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Want to whip up that iconic restaurant soup right at home? This take on Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana turns out super rich and bursting with taste. You'll love the hearty sausage chunks, soft potatoes, and crisp kale swimming in a garlicky cream soup that's basically comfort in every spoonful!
What Makes This Soup Special
Forget waiting in long lines and paying big bucks - this homemade version tastes identical to (or maybe even yummier than!) the restaurant classic. You're in charge of all the ingredients, can bump up the spice level if you want, and you'll have plenty left for tomorrow's lunch. Once you make this soup yourself, you won't bother with the restaurant version again!
Your Shopping List
- Hot Italian Sausage: 1 pound - the key flavor foundation
- Butter: 2 tablespoons to cook your veggies
- Onion: 1 white onion, chopped small
- Garlic: 4 cloves, finely minced - be generous!
- Chicken Broth: 6 cups - boxed or homemade both work great
- Potatoes: 4 medium yellow potatoes, diced into chunks
- Salt & Pepper: Begin with a teaspoon of each, adjust later
- Heavy Cream: 1 cup for unbeatable creaminess
- Kale: 1 large bunch, ripped into manageable pieces
- Bacon: 6 slices, crisped up and broken into bits
- Parmesan: Freshly grated for topping - don't skimp!
How To Make Zuppa Toscana
- Cook The Sausage First
- Crumble the sausage into a large pot over medium heat. Keep cooking until thoroughly browned, roughly 5-6 minutes. Remove it with a slotted spoon and put it aside for now.
- Sauté The Aromatics
- Add your butter to the same pot, then throw in the diced onions. Cook them until soft and translucent. Mix in the garlic and cook just until you can smell it - about half a minute.
- Create The Soup Foundation
- Add the chicken broth and potato chunks. Let everything come to a boil, then lower to a simmer until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork, roughly 10-15 minutes.
- Bring In The Creaminess
- Pour in the cream and return the cooked sausage to the pot. Give everything a few minutes to warm up together.
- Mix In The Kale
- Add your torn kale and wait for it to soften into the hot soup. This only takes a couple minutes.
- Ready To Serve!
- Fill your bowls, sprinkle with the bacon pieces and lots of fresh Parmesan. Grab some crusty bread to serve alongside!
The Soup's Background
Though it's called "Toscana," this soup is really more of an American twist on Italian cooking. Traditional Tuscan soups were way more basic - mostly vegetables and beans. But this rich, sausage-packed version? Absolutely brilliant, if you want my opinion!
Customization Ideas
Looking for something lighter? Try half-and-half instead of cream. Need more kick? Toss in some red pepper flakes or go for spicier sausage. Only have spinach but no kale? Just use that! This soup handles changes really well - customize it however you like.
How To Keep Leftovers
This soup stays good in your fridge for about 4 days - just heat it back up gently on the stovetop. Want to freeze portions? That works too, but maybe leave the cream out and add it fresh when reheating. The potatoes might get a little mushier after freezing, but the flavor will still be fantastic.
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Perfect Pairings
This soup can totally stand alone as a meal, but why not go all out? Grab a crusty loaf for dipping, throw together a simple green salad, or make some quick garlic bread on the side. Now that's what I call a complete dinner!
Cooking Secrets
After making this soup countless times, here's what I've figured out: take your time browning the sausage - those crispy bits pack major flavor. Cut all your potatoes about the same size for even cooking. And my number one tip? Always make more than you think you'll need - everyone wants seconds of this soup!
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Need different meat?
Sweet sausage works. Plant kind too maybe. Just need good spice. Still gets rich. Watch salt amount.
- → Skip the cream?
Half milk works fine. Coconut milk too. Less rich maybe. Still tastes good. Just different some.
- → Make it early?
Three days good cold. Warm up slow. Fresh kale last. Stir while hot. Gets better next day.
- → Keeping leftovers?
Box it up tight. Keep it cold good. Heat up gentle. Stir while warm. Still tastes nice.
- → Can you freeze it?
Works real good. Skip kale first. Add fresh later. Thaw slow cold. Worth the wait.
- → Getting too thick?
More broth helps. Watch potato amount. Don't cook too long. Easy fix quick. Stir while hot.
- → Taking it places?
Keep it hot wrapped. Bring fresh tops. Pack kale side. Worth good pot. Maybe backup meal.
- → Need it faster?
Quick chop stuff. One pot works. Have things ready. Still needs simmer. Worth short wait.
- → Making big batch?
Double works fine. Need bigger pot. More time maybe. Watch liquid good. Keeps nice cold.
- → Want more kick?
Hot sausage helps. More pepper good. Fresh garlic too. Even red flakes. Start slow though.
- → Potatoes not soft?
Cut more small. Give more time. Check with fork. Keep lid on. Patience works best.
- → Kale too tough?
Cut it smaller. Cook bit longer. Fresh works best. Strip stems off. Worth extra time.
Conclusion
Love this? Try sausage potato soup next. Or make kale meat stew. Both warm you right up.