Love Olive Garden Soup? You can make this copycat Zuppa toscana soup at home.
Are you craving a big bowl of this extremely popular Olive Garden soup because you haven't been eating out these days?
Just because you can't go out to the restaurant doesn't mean you can't enjoy a bowl of your favorite soup!
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Italian Tuscan soup recipes are made with simple ingredients and always taste so good.
Homemade soup is perfect for dinner or lunch and with all this cold weather we all need a hot bowl of soup to warm us up.
This crock pot soup recipe is packed full of the same flavors you love to eat when you can go out to Olive Garden.
It is made with Italian sausage, bacon, chunky potatoes, and fresh kale in a thick and creamy broth.
It is one of the best crock pot soup recipes I have ever tasted.
I am a big soup fan and eat it all year long.
I love making homemade soup in my crock pot because it is so easy!
Just load it up with the ingredients and in just a few hours you are serving up a big bowl of crock pot soup to the family.
Dinner can be that easy!
I love the extra rich and creamy broth from the heavy cream and fresh Parmesan cheese.
The red pepper flakes give it a nice spicy kick.
The Italian sausage and bacon make it a very satisfying crock pot meal.
And the cubed potatoes absorb the flavors of the sausage and bacon. Yum!
Ingredients
- 14 oz mild Italian Sausage, sliced
- 16 oz bacon, sliced into one-inch pieces, divided
- 1 ½ cup diced onion
- 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups diced potatoes
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 32 oz low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cup of water
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 - 6 cups kale
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Let's make soup!
Step 1: In a skillet sauté the sausage until browned. Place the cooked sausage into the crock pot.
Step 2: In the same skillet cook the bacon until crispy. Drain the bacon on a paper towel. Remove ½ cup of the bacon and set aside. Put the remaining bacon into the crock pot.
Step 3: In the same skillet cook the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and toss with the onion for 1 minute. Pour the onion and garlic into the crock pot scraping all the bits into the crock pot.
Step 4: Add the potatoes, red pepper, salt, pepper, chicken broth and water to the crock pot.
Step 5: Slow cook on high for 4 hours.
Step 6: After 4 hours add the heavy cream and kale to the crock pot and mix well.
Step 7: Cook another 30 minutes or until the kale is tender.
Step 8: Serve each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of the reserved bacon.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, Zuppa Toscana soup freezes very well. Place the soup in a plastic, food grade container with a tight fitting lid. Freeze the soup for 4 to 6 months in an air tight container.
Zuppa toscana is a term that literally means a "Tuscan soup". This Italian classic soup recipe is made using fresh kale, zucchini, cannellini beans, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, tomato, olive oil, salt, powdered chili, rigatino (bacon) , and served with toasted Tuscan bread.
Recipe Expert Tips
Below are some recipe tips to help you make the best bowl of soup ever!
- Sausage & Bacon: The classic Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe is made with only bacon. You can skip the sausage if you prefer. I used Italian chicken sausage instead of pork sausage. You can use whatever type of sausage you like.
- Kale: Kale is the tradition green to add to this Italian soup recipe but spinach can be a substitution in a pinch.
- Classic: The classic recipe is served with toasted Tuscan bread. Any crusty bread can be substituted. Try my no-knead 5 minute bread recipe.
More recipes you'll love!
Below are a few of my other recipes you might like to try.
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Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz mild Italian Sausage sliced
- 16 oz bacon sliced into one inch pieces, divided
- 1 ½ cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups diced potatoes
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 32 oz low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cup water
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 - 6 cups kale
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a skillet sauté the sausage until browned. Place the cooked sausage into a slow cooker.
- In the same skillet cook the bacon until crispy. Drain the bacon on a paper towel. Remove ½ cup of the bacon and put the remaining bacon into the crock pot.
- In the same pan cook the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and toss with the onion for 1 minute. Pour the onion and garlic into the crock pot scraping all the bits into the crock pot.
- Add the potatoes, red pepper, salt, pepper, chicken broth and water to the crock pot.
- Cook on high for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours add the heavy cream and kale to the crock pot and mix well.
- Cook another 30 minutes or until the kale is tender.
- Serve each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of the reserved bacon.
Notes
- Sausage & Bacon: The classic Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe is made with bacon. You can skip the sausage if you prefer.
- Kale: Spinach can be a substitution for kale in a pinch.
- Classic recipe: The classic recipe is served with toasted Tuscan bread. Any crusty bread can be substituted.
Nutrition
Don't forget to check out some of the other easy Crock Pot Soup recipes I have shared on the Crock Pot Soup recipes page.
Cathy S.
My daughter love kale. I'm not a big fan but I this recipe will change my mind. I will be making this soon!
Arlene Mobley
Cathy enjoy the recipe. It is really good. You could use fresg spinach instead of the kale.