The popular mass soup at Olive Garden is called Zuppa Toscana. This hearty, one-pot homemade Zuppa Toscana recipe includes Italian sausage, kale, bacon, and potatoes. It’s impossible to resist the rich, creamy flavor of this easy copycat recipe for Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. Tuscany is the Italian region that is referred to as “Toscana.” The name “Zuppa Toscana” means “Tuscan soup” or “Tuscan-style soup” as a result.
While this Americanized version may not be entirely in the Tuscan style, it is nevertheless a traditional Italian dish. Many vegetables, beans, potatoes, olive oil, spices, Italian bacon, and Tuscan bread are traditionally used to prepare this soup. Bread, beans, potatoes, Italian bacon, and fresh vegetables are stapled ingredients in traditional Zuppa Toscana.
What is Zuppa Toscana?
Zuppa Toscana is a soup recipe from Italian cuisine. This is a delicious soup recipe. With the addition of cream and garlic, this soup becomes completely irresistible. The soup is simple and requires only the most basic kitchen ingredients. This Zuppa recipe is simple to make and will satisfy your cravings for hearty, meaty soups like lasagna soup and Italian sausage orzo soup.
How to Make Zuppa Toscana at Home?
Collect everything you’ll need to make our spoof Zuppa Toscana soup. Mince the garlic after you’ve chopped the onion and bacon. Measure the liquids and spices, then grate the cheese. In a Dutch oven, you cooked the diced bacon over medium heat until it was crisp. With the help out of a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set it on a platter covered with paper towels. Drain the sausage after breaking it up with a wooden turner.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp Olive oil,
- 1 pound of mild Italian sausage without casings
- 125 g or 4 oz of diced bacon
- One big sliced onion
- Six minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 1/2 quart of low-sodium chicken broth (1.5 liters)
- 5 Russet potatoes should be washed, drained, and cut into quarter-inch slices.
- One crushed cube of beef bouillon
- One teaspoon of fennel seed
- 0.5 teaspoons of salt
- 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, cracked
- One and a half cups heavy cream or half-and-half
- 3 cups chopped kale (substitute with baby spinach leaves or Swiss chard)
- Optionally, add one teaspoon of red chili flakes; taste and adjust as desired.
- For serving, freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
- One tablespoon cornstarch (optional — for a thicker soup)
Instructions:
- A platter should have sausage meat on it. Using the end of a wooden spoon, shred the sausage flesh as it cooks in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-higher heat. Approximately one teaspoon of drippings should remain in the pot after the food has been thoroughly browned (after 10 minutes).
- In the same pot or Dutch oven, fry the bacon until crispy over medium heat (about 10 minutes). I left about two tablespoons of drippings in the pot after draining. Place the cooked bacon on the same platter as the sausage.
- Should cook onions in the pot until they are tender and transparent (about 5 minutes). Once the garlic is aromatic, add it and simmer for one minute. Wine is added; allow it to drop to half (about 2 minutes).
- Turn the heat up to high, add the chicken broth, and then boil. Salt, pepper, fennel seeds, crushed bouillon, and chili flakes are used to season the soup. When the potatoes are ready for a fork, add them (about 10 minutes).
- Should turn the heat down to medium. Add the cooked sausage, bacon, kale, and heavy cream by stirring everything together. Let simmer for two minutes or until kale leaves are tender.
Is Zuppa Toscana Spicy?
While the “Hot” Italian sauce gives this soup a strong bite, you may make a less spicy version by using medium or mild Italian sausage and seasoning it with salt and pepper.
It’s a substantial, creamy comfort food soup with flavors of crispy bacon, hot Italian sausage, tender potatoes, velvety Parmesan cheese, and a little kale.
How do I Thicken Zuppa Toscana?
This soup is often somewhat breathy, but you may easily thicken it if you like a thicker soup. Some of the potatoes can be mashed and added to the soup, or you can add 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2-3 tablespoons of more heavy cream and stir it in when you add the cream.
It will thicken over the next 5-7 minutes of periodic stirring. Combine cornstarch and two tablespoons of cream to make a thicker soup. Add it together with the cream after thoroughly mixing to remove any lumps. When the soup is simmering and beginning to thicken, please give it a good stir. Finally, include the cooked sausage, bacon, and greens.
Is Zuppa Toscana Healthy?
This soup is naturally free of grains and gluten. It also includes a generous portion of kale, potatoes, onions, and garlic, which are rich sources of the daily vitamins and minerals your body needs. You can use cauliflower instead of potatoes to produce a Zuppa Toscana that is suitable for Keto dieters. Replace the heavy whipping cream in the Whole 30 (dairy-free) recipe with one can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk.
Additionally, chicken broth is healthy for your nails, skin, hair, and immune system. Although they contain a lot of saturated fat, they include protein and calcium. We could overcome this by using a slimmer Italian meat sausage, such as chicken or turkey. You can cut the butter and substitute a plant-based cream or milk, fat-free half-and-half, or both.
Naturally, Zuppa Toscana is a grain- and gluten-free soup. It is healthy and packed with savory and filling vegetables. Use turkey sausage instead of pig sausage to make it even healthier.
Can Zuppa Toscana be Frozen and Reheated?
This soup can be frozen if you have any leftovers, but I recommend eating it within two to three weeks. The potatoes may be a little off-color, and the kale will be browning, but it will still taste good. However, I wouldn’t keep it there for too long because the potatoes will go mushy when it warms up, and I feel like this soup is best when eaten shortly after it is prepared.
Should transfer the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup to an airtight container after cooling to room temperature. Dairy-based soups tend to separate when frozen. So if you want to freeze this soup, I would suggest doing so before adding the cream and greens.
You can keep soup leftovers for three to four days in the refrigerator. Include them as you are reheating the soup. Allowed the soup to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container that is freezer safe—up to three months of use.
Instructions for freezing Zuppa Toscana: Prepare the soup as directed, but omit the cream, and don’t simmer the potatoes until cooked. The soup should be allowed to cool before being stored for up to three months in a freezer-safe container. In the morning, defrost in the refrigerator, then reheat over the stove.
Which Side Dish would Go well with Zuppa Toscana?
The ideal dish for chilly days is a hearty soup. However, a tasty side dish can transform a bowl of soup into a complete dinner if it isn’t enough to quell your appetite. Although vegetable soup is perfectly acceptable as a light supper, I prefer to serve it alongside a salad and some crusty bread (such as sourdough) or crackers.
Serve with a slice of crusty bread, such as homemade sourdough. You may also try vegan cornbread or muffins prepared with pumpkin. A cheese platter is a favorite side dish with soup since it comes together quickly and easily.
Feel free to experiment with cheeses like Gouda, gruyere, or cheddar. Combining different types of cheese may greatly improve a dish. This creamy soup recipe is warm and soothing when served as a hearty side dish or on its own. We enjoy having homemade bread or rolls alongside it when we eat it.
Although I serve it with a salad, some crusty bread (like sourdough), or crackers, vegetable soup may be a light supper. Serve with a slice of crusty bread, such as homemade sourdough. You may also try vegan cornbread or muffins prepared with pumpkin.
Conclusion
A creamy, filling soup called Zuppa Toscana is made with kale, potatoes, bacon, and sausage. This easy one-pot Zuppa Toscana soup dish is incredibly satisfying and tasty. An Italian soup recipe is called Zuppa Toscana. This is a recipe for oh-so-delicious soup. This soup becomes irresistible when cream and garlic are combined for their goodness. The soup is simple to make and needs the most basic cooking supplies.
The slow cooker is used in your kitchen to stew this so-simple version of perfection. However, if you wanted to lighten the soup up, you could substitute half of the heavy cream with half-and-half. Heavy cream is the secret to the rich, full-bodied broth. Spicy Italian sausage is essential if you want to achieve the distinctive flavor of Olive Garden. With a fresh salad, serve this substantial soup.
