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    Home » Recipes » Soups and Stews

    By Amy · Published: Oct 18, 2017 · Updated: Oct 18, 2017 · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy 2 Comments

    Zuppa Toscana

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    This Olive Garden copycat Zuppa Toscana is incredibly easy to prepare and is so much better than the original!

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    A white bowl of zuppa toscana by fresh kale and a striped napkin.

    Last week Brian and I were eating this soup at Olive Garden and talking about how amazingly delicious it was (I was soooo hungry that day!).  Then I suddenly remembered I had beautiful KALE ready to be picked in my little garden.  🙂

     A closeup of fresh kale in a stainless colander.

    This is my first garden in a long time, and I had forgotten how rewarding it is.

    Fresh kale in a raised bed garden.

    It’s a little raised bed garden behind the fence that has brought so much enjoyment!  🙂

    Overhead view of a white bowl of zuppa toscana on a white surface.

    So I told Brian, “I know I can figure out this recipe and use my kale from the garden.”  I actually like it better than the restaurant version and it smells so good while it’s simmering.

    Overhead view of a bowl of zuppa toscana by fresh kale and a striped napkin.

    Enjoy!  🙂

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    A white bowl of zuppa toscana by fresh kale and a striped napkin.

    Zuppa Toscana


    • Author: Amy @ The Blond Cook
    • Total Time: 50 minutes
    • Yield: 4-6 servings
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    Description

    Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana – So amazingly easy to make at home and a million times better than the original!


    Ingredients

    • 5 slices thick cut bacon
    • 1 (20-ounce) package hot Italian sausage, casings removed
    • 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion (about ½ of a large onion)
    • 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
    • 1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
    • 2 cups water
    • 4 medium russet potatoes (about 1–½ pounds), cleaned, rinsed and cut into about 1-inch pieces.
    • 1 teaspoon salt (more or less, to taste)
    • ½ teaspoon pepper (more or less, to taste)
    • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 3 cups tightly packed chopped kale with large stems removed
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • Optional:  Shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping

    Instructions

    1. In a dutch oven or large soup pot, fry bacon over medium high heat until thoroughly cooked (about 5 minutes).  Remove bacon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  Pour off grease in pot.
    2. Add sausage to the same pot and cook until browned and no longer pink, crumbling as it cooks (about 5-6 minutes).  Place sausage on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  Pour off grease in pot, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
    3. Add onions to pot and cook until soft, stirring frequently (about 4-5 minutes).
    4. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    5. Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt, pepper, sugar and nutmeg to pot.  Stir to combine.
    6. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.  Cover and cook until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).
    7. While the soup is simmering, dice the bacon slices.
    8. Add kale and cook until kale is tender, about 3-4 minutes.
    9. Add heavy cream, cooked sausage and diced bacon.  Stir to combine and cook an additional 2-3 minutes to heat sausage and bacon.
    • Prep Time: 10
    • Cook Time: 40

     

    A two image vertical collage of zuppa toscana with overlay text in the center.

     

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    1. Karly says

      October 19, 2017 at 8:39 am

      Aaaaand now I’m drooling. This looks SO good- and, I’ll say it- BETTER than the OG’s. Definitely need to try!

      Reply
      • Amy @ The Blond Cook says

        October 19, 2017 at 10:56 am

        You made me laugh out loud… thanks so much, Karly! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hey, I'm Amy Brinkley! Welcome to my online kitchen. I love cooking simple, family-friendly recipes with everyday ingredients.

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