A restaurant copycat recipe.
When looking for recipes online, there are few that pop up constantly with rave reviews. Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana was one that piqued my curiosity. Living in Australia, we don’t have the restaurant chain Olive Garden. While I’ve been to the USA many times, I’ve never eaten here. Nor have I ever had soup with kale before. That’s why I had to give this one a go.
One thing I need to say upfront. Go with the spicy Italian sausage in this recipe. It’s quite spicy… too spicy for kids, but the flavour is amazing. If you want a more family friendly meal which your kid will eat, swap the spicy sausage for something milder. Preferrably use pure pork sausages with fennel, otherwise use those without. If you’re keen for the authentic flavours, you have to use the spicy Italian sausage which gives this soup that bite. Don’t let this put you off though! It means more for the adults while the kids tuck into leftovers from the night before.
What is Zuppa Toscana?
For those that didn’t know, “zuppa” means soup in Italian. “Toscana” refers to the Tuscany region of Italy. Therefore, “Zuppa Toscana” translates to “Tuscan soup” or “Tuscan-style soup”. This soup contains a creamy chicken broth with garlic, onions, potato, bacon, spicy Italian sausage and a good amount of kale. If you’re after a warming soup for winter, don’t look any further. Just in case you need another reason to love this soup, here you go… it’s gluten-free.
Let’s talk kale
It’s apparently part of the same family as cabbage and Brussel sprouts. The leaves are quite robust so when cooked, they retain their structure. Kale contains fibre, potassium, vitamin C, beta carotene, selenium and iron. Possible benefits from eating kale include helping manage blood pressure, boosting digestive health, and protecting against cancer and type 2 diabetes. (source: Medical News Today)
Want another delicious recipe?
If you like this recipe, you’ll also love others available here. From pastas to risottos, cookies to desserts, and bliss balls to gluten-free options with everything in between. There is truly something here for everyone. I have developed this website to provide family-friendly recipes where I maximise both fresh produce while minimising cost.
Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 500 g spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 125 g bacon, rind removed and diced
- 2 teaspoons butter
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced or crushed
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 4-5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 3 cups kale leaves, stalks removed and chopped
- grated parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- In a large non-stick pot, sauté the sausage meat for 6-8 minutes on medium-high heat until browned, using a wooden spoon to break up into small pieces. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate and set it aside.
- Cook the bacon in the same pot over medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until crispy. Drain, leaving about 2 teaspoons of drippings in the pot. Transfer cooked bacon to the same plate with the sausage meat.
- In the same pot, sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
- Increase heat to high. Add chicken broth, water and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a boil until potatoes are just tender. Stir in kale, cream, sausage and bacon. Let simmer for 2 minutes until kale leaves have softened.
Notes
- If you're looking for a kid-friendly recipe, swap out the spicy Italian sausage with either pork fennel sausages or pork sausages.
- Try something different - add 1/2 cup dry white wine into the soup at the same time as the chicken broth and water.
- Cut potatoes into even pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Serve with grated or flaked parmesan cheese on top, garlic bread and a nice glass of chilled white wine!