If you’re a fan of Olive Garden’s signature Zuppa Toscana soup, you’re going to love this easy copycat version prepared in your slow cooker. My Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana recipe is a cozy and comforting soup that’s always a hit!
I enjoy Zuppa Toscana prepared on the stovetop so much, I developed a hassle-free crock pot version of this popular recipe.
This satisfying soup is loaded with sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale, and onions in a deliciously seasoned creamy broth. Serve it with a crusty baguette for a hearty meal your whole family will love!
Ingredients
- Bacon – I prefer thick-cut bacon, but regular bacon can be used. Your bacon will need to be chopped into approximately ½-inch pieces.
- Sausage – Hot Italian sausage with casings removed.
- Kale – Large stems removed and chopped into about 2-inch pieces.
- Potatoes – Russet potatoes
- Onion
- Water
- Chicken broth – I prefer low sodium chicken broth to better control the saltiness.
- Heavy cream
- Garlic
- Seasonings – Salt, black pepper, granulated sugar, and ground nutmeg.
- Parmesan – Optional topping
How to Make Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana
Following is a brief overview of how to prepare; please see the recipe card for full detailed instructions.
- Fry bacon and sausage in a large skillet until cooked and the sausage is browned and no longer pink.
- Add onion and garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Drain off grease in a colander.
- Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, and seasonings. Cover and cook on high heat for 3 to 4 hours, or low heat for 5 to 6 hours.
- Stir in heavy cream and kale. Cover and cook on high for an additional 30 minutes.
5 Star Review
“I have tried a multitude of Zuppa Toscana recipes, and this was is BY FAR my family’s favorite!! The creaminess and flavor is amazing. Thank you!” ~ Abbey
Helpful Tips
- Cut the potatoes the same size into approximately 1-inch pieces so that they cook evenly.
- Place your bacon in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting. This helps to firm the meat, making it easier to cut.
- Drain well. Drain off the fat from the sausage and bacon in a colander to prevent the soup from being too oily.
- Don’t overcook the kale. Add the kale and heavy cream during the last 30 minutes of cook time.
Recipe Variations
- Add heat by adding crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- For a leaner option, use ground turkey or chicken instead of sausage and omit the bacon. If using ground turkey or chicken, add a couple of teaspoons (or more, as needed) of olive oil when browning. Italian seasoning will also need to be added.
- Half-and-half or whole milk can be used in place of heavy cream, but keep in mind that your soup won’t be as creamy.
- Thicken the broth by removing some of the cooked potatoes, mashing them well, and returning them to the soup. Another option would be to add a cornstarch slurry by mixing together 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water (or additional heavy cream) when adding the heavy cream and kale.
Storage and Reheating
- To store: Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat: Reheat gently in a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Can You Freeze Zuppa Toscana?
I do not recommend freezing this soup. Soups prepared with cream typically don’t freeze well because the soup tends to separate when defrosted and the texture is grainy.
More Comforting Soups
Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana
Let your slow cooker do the work in this easy Olive Garden copycat soup full of sausage, kale, bacon, and potatoes!
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Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 5 slices thick cut bacon chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 (20 ounce) package hot Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 (32 ounce) container chicken broth 4 cups (low sodium)
- 2 cups water
- 4 medium russet potatoes about 1 ½ pounds, peeled and cut into about 1-inch pieces (or unpeeled by cleaning, rinsing and cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less, to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper more or less, to taste
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups tightly packed chopped kale with large stems removed chopped into about 2-inch pieces
- freshly grated Parmesan optional topping
Instructions
- Fry bacon and sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat until cooked and sausage is browned and no longer pink (about 7 to 8 minutes), crumbling sausage with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add onion and garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Drain off grease. Transfer the mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours.
- Add heavy cream and kale and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- To store: Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat: Reheat gently in a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition
Calories: 879kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 1890mg | Potassium: 1176mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4530IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 196mg | Iron: 3mg
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheBlondCook or tag #theblondcook!
Darn it! I just ran out of sugar… can I substitute with something else 🙁
Hello, you could try using honey or maple syrup as a sugar substitute. I haven’t personally tried this, so I can’t say with certainty how it would affect the flavor. I hope it works out for you and that you enjoy the soup!
Ok, I have to say that as an avid Zuppa-it’s I was skeptical about using a crockpot, but it was over 100° outside today so I decided to give it a whirl. Fantastic!! Just as good as my stovetop version! I did use red potatoes instead of russet and frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) instead of fresh. It was amazing! Thank you!
Absolutely delicious! My husband loves this soup and he thinks this is just as good or even better than Olive Garden’s. When he stopped eating meat, I modified the recipe to use plant-based sausage and bacon and it’s just as good.
Is there anyway to make the broth thicker?
This soup is wonderful, Amy! We just ate it. And it wasn’t complicated at all. (I NEED SIMPLE!) Loved it. My husband had 2 big bowls!)
Thank you so much, Jennifer – So glad you and your husband enjoyed it!
Seriously the best Zuppa recipe ever! I’ve made several Olive Garden copy cat recipes, and this is by far the best. Tastes even better in my opinion! My picky eaters absolutely loved it. Keeping this recipe in my back pocket!
Thank you so much, Hannah – so glad you enjoyed it!
This soup was amazing!!! I did add only about quarter of the cup of heavy cream otherwise my soup would also be too milky and heavy.
I love this soup when I had it at Olive Garden and thank you for giving us the recipe. I made it today and it turned out perfect!
Thanks so much, Teresa… so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I have tried a multitude of Zuppa Toscana recipes, and this was is BY FAR my family’s favorite!! The creaminess and flavor is amazing. Thank you!
This was the best Zuppa Toscana I’ve had! Better than the restaurant! I substituted the hot Italian sausage for regular ground sausage and used a spinach/kale mix in lieu of just kale, And (accidentally) omitted half the water, but otherwise stuck to the recipe and it was delicious! The nutmeg and sugar are the magic ingredients!