I'm kind of a soup freak. I think I've already established this fact here on this little blog o' mine, but for the record-- soup freak.
I'm thrilled that spring is peaking it's head out of the ground in the form of flower bulbs and budding trees, but it also means that my justifiable soup making days are few. So I've got soup for you today.
It's been a while since we've lived close to an Olive Garden, but I've always been a fan of their Zuppa Toscana. Now in all honesty, it's been years since I've had their version but I think this recipe comes pretty darn close. The best part about this soup is that it is 100% a meal on its own. With lots of meat, potatoes, and a serving a greens, this is a perfectly hearty meal when served with a good loaf of crusty bread. I believe that the original version has bacon in it but I like it without-- I'm not much for multiple pork products in a meal. Also, I like to use a mix of regular Italian sausage and turkey Italian sausage to cut some calories but still keep it flavorful.
Are you one of those people that don't qualify soup as a full meal? Stop that silly logic! Seriously, people.
Love it. Eat it. And let your bellies be filled by soup and soup alone!
📖 Recipe
Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copy-Cat)
Ingredients
- ½ lb Italian Sausage mild or hot
- ½ lb Turkey Italian Sausage
- 4 sm.-med. russet potatoes cut in half and then in ¼" slices
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 C chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 C kale washed and chopped
- 1 C heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a soup pot or dutch oven, brown and crumble the sausages until cook through over medium heat.
- Leaving behind about 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat, remove the sausage from the pan and transfer on to paper towels to drain.
- Add onion and garlic to the fat in the pot and cook until soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir chicken broth into the onions and garlic and stir in the potatoes and salt. Bring pot to a simmer and let cook until the potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- Stir the kale into the soup followed by the cream. Serve with crusty bread and Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts
Virginia Kahler-Anderson, aka HomeRearedChef says
Well, I am a huge fan of the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, I order it everytime we are there. And this recipe looks spot-on! Thank you for sharing.
~Virginia
Michelle says
I've made this last night. but didn't have sausage on hand, so i used some turkey smoked sausage. delightful!!! and easy. Thanks!!