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A warm, homemade bowl of Zuppa Toscana soup with creamy broth, browned sausage, tender potato slices, wilted kale, crispy bacon bits, and fresh parsley, served in a rustic bowl with toasted bread in the background.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

5 from 1 vote
A hearty, creamy, and comforting Zuppa Toscana Soup with Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes, and kale – a cozy Olive Garden copycat that’s even better homemade!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Italian sausage - Hot or mild
  • 6 slices Thick bacon - Chopped
  • 1 large Onion - Diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic - Minced
  • 6 cups Chicken broth
  • 2 lbs Russet potatoes - Sliced thin
  • 1 bunch Kale - Chopped
  • 1 cup Heavy cream
  • to taste Salt
  • to taste Pepper
  • Optional Red pepper flakes - For heat
  • Optional Parmesan cheese - For serving
  • Optional Crusty bread - For dipping

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot/Dutch oven (Heavy-bottomed for best browning)
  • 1 Sharp knife (For slicing vegetables)
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Wooden spoon (For stirring and sautéing)
  • 1 Ladle (For serving)

Method
 

  1. Cook chopped bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
    Chopped bacon cooking in a cream-colored Dutch oven with orange handles, sizzling in rendered fat on a black stovetop with a red temperature display.
  2. Brown Italian sausage in the bacon fat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces. Remove and set aside. Leave a little fat in the pot.
  3. Add diced onion to the pot and cook until soft. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute, being careful not to burn it.
    Diced onions sautéing with bits of bacon in a cream-colored Dutch oven with orange handles, set on a black stovetop, gently cooking in fat until soft.
  4. Pour in chicken broth to deglaze the pot. Add sliced potatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes until tender.
    Sliced potatoes simmering in golden chicken broth inside a cream and orange Dutch oven on a stovetop, with steam rising as part of homemade Zuppa Toscana soup prep.
  5. Return the cooked sausage and bacon to the pot. Stir in chopped kale and cook until wilted, about 2–3 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with optional Parmesan and bread.
    A simmering pot of homemade Zuppa Toscana soup with sliced potatoes, crumbled sausage, kale, and creamy golden broth, seasoned with black pepper in an orange-handled Dutch oven on a stovetop.

Nutrition

Serving: 400gCalories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 18gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 1020mgPotassium: 920mgFiber: 2.5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 4500IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 2.4mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an approximation. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredients used and portion sizes

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