Making the Olive Garden’s famous Zuppa Toscana at home is so easy, and you only need SIX ingredients! This creamy sausage and kale soup with potatoes is naturally gluten-free, it takes only about a half an hour to make, and absurdly delicious. Better than Olive Garden, if I do say so myself.
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The Olive Garden is one of those places that’s so comforting to me, even though I know it’s not the best quality in terms of taste or ingredients.
But I have cozy memories of eating there with my friends on “fancy” dinner nights in high school, and even stopping there on our way to our honeymoon, starving and exhausted from festivities the day before.
My order: always the never-ending breadsticks, soup, and salad. Specifically, the Zuppa Toscana for my soup. It’s absolutely delicious, and even better when you make it yourself at home.
Best of all, you only need 6 ingredients and 30 minutes. It’s so flavorful and hearty as dinner on its own – no need for breadsticks or salad! (Though I wouldn’t say no to having some crusty bread on the side for dunking)
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Italian Sausage – mild, sweet, or hot is fine. Or a combo! I used half hot and half sweet in mine.
- Onion
- Potatoes – I use red potatoes with the skin on but you can use yellow or white. I’d stay away from russets as they tend to turn to mush in soup.
- Chicken broth – be sure to use low sodium! The sausage is already very salty.
- Milk – or half and half, or heavy cream.
- Kale – or spinach, or both! I used a mix.
How to make Zuppa Toscana
First, brown the sausage in a large pot or Dutch oven. Break it up well as you cook it. Then add an onion and cook until softened.
Add the potatoes and chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked. Optionally, you can use a potato masher to mash a few of the potatoes directly in the pot. This will help thicken the soup a bit.
Finally, stir in the milk and kale and cook for a couple more minutes, until the milk heats up and the kale wilts. That’s it! Told you it was easy!
How to use half and half or heavy cream instead of milk
Since half and half and heavy cream are richer than milk, you’ll want to use less of them and supplement with more chicken broth or water. Otherwise the soup will be too heavy, since the sausage is already very rich and fatty.
Make it dairy free
Try using a can of full-fat coconut milk in place of the milk for a dairy-free option.
Other Easy Soup Recipes
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Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage sweet, mild, or hot is fine, casings removed if in links
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 lb. red potatoes washed well but unpeeled, diced
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 2 cups milk see notes for using half and half or heavy cream
- 2-3 cups roughly chopped kale and/or spinach
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Brown 1 lb. Italian sausage in a large pot, such as a Dutch Oven, over medium heat until fully cooked, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks (5-10 minutes).
- Add the diced 1 large yellow onion and sauté until softened (about 3 minutes).
- Add a little bit of the chicken broth and scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot. Then, add the diced 1 lb. red potatoes and the rest of the 4 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth; bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for approximately 15 minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
- Optional: to give some thickness and body to the soup, use a potato masher to mash up some of the potatoes directly in the pot.
- Add 2 cups milk, 2-3 cups roughly chopped kale , and kosher salt and black pepper to taste and heat until kale wilts and soup is heated through, approximately 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- This soup reheats well if you want to make it in advance, or enjoy it as leftovers.
- As for freezing, the texture of the potatoes will change a bit if you do this. That’s never stopped me, though!
- To use half-and-half or heavy cream instead of milk, don’t use as much since it’s so heavy and rich. For half-and half, use 1 cup (and use 1 more cup chicken broth or add 1 cup of water), and for heavy cream I’d only use 1/2 cup here (and supplement with 1 1/2 cups more broth or water).
- For a dairy free version, try using a can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk instead of milk.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Beth Hartley
I have made this many times. Two things I do differently though are 1) I massage the kale in a zip lick bag with a bit of olive oil and Himalayan Pink salt
2) Sadly I am sensitive to night shade plants as they can set off autoimmune flares, so no whit potatoes for me. I use sweet potatoes and WOW what a lovely substitute.
I have used white potatoes once and it was good, but try the sweet potatoes for a great surprise!
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’m so glad you liked it! I love the idea of sweet potatoes – I mean, sweet potatoes, sausage, and kale are a dreamy combo! I bet cauliflower florets would be good too!
Julia
This recipe is great!! So tasty! Pro tip: top with bacon and parmesan cheese!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! YES on the bacon and parmesan cheese – yum, thanks for the tip!
Gina
Delicious soup and a very easy recipe! I added some Italian seasoning, but the recipe is good just as it is!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I made this last night myself actually!
Liz
Tastes spot on to the Olive Garden soup
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
PacifiCoast
Love this recipe and make it all the time. Although the first time I made it, I was a little stunned because at the end direction there was a mistake calling the kale spinach:
“4. Add milk, spinach, and pepper and heat until spinach wilts and soup is heated through, approximately 5 minutes.”
Elizabeth Lindemann
Whoops! Thanks so much for pointing this out! I’ll fix it now.
Debra Bradford
Loved it. I added fresh garlic to mine.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Tiffany
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is my favorite soup at Olive Garden. Now that I know how to make it, I make it all the time. You are awesome!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Carol
I just made this soup this afternoon and am on my 2nd bowl! So good. I used mild Italian sausage, may try sweet next time. And I used fresh baby spinach instead of kale. I also took your suggestion for dairy free and used coconut milk since I’ve used that in other soups and like it. Oh my! So good. I’ll definitely make this again. The recipe is so easy to substitute your suggestions and make it our own! Thank you.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Emily
Easy quick and tasty. swapped out tortellini for the potatoes and added way more kale than the recipe called for. I will definitely make it again.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Carol Allen
I use 2-3 Cups of Kale, also add 1 small can of mushrooms and 1/2 bag of real bacon chips
Elizabeth Lindemann
Fun additions, thanks for sharing! So glad you liked it!
Pamela Thomas
Super yummy! I added cannellini beans for texture and a different kind of creaminess (like it needed any more textures). I made this for two friends who are having medical issues and their families. They loved it! Next time I’m going to add just a hint of cayenne pepper to have a little bit of spice with the creaminess of the half and half.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Ooo I love the idea of adding cannellini beans! Cayenne pepper would be great for some spice. I’ve also made this with hot Italian sausage for some extra heat and it was delicious.
Cindy
My husband who is gluten free really enjoyed this recipe. My brother and sister in law who are not gluten free really enjoyed it as well!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad everyone – gluten free and not – liked it! :-)
CAROL DOOLEY
Fabulous! I used small red potatoes and spinach! Topped it with a little cheese, too!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Christa
I’ve made this a few times now, and it’s come out great each time!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thank you! So glad you like it :-)
Keyosha
Delicious!!! I made the vegan version using hot Italian beyond meat sausages and I added a jalapeño (I put that sh*t in everything lol). I will definitely make this again and again!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!!
Sheri Eddington-Libman
Have made this 3 times now and it has been absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing. I use 2 sweet and 2 hot sausages and extra kale.
Love love love
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yay! So glad you liked it- it’s one of my favorites!
Susan Robinson
Thank Goodness your not showing bacon in your recipe. I have eaten this at Olive Garden and never did see any bacon in the soup. Heavy cream is better but……..half and half will do. I use fresh spinach but you can use fresh kale instead. Add 1/8 to 1\4 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes to your recipe. Makes it tastier. I make this all the time. It’s yummy………………
Thanks
Susan R.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked the recipe! No bacon here- I’m more of a bacon OR sausage girl, not both (too heavy for me, usually). Good idea to add red pepper to make it more spicy- thanks for the comment!