Zuppa Toscana {Olive Garden Copycat}

Loaded with sausage, bacon, potatoes, spinach, and cream, this classic Italian Zuppa Toscana recipe and Olive Garden soup copycat is pure comfort in a bowl!

Some of our other popular restaurant copycat recipes include, Pasta Fagioli, Toasted Ravioli, and Disney Dole Whip. You can make them better at home for a lot less money!

Zuppa Toscana is one of Olive Garden’s most popular recipes, and probably their most popular soups. This homemade Zuppa Toscana recipe is a copycat version, loaded with Italian sausage, crispy bacon, spinach (instead of kale), potatoes, and a creamy broth. It’s completely irresistible!

What is Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa translated is soup and Toscana means Tuscan – so, Tuscan Soup! However, this is actually not a traditional soup from Tuscany, but rather a soup that was simply created and made very popular in America by the Olive Garden restaurant chain. They make it with sausage, bacon, potatoes, and kale.

Zuppa Toscana Recipe

The list of ingredients for this soup is incredibly short, but you’d think it was a mile long considering how flavorful it is. Here’s the rundown:

• Browned, crumbled Italian sausage
• Crispy, salty bacon
• Sautéed sweet onion and garlic
• Cubed, tender potatoes
• Beautiful green baby spinach
• Low-sodium chicken stock
• Heavy cream
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Zuppa Toscana

This soup is all made in one pot and so easy! Here’s a brief summary. (Skip to the end for the complete printable recipe.)

1. Cook the bacon until crispy; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Saute the sausage and onion in some of the rendered bacon fat until no pink remains. Add in the garlic. Drain off excess fat.
3. Pour in the chicken stock and add the potatoes; bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook until potatoes are tender.
5. Stir in the spinach until it just begins to wilt.
6. Return bacon to the pot, along with the cream. Heat through.
7. Season with salt sand pepper.
8. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!

That’s it!

Recipe Variations

• Swap out the spicy Italian sausage for a mild or sweet variety.
• Use refrigerated diced potatoes if you’re short on time.
• Instead of spinach, use kale, which is what Olive Garden uses.

How to make Zuppa Toscana Healthy

• Make it keto-friendly by swapping out the potatoes for chopped cauliflower florets.
• For a dairy free (whole 30) version, substitute the heavy cream for a 15 ounce can of full fat coconut milk (using the solid white cream portion only.)
• Remove excess grease at the end of cooking by letting it cool for about 15 minutes and then slowly skim off the top layer of grease.

Can You Freeze Zuppa Toscana Soup?

Due to the heavy cream component, this soup is not ideal for freezing. Dairy tends to separate after thawing, leaving a less than desirable taste and texture. If you really want/need to freeze it, I suggest doing so before adding the cream and spinach and simply add those ingredients in after reheating it before serving.

What to Serve with Zuppa Toscana soup?

This soup is very hearty on its own and doesn’t need much else, but we often enjoy it with homemade garlic bread to mop up the last dribbles in the bowl.

Pure comfort in a bowl and will hit the spot on a cold night!

Watch the Video

Other Soup Recipes We Love!

• One-Pot Beef Stroganoff Soup
• 15 Minute Tomato Tortellini Soup
• Slow Cooker Taco Soup

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

Zuppa Toscana

5 from 14 votes

Loaded with sausage, bacon, potatoes, spinach, and cream, this classic Italian Zuppa Toscana recipe and Olive Garden soup copycat is pure comfort in a bowl!

Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 5 slices bacon , diced
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage , casings removed
• 1 small sweet onion , diced
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 32 ounces low-sodium chicken stock
• 3 medium russet potatoes , peeled and diced small (about 1/2-inch cubes)
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper , to taste

Instructions

• Heat a large pot over medium-high; add bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Drain off all but one tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat; add sausage and onion to the pot and cook until pork is no longer pink and onion is translucent, crumbling up the pork and stirring frequently, 3-5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain excess fat.
• Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce heat to a medium simmer for about 12 minutes until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in spinach until it begins to wilt.
• Return most of the bacon back to the pot (reserving some for garnish) and stir in heavy cream until heated through, 2-3 more minutes.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with some crusty bread and a little reserved crumbled bacon!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 753mg | Potassium: 979mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1844IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: olive garden soup, zuppa toscana, Zuppa Toscana Recipe

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