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Joe Rooney

Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe - Easy Homemade Comfort

Enjoy a delicious Copycat Zuppa Toscana that combines spicy Italian sausage, tender potatoes, and a rich creamy broth all topped with crispy bacon and fresh kale. This comforting soup is perfect for cozy nights and tastes even better than Olive Garden’s classic.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 790
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage (mild can be substituted)
  • 8 slices bacon, diced (divided)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Tbsp flour (cornstarch can be substituted)
  • 32 oz chicken stock
  • 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 bunch kale (a couple of handfuls) de-stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes. optional

Method
 

  1. Warm a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and drizzle a little oil. Cook the spicy Italian sausage, breaking it up until browned and cooked through. Remove the sausage and drain the excess grease.
  2. In the same pot, fry the diced bacon in the leftover sausage fat until crisp, then transfer the bacon to a plate with the sausage. Leave about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.
  3. Add the chopped onion to the pot and sauté for roughly 5 minutes until softened, stirring in minced garlic during the last minute.
  4. Sprinkle flour over the cooked onion and garlic, stirring to coat everything evenly. Slowly pour in the chicken stock while stirring.
  5. Add the diced potatoes to the pot and increase the heat to bring the soup to a boil. Let it simmer gently for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
  6. Stir the cooked sausage back into the soup along with most of the bacon, heavy cream, and torn kale. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until the kale has softened.
  7. Season the soup with salt, pepper, and if desired, red pepper flakes to taste. Garnish with the remaining crispy bacon and serve warm.

Notes

  • For a slow cooker, brown sausage and bacon on the stove before adding with onion and garlic to the slow cooker along with potatoes and chicken stock. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours until potatoes are soft. Stir in a mixture of heavy cream and flour/cornstarch, add kale, and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes until thickened. Season and top with bacon before serving. For Instant Pot, brown sausage and bacon using saute, then add onion and garlic. Add potatoes, stock, and sausage, cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with 10 minute natural release. Stir in a cream and flour mixture with kale, heat through, season, and top with bacon.