, but I threw in my own personal twist. I’ve added an extra budget-friendly ingredient and lightened it up just a touch so I can slurp up a giant bowl without feeling too ful.
What is Zuppa Toscana??
If you’ve never been to Olive Garden or had Zuppa Toscana anywhere else, I’d describe it as a creamy potato soup loaded with flavorful Italian sausage, kale, and bacon. The original version uses heavy cream, bacon, and a whole pound of sausage, but I decided to try to lighten it up a bit. I used half and half instead of heavy cream, subbed half the sausage for white beans, used smoked paprika for smokiness instead of bacon, and then loaded up on potatoes and kale. The result? Still totally creamy and chock full of flavor, plus a hefty dose of vegetables. I’m probably going to eat nothing but this soup for the next four days straight (it has kale, so it’s okay, right?).
Ingredients for Zuppa Toscana
Here are all of the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade Zuppa Toscana:
- Italian Sausage: You can use hot, mild, or sweet Italian sausage for this soup, although I prefer hot because I love the combination of spicy with the creamy broth. Buy loose ground Italian sausage rather than sausage in casings.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics provide a deep base flavor for the soup.
- Great Northern Beans: These mild white beans add bulk to the soup without adding a lot to the total cost of the recipe. The flavor blends seamlessly and you get a lot more fiber and nutrients in every bowl! If you don’t like beans, you can leave them out and add more sausage or potatoes.
- Chicken Broth: The base for this soup’s broth is chicken broth, which adds both flavor and salt. Make sure to get a really flavorful broth or else your soup will be lacking. I like to make my broth using Better than Bouillon because it’s inexpensive and super flavorful.
- Half and Half: This is what makes the broth rich and creamy. If you don’t have half and half, you can substitute with an equal mix of whole milk and heavy cream.
- Red Potatoes: Potatoes add a lot of bulk to this soup which helps you feel full and satisfied. Their tender texture is also great with the creamy broth and they soak up tons of flavor.
- Kale: Dark green kale adds a ton of texture and color to the soup and really helps round it out to make the soup a full meal in a bowl. If you don’t like kale, you can toss in a couple handfuls of spinach at the end of the recipe and just stir it in until wilted.
- Spices: The Italian sausage and chicken broth bring a ton of flavor to the soup already, so all we need to add is a little smoked paprika (to mimic the smoky flavor of bacon), some crushed red pepper, and freshly ground black pepper!
make it vegetarian
The sausage in this recipe is responsible for adding a lot of flavor to this soup, so if you plan to skip the sausage you’ll need to ramp up the seasoning. I suggest adding a tablespoon or so of Italian seasoning blend to make up for the spices that are found in the Italian sausage. You may also want to add an extra can of beans to bulk up the soup a bit.
What to Serve with Zuppa Toscana
This is truly a meal in a bowl with the starchy potatoes, protein-filled Italian sausage and beans, and veggilicious kale, but if you want something on the side I’ve got you covered. Garlic bread would probably be my first pick, or you can do something simple like No-Knead Bread or Soda Bread. Or maybe you want to go a little lighter and add a simple side salad to really make you feel like you’re at The Olive Garden!
Zuppa Toscana
Servings 8 (1.5 cups each)Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Italian Sausage, hot or mild ($1.75)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 15 oz. can Great Northern beans ($0.49)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 3 cups chicken broth* ($0.39)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
- 2 cups half and half** ($1.49)
- 1 lb. red potatoes ($1.29)
- 1/2 lb. kale, chopped ($1.50)
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional ($0.02)
- freshly cracked black pepper, optional ($0.05)
Instructions
- Add the sausage to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. The sausage should contain enough fat to keep it from sticking, if not add a touch of olive oil. It’s okay if a small amount browns on the bottom of the pot.
- While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and sauté until the onions are softened. The moisture from the onions should help dissolve any browned bits of sausage off the bottom of the pot.
- Drain and rinse the can of beans. Add the beans, smoked paprika, chicken broth, one cup water, and half and half to the pot. Place a lid on the pot and let it come up to a simmer over medium heat.
- While the pot is heating, cut each potato into quarters lengthwise, then slice across into thin, 1/8-inch thick slices. Add the potatoes to the pot along with the pre-chopped kale. The kale will fill the pot when it’s first added, but the heat from the liquid will wilt it within a few minutes. Stir it occasionally to help the wilting process.
- Let the pot simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Season with red pepper flakes and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Video
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Zuppa Toscana – Step by Step Photos
Add 1/2 lb. Italian sausage to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat, breaking it into chunks as it cooks. I didn’t use any extra oil because sausage tends to be pretty fatty. It’s okay if a little sticks to the bottom of the pot because it will dissolve off in the next steps. While the sausage browns, dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and continue to sauté until the onions are soft.
Drain and rinse one 15oz. can of Great Northern beans, then add them to the pot with 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika. The smoked paprika will give that smoky hint that the bacon would have supplied. Sneaky, right?
Next add 3 cups of chicken broth, 1 cup water, and 2 cups (one pint) of half and half. If you’re not from the U.S., “half and half” is like a lighter version of light cream. Read about it here. Put a lid on the pot and let it come to a simmer over medium heat.
While the pot is heating up, wash and slice one pound of red potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices. Slicing them thinly helps them cook faster, plus makes a great texture in the soup. Add the potatoes to the pot.
Instead of buying a regular bunch of kale, I bought this bag of pre-chopped kale (it’s actually less expensive than regular bunches at my local store). This is a 12oz. bag, so I just used about 2/3 of it. If you are buying your kale in a bunch, use about one bunch. Make sure to remove the stems and tear the leaves into 1 to 2-inch pieces.
Add the kale to the pot and it will likely fill it up to the top. Let the heat from the liquid begin to wilt the kale. Give it a stir occasionally to help it contact the hot soup and wilt.
After a few minutes, it will have wilted down into the soup nicely. Let the soup simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
I like my soup spicy (and had used mild Italian sausage), so I seasoned it with a pinch of red pepper flakes. A little freshly cracked black pepper is also nice. Depending on what type of broth you use, you may need to add a little salt (I did not add any).
And that’s it!! The potatoes and beans help thicken the broth up nicely, without having to use heavy cream.
Absolutely deserving of all the internet hype. SO. GOOD.
Will this all still work out okay if I swapped the Half & Half back out for Heavy Cream, or would I need to modify it extensively? I have leftover heavy cream from another recipe and figured this might be a good use for it before it goes bad…
I would think so. And if it gets too thick for you, you can thin it out with a bit of broth or water.
This was amazing. Just made this today but I added extra garlic powder and paprika.
Made this for some friends the other night and they loved it! Certainly going to be a repeat recipe! Might add some sweet corn next time as an additional flavor boost.
This recipe was another winner for me! I made it in the slow cooker because I don’t have a pot big enough to hold the full recipe. I tossed everything in except the half and half, kale, and beans. I added the final three ingredients about 20-30 minutes before serving. YUM! This will definitely be in regular rotation at my house from now on. I served it with your homemade freezer garlic bread, which was also a big hit. Thanks for the delicious recipes – keep ’em coming! :)
How long did you cook it in the slow cooker? That would make it a bit easier for this busy mom. :)
Just made this again! A head’s up. If your family is large like mine(6-7 people on average to feed!), even if it serves 8, double the recipe! I guarantee people are going to want seconds or people are going to want the leftovers. This is still a very affordable meal and cost me around $19 to triple the recipe for my large family/leftovers for days. Costs will obviously be a lot cheaper for a smaller group.
Make this!
This soup is sooooo good. I used spicy Italian sausage, Dino kale, and little less half and half and just added more water. It’s heats up like a dream, I couldn’t wait to eat it the next day!
Ok, this is pretty spectacular.
Call me a snob, but I don’t go to the restaurant that uh, features this soup. I stay away from Pinterest too. So I for one never would have known about this recipe if you hadn’t featured it!
I did increase the liquid ingredients for the broth and the amount of garlic but otherwise made this to your specs and this was amazing. Thanks for posting Beth.
Loved your comment. I, too, would never have tried this soup had I not seen it here. I hear people talk about this dish by name, as if it is something exotic. Not so. And (bonus!) we get to enjoy this lower fat version. ;-) I use Italian-seasoned lean ground turkey in any recipe calling for sausage … great taste with much less fat.
Made this with quartered chicken sausage instead. This soup is delicious. I can’t stop recommending it to everyone I know. It’s absolutely going into the meal rotation. Add some nice bread to sop up the broth and you’re set.
OMG! Delicious soup! I can’t stop eating it. It makes great leftovers and reheats well. It goes great with sourdough bread for dipping too.
I just made this, and it is so delicious! As suggested by another reviewer, I used field roast Italian sausage to make it vegetarian (not budget friendly, but still yummy). I think the sausage was too mild for my taste so I would add extra red pepper flakes. Thanks for sharing another awesome recipe!
Very good recipe. I have a recipe for this which is much more creamy/fatty. We LOVE it, but always avoid making it. I was glad to find this version which is quite a bit healthier!
This is a keeper for sure. Unfortunately my freezer did not have all of the kale the recipe called for, but it still turned out great. It has been way cold here in Pennsylvania and this hit the spot. Like others I have not had the original.
Beth, I meant to ask you. Can you think about doing a couple basic tutorials on how to cut vegetables?
I think i’ve mastered how to dice an onion, but for some reason, I’ve never managed to figure out the best way to cut potatoes! This recipe only reinforced my ignorance. haha.
It seems like such a simple thing, but some people might not know basic knife practices and it could be helpful for people new to cooking.
Yes, that’s a fantastic idea! Thank you! :)
So I wanted to update you with my thoughts on this soup. I’ve made it three times since you’ve posted it. haha!
It’s a great recipe as is…so if anyone is curious..if you follow it to the t, you’ll have a great soup.
I’ve tweaked it some, and make mine extra brothy (basically 4 1/2 cups of broth and about 1/4 cup extra half and half). The reason I did this is because after I made it the first time, the potatoes had soaked up so much broth that i ended up with a thick thick soup. I also added a ton extra red pepper flakes, garlic powder, black pepper, and because i couldn’t figure out that there was something missing, I added a bit of salt and it did the trick.
A note about the kale…it’s great in the soup, but I only did about half of what you call for, and I bought the same exact brand you did. I ended up breaking up the leaves a lot more, and ripped off the hard stems that were in some of the leaves. The first time I made it, it was just SO much kale and it was a little hard to eat and we ended up fishing a lot of it out. I made 1 regular batch and 2 double batches with that whole bag.
also, i’m happy to report that it freezes great. I froze a few of those pint chinese food soup containers and it thawed fine, and was delicious.
I made this for a dinner party for 4 of us along with some gourmet grilled cheese and it was a HUGE hit. My boyfriend (minutes after saying “I’m not generally a huge soup fan”) literally snuck an extra bowl of it before even sitting down at the table! We ate the whole pot even though we’d had the sandwiches. I did add a few cranks of salt, pepper, & red pepper flakes to the whole pot & then we each added grated Parmesan to our bowls.
Especially with the sub-zero Chicago temperature last night, it was the perfect meal. Thank you, Beth!