Zuppa Toscana Recipe | Cookies & Cups

Why I Love This Zuppa Toscana Recipe

Zuppa Toscana wraps up all the fresh flavors of the Tuscan countryside into a bowl of cozy, creamy soup! This is my homemade take on Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana, or Tuscan kale soup. It’s a rich and comforting recipe brimming with juicy Italian sausage, bacon, tender potatoes and veggies, garlic, beans, and kale. Here’s why I love making it at home:

• Tuscan flavors. I love Italian-inspired dinners like my creamy Tuscan chicken, and this Tuscan kale soup is perfect for the wintertime. It’s packed with filling ingredients, with the option to add a splash of heavy cream.
• Like the Olive Garden (only better). I no longer need to get my fix for Zuppa Toscana at the Olive Garden. This homemade version is quick, easy, and, dare I say it, even more delicious than a restaurant!
• One pot. Everything gets sautéed, simmered, and served from one pot. It makes cleaning up a breeze, plus it builds up all those savory flavors.

Soup Ingredients

There’s nothing but goodness in this Zuppa Toscana! No mystery ingredients, nada. I’ve included some ingredient notes and substitution ideas here. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post for a printable list with the recipe measurements.

• Bacon – I like to use thick-cut bacon or pancetta. Regular bacon works, too, if that’s what you have.
• Italian Sausage – Buy the sweet Italian sausage that comes in casings, and remove the casings before breaking up the sausage into large chunks. You can also buy a package of sweet or spicy ground Italian sausage.
• Vegetables – Sliced carrots, chopped celery, and diced white or yellow onion.
• Garlic – Freshly minced. I like a garlicky soup, but you can adapt the number of cloves to taste. 
• Potatoes – You’ll want to use waxy potatoes, like baby potatoes or red potatoes for soup. Starchier varieties, like russets, tend to break apart. Chop the potatoes into bite-sized cubes.
• Beans – These can be kidney beans or other white beans, like cannellini beans or butter beans. Rinse and drain any canned beans before you add them to the soup.
• Chicken Stock – I’ll use my homemade chicken stock when I have it on hand, otherwise, store-bought low-sodium chicken stock works well. You can use vegetable broth if you prefer.
• Kale – I love to make Zuppa Toscana with Tuscan kale, also called Lacinato, when it’s in season. That being said, just any type of kale works in this soup (curly, Russian red, baby kale, etc.). 
• Heavy Cream – Optional, but I love recreating the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana with a splash of heavy cream. Another option is to use cream cheese for a richer soup.

How to Make Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Kale Soup)

I love making this one-pot soup on a weekend afternoon, and I’ll save any leftovers to reheat throughout the week. It’s very easy to make on the stovetop following the step-by-step below. Refer to the recipe card for printable instructions.

Recipe Tips

• Drain any excess grease. If you find that there’s a lot of grease left over in the pot after browning the bacon and sausage, feel free to drain some of it off before cooking the veggies.
• Add the cream off the heat. If you’re finishing off your soup with heavy cream, make sure to take the pot off the heat before you add it. If the soup is too hot, the cream will curdle and split. For the same reason, I don’t recommend substituting milk for heavy cream as it’s more likely to split in the heat.
• Add more flavor. This Tuscan kale soup packs loads of flavor as it is, but if you’d like to amp things up further, go ahead and add sun-dried tomatoes, sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs (like basil and parsley), or a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Make it spicy. Use hot Italian sausage and/or sprinkle in crushed red pepper flakes.
• Make it vegetarian. For a vegetarian version, simply leave out the bacon and sausage or substitute the meat with more beans, potatoes, or veggies. You can also bulk it up with rice or noodles, or check out my vegetarian white bean soup.

Storing and Reheating Leftover Soup

• Refrigerate. Keep any leftover Tuscan kale soup in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll last for up to 4 days.
• Reheat. Warm the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave until it’s heated through.
• Freeze. You can freeze this Zuppa Toscana, though when possible, it’s best to freeze it without adding the heavy cream. Store the soup in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge. You can add a little heavy cream after reheating.