Zuppa Toscana Soup combines Italian sausage, creamy potatoes, and tender kale in a rich creamy broth. Top your bowl with crispy bacon and Parmesan cheese!
Zuppa Toscana Soup
This Zuppa Toscana isn’t an authentic Italian Tuscan soup; it’s a fun take on Olive Garden’s® popular dish. It’s loaded with spicy Italian sausage, crispy bacon, creamy potatoes, and hearty kale, all simmered in a rich, savory broth. If you’re a fan of the original, this homemade version brings those same flavors right to your kitchen!
And if you love Olive Garden copycat recipes, I’ve got a couple more for you to try—like their garden salad and chicken gnocchi soup!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade Zuppa Toscana Soup:
- Olive Oil: Adds flavor and helps brown the sausage nicely.
- Italian Sausage: Go with mild or spicy, depending on your heat preference.
- Yellow Onion: Dice finely so it blends into the soup well and isn’t crunchy.
- Garlic: Fresh or jarred both work—use whatever you’ve got.
- Flour: Adds a little thickness to the soup.
- Chicken Stock: A good brand delivers the best flavor. Chicken broth works great too.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: Great flavor and no peeling needed; the skin’s tender enough. If using russet potatoes, peel them first.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Adds heat—skip if you want a milder soup.
- Dried Thyme: Adds an earthy flavor but can be left out if it’s not your thing.
- Heavy Cream: Stir in at the end for a rich, creamy texture.
- Kale: Chop small and remove stems so it blends better into the soup.
- Bacon: Cook until crispy, then crumble over the top for crunch.
- Parmesan Cheese: I love to add a sprinkle for extra flavor!
How To Make Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Cook Sausage: Brown sausage in oil, then add to slow cooker.
- Sauté Onion & Garlic: Soften onion, then add garlic.
- Add Flour: Stir in flour and cook briefly.
- Make Thickener: Whisk in stock until thick; add to slow cooker.
- Combine: Add rest of the stock, potatoes, red pepper, and thyme; stir.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until potatoes are tender.
- Add Kale & Cream: Stir in kale and cream; simmer 5–10 minutes.
- Top & Serve: Add crispy bacon and Parmesan on top.
What To Serve With Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Bruschetta: Toasted baguette slices topped with tomatoes and basil is the perfect appetizer!
- Crusty Bread: Warm buttered bread pairs perfectly for dipping.
- Focaccia: Soft and herby, it’s perfect for soaking up the broth.
- Caesar Salad: A classic Caesar salad complements the rich soup.
- Breadsticks: Soft, warm breadsticks or dinner rolls are great for soaking up the broth.
Recipe Tips
- Adjust Spice: If you don’t like heat, use mild sausage and skip red pepper flakes. For more heat, use hot sausage and add extra flakes.
- Remove Grease: Some grease is normal. To cut it, drain sausage on paper towels, then let soup cool for 15–20 minutes and skim off the grease that rises to the top.
- Thicken the Soup: If you want it thicker, add a few more potatoes and mash some after cooking.
Storage
- Fridge: Cool and store leftover Zuppa Toscana Soup in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Reheat on low heat, stirring often. Avoid boiling.
- Freezer: Store in an airtight bag and thaw overnight in the fridge.
More CrockPot Soup Recipes
- Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup with sweet potatoes
- Crockpot Chili award-winning chili recipe!
- Crack Chicken Chili with cream cheese and bacon
- Crockpot Cowboy Casserole with Italian sausage and potatoes
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos with Ranch seasoning
Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup
Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana is packed with tender kale, savory Italian sausage, Yukon gold potatoes, and a rich, creamy broth. Finish with crispy bacon and Parmesan for a delicious meal.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Large cast-iron pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage mild or hot
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion 1 onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 (32-ounce) container chicken stock or broth
- 1-1/2 pounds gold potatoes diced to 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 packed cups chopped kale
- 8 slices bacon cooked and diced
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
- Hearty buttered bread optional
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sausage. Let it cook for 1 minute, then break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until deeply browned. Transfer to slow cooker, leaving grease behind.
- In the same pot, add onions (add a drizzle of oil if needed) and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of chicken stock until thickened. Use a spatula to scrape this mixture from pot to slow cooker.
- Add remaining stock, potatoes, red pepper flakes, and thyme to the slow cooker. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until potatoes are tender.
- Stir in kale and heavy cream. Cover and cook for another 5–10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Top with crispy bacon and Parmesan, and serve with toasted buttered bread.
Video
Recipe Notes
Potatoes: Baby gold potatoes are great—they’re flavorful and don’t need peeling thanks to their tender skin. If you’re using russet potatoes, be sure to peel them first.
Storage: To store leftover Zuppa Toscana Soup, let it cool, then transfer to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3–4 days. When reheating, warm it on low and stir often to avoid boiling. To freeze, transfer to an airtight bag and thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 928mg | Potassium: 535mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2847IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This came out fantastic, everybody loved it! Followed the recipe exactly except subbed spinach for kale since I had some on hand, also added some Ditalini since we all love pasta or rice in our soup. Another winner Chelsea!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much James!
This looks absolutely delicious!! Is there a way to thicken without flour? I want to make this for my staff but have a few that can’t have gluten. Thank you! 😊
You can leave out the flour then at the end remove 1 tablespoon liquid and whisk it with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and stir that in. It is a more brothy soup anyways so it won’t be super thick either way 🙂
Made this tonight….. my kale hating boyfriend had two bowls! So good!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Crystal! 🙂
Love your recipe for this soup. It happens to be my family’s favorite.
Thanks so much Ileana! 🙂
Do you cut outer lining off sausage?
Yes! Remove any sausage casings before using!
Made this for dinner last night and it was a big hit!! Lots of compliments from my husband and sons 🙂 Perfectly delicious comfort food – Thank you
Yay! I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks BethAnn! 🙂
My boyfriend and I made this last night as our first meal in our new crockpot! It came out delicious, great recipe 🙂
Yay! So happy to hear this! Thanks Lindsay! 🙂
Zuppa Toscana soup was AMAZING!!!! My boyfriend and I made this and it was SOOOO YUMMY!!!
I’m so happy you guys loved this Zuppa Toscana Soup! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂