Toscana Soup Like Olive Garden

When kale is abundant and cooler fall temps set in, I love to make up a batch of Toscana soup like Olive Garden (Zuppa Toscana :-)). It's a hearty soup featuring sausage, bacon, potatoes, cream and kale. I like to pair it up with freshly baked crusty French bread – so good!

The biggest difference between homemade Toscana soup and the commercial version is that the homemade version is much more substantial. I like to cut my ingredients into bite sized pieces instead of pea sized bits. I received this recipe from a friend years ago. (Thanks, Gregg.)

This soup also freezes and reheats well – if you have any leftovers. (You may want to make a double batch.) In addition to Toscana soup, we also make homemade chicken and gnocchi soup. My husband prefers the Toscana soup, my boys prefer the chicken and gnocchi.

Toscana Soup Like Olive Garden Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ½ pound bacon, diced
• 2 ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth (homemade broth is great if you have it)
• 3 cups water
• 5 medium potatoes
• 4 cups fresh kale
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Brown and fully cook sausage; drain and set aside. Peel and dice potatoes; set aside in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning. Thinly slice fresh kale; set aside.

Cook diced bacon over medium heat in 8 quart saucepan until slightly crispy. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Drain excess grease. Stir in garlic and cook one minute.

Add chicken broth, water and potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir in kale, cream and sausage. Cook for five more minutes. Serve warm. Freezes and reheats well. Serves 6-10, depending on how hungry they are and if you serve it alone or with other items like a salad.

I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as my family does. 🙂

You may also enjoy:

• Church Dinner Chicken
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Quesadillas – Savory or Sweet, Plus a Homemade Tortilla Recipe

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Originally published in 2012, updated in 2016.