I would love some traditional and authentic Italian food every night of the week if I could. But there’s something about Olive Garden that I can’t shake… Those breadsticks, the veggie filled salad with tangy dressing, and I can’t forget… the soups. Their Zuppa Toscana soup is to die for delicious.
A mixture of italian sausage, potatoes, bacon, and kale in a comforting creamy broth. Since I live more than 100 miles away from the nearest Olive Garden, I love being able to re-create my restaurant favorites in my own home. This weekend it dropped well below zero on the North Dakota prairie, so a comforting soup was just what the doctor ordered. Enter Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana soup!
For this soup, I mixed up my own italian sausage from ground pork which I’ve included in the recipe. You can use a store bought italian sausage, however, I recommend you try this version… It is seriously my favorite, even more so than my dad’s italian sausage! But shhh.. don’t tell him!
PrintZuppa Toscana Soup
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound homemade italian sausage (recipe as follows)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced (I used reds)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 32 ounces chicken stock
- 1/3 cup bacon, cooked and diced
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pan, heat over medium high heat. Add sausage and brown. Once browned, add onion and garlic. Let cook for 4-5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add diced potatoes and stir to combine.
- Add 2 tablespoons of flour, stir and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Add white wine, cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add chicken broth and bacon.
- Lower heat and cover, cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are completely tender and cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- When ready to serve, turn heat to low. Add kale and stir until kale begins to just wilt. Add heavy cream. Taste to adjust seasonings.
- Remove from heat and serve. Enjoy!
- Homemade Italian Sausage
- To make homemade italian sausage, put 1 pound of ground pork in a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt, sugar, fennel seed, basil, and smoked paprika. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, black pepper, and oregano. Add 2 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar. Mix together well until fully incorporated.
Notes
- You can use store bought italian sausage if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
