Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat Soup)
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This easy, one-pot Zuppa Toscana is a copycat of Olive Garden’s most popular soup. Made with Italian sausage, kale, and coconut cream, it’s naturally dairy-free, hearty, and so comforting.
If you’ve ever been to Olive Garden, you’ve probably seen their famous Zuppa Toscana soup on the menu. It’s a creamy kale and sausage soup with potatoes in a rich, cozy broth and it’s one of their most popular recipes for a reason.
I’ll be honest, I had never tried Zuppa Toscana before, but Maria, one of the EBF team members, is a huge fan of the Olive Garden version and she convinced me we needed to create our own copycat.
After making it myself, I finally get the hype. This copycat Olive Garden soup is creamy, comforting and so dang flavorful! I used coconut cream instead of heavy cream to keep it dairy-free, and it turned out just as rich and delicious.
Table of Contents
Why You Gotta Try This One
When the weather turns chilly I always find myself craving a big bowl of cozy soup, and this Zuppa Toscana is one of my favorites to make at home. It’s hearty, comforting, and always a hit at the table. Here’s why you’ll love it too:
- Restaurant flavor: Tastes just like the Olive Garden soup, but even fresher at home.
- Seasonal favorite: Perfect for chilly fall and winter nights when you want something warm and satisfying.
- One-pot meal: Everything cooks in a single pot which makes cleanup simple.
- Balanced: Hearty potatoes and sausage paired with fresh kale for a perfect mix of comfort and nutrition.
Ingredients Needed
- olive oil – to sauté the onions and garlic, bringing out their natural sweetness and adding a base flavor to the soup.
- yellow onion – adds a subtle sweetness and texture. It’s the backbone of many great dishes, including this soup. Peel and chop the onion before adding to the soup.
- garlic cloves – adds a delicious savory flavor to this soup.
- Italian sausage – the star of the show! Sweet sausage is my favorite, but spicy Italian sausage, chicken, or turkey sausage all work.
- potatoes – gold or russet potatoes chopped into half-inch chunks are ideal. They add heartiness and soak up all the delicious flavors of the soup.
- Italian seasoning – a blend of herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme and marjoram to give this soup that classic Italian taste.
- chicken broth – the liquid base of your soup.
- coconut cream – this is what makes the soup so creamy without using dairy. And trust me, you can’t taste the coconut! You can use either canned coconut milk or unsweetened coconut cream, depending on what you can find.
- kale – de-stemmed and chopped, adding color, texture and nutrients to this soup. I used curly green kale, but you can use lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur kale).
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Zuppa Toscana Soup
This Olive Garden soup recipe is simple and straightforward to make at home. With just a few steps you’ll have a creamy, hearty soup on the table in about 45 minutes.
Step 1: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté onion and salt for 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 2: Add sausage, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 10 minutes, breaking up the sausage as it browns.
Step 3: Stir in potatoes, broth, and coconut cream. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Step 4: Add kale and simmer for 5 more minutes until wilted. Serve hot with bacon and Parmesan, if desired.
Tips for The Best Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Simmer for creaminess: Let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes. This gives the potatoes time to release starch, which makes the broth thicker and creamier.
- Prep your kale: Don’t skip de-stemming. The stems can be tough and chewy, and removing them makes every bite tender and enjoyable.
- Brown the sausage well: Take a few extra minutes to really brown the sausage. It builds flavor and gives the soup a richer taste.
- Add cream at the end: Stir in the coconut cream (or heavy cream) once the heat is down to low. This keeps it silky and prevents curdling. Just make sure your coconut cream is the unsweetened version!
What to Serve With Zuppa Toscana
This Zuppa Toscana soup is a filling meal on its own thanks to the protein and veggies, but if you want to serve it with some sides here are some ideas:
- Bread: Fresh sourdough, breadsticks, or even my cottage cheese flatbread are all great for dipping into the broth.
- Side salad: A light salad balances the richness of the soup. Try my spinach salad or kale salad.
- Roasted vegetables: For a healthy and easy side, serve this soup with some roasted veggies like roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus.
How to Store Leftovers
In the fridge: Let the soup cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors get even better as it sits, which makes this Zuppa Toscana soup perfect for meal prep.
In the freezer: While it’s best enjoyed fresh, you can freeze leftovers for up to 1 month. Keep in a freezer-safe container and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove. Just keep in mind the potatoes may soften a bit after freezing, but the flavor will still be delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tried making this soup in the slow cooker, but I imagine it would work just fine! I would saute the onions, garlic, sausage and seasonings in a skillet first, then transfer to a slow cooker. Add the potatoes, broth and coconut cream and cook on high for about 3-4 hours. Add the kale in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Zuppa Toscana translates to “Tuscan soup” and comes from Italy, where it’s traditionally made with simple, fresh ingredients like kale, potatoes, cannellini beans, celery, carrots, zucchini, onion, olive oil, and stale bread.
The version most people know today was popularized by Olive Garden. Their American-style Zuppa Toscana is richer and heavier, made with Italian sausage, bacon, heavy cream, potatoes, and kale.
Yes. On the Olive Garden menu, it’s called Zuppa Toscana, but many people just describe it as their kale soup because of the hearty greens in the recipe.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound sweet/mild or hot Italian sausage, or Italian chicken sausage
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cups gold potatoes or russet potatoes, chopped in half then in 1/2 in chunks – about 4-5 medium potatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth or chicken bone broth, plus more as needed
- 1 13.5 oz can unsweetened coconut cream, or coconut milk
- 4 cups curly kale, de-stemmed and chopped
- Cooked bacon, for topping (optional)
- freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add oil to a dutch oven or large pot and heat over medium heat. Once hot add onion and salt and sauté for 6-7 minutes until fragrant and translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 more minutes.
- Add sausage, Italian seasoning, black pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for about 10 minutes until sausage is cooked through and browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Add potatoes, broth and coconut cream. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 25-30 minutes until potatoes break down slightly and are fork-tender.
- Add kale and simmer for about 5 more minutes until kale is wilted.
- Serve hot topped with bacon and Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Make it vegetarian: Replace the sausage with your favorite plant-based sausage and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. The flavor is still delicious, just a little less rich.
- Potato texture: Russet potatoes make the soup starchier and thicker, while gold potatoes hold their shape a little better. Both work, so use what you like or have on hand.
- Reheating: Leftovers can thicken as they sit. When reheating, add a splash of broth or water to loosen the soup and bring back the creamy texture.
- Meal prep: This soup keeps well for 3–4 days in the fridge. For best results, store the kale separately and stir it in just before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Made the mistake of using a can of sweetened cream of coconut and had to throw out the results…. You must use unsweetened coconut….
Maybe we’ll try again with the unsweetened.
That’s such an easy mix-up, Richard! The sweetened version completely changes the flavor. I really appreciate you pointing that out, and I’ll add a note in the recipe card so others don’t run into the same issue.
Please clarify sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk. Makes a BIG difference!
Hi Kel! Great question — you’ll want to use unsweetened coconut milk (or coconut cream). Sweetened would definitely change the flavor.
Unfortunately, this recipe just didn’t taste good to me but, it’s probably bc I omitted the sausage (I’m vegetarian) and replaced it with beans. if you’re going to make this, don’t do what I did!
However, I have loved every other recipe of yours I’ve tried!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Sharon. You could try and sub for a vegetarian sausage if you have one you enjoy.
I love your “dupe” recipes, and this one was no different! This soup tastes so good and even better the next day.
WOO! Thanks so much for giving this one a try, Meg. I am so glad you are loving it. I appreciate your review + star rating, means so much to me!
I’m not sure how I found you but I am thrilled that I did. I’ve never had the Olive Garden version but I made this over the weekend and it was phenomenal. I used Italian chicken sausage. It was even better the next day. Thanks for the awesome recipes. Can’t wait to try more of them!
WOO! I am so glad you found this recipe and are loving it, Leslie. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
I just made this for lunch- so good! I made a few changes: we don’t eat meat so I subbed white beans for the sausage, used cream instead of coconut cream, and added 2 tablespoons of lemon juice at the end. I also used an immersion blender before adding the kale to blend a portion of the soup to give the broth a creamer texture (which you probably shouldn’t do if there is sausage in there, haha!). I remember eating the Olive Garden version as a kid and this is such a great recreation- even with the couple changes I made. Thanks for another delish recipe. Happy New Year to you and your family!
YUM! This sounds amazing, Caitlin. I am so glad this recipe turned out great for you and you were able to adjust it to meet your preferences. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Soup is easy to make and delicious.
Great! I am so glad you loved this soup and it turned out great for you. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!
We are vegetarian here — do you think we could use soy chorizo for the sausage? Or would we be better with Italian sausage links sliced up? Planning to use veggie broth too. Thank you!
Hi Ashlee – Oh, I bet either would be delicious. I think the chorizo might add a little more spice. I haven’t tried it with either so I am not sure which would be better. Let me know which one you try and how it turns out. Enjoy!
macros??
Hi Gennifer – Macros are listed at the bottom of the recipe card.
Brittany,
I absolutely love your recipes!! They are the Bomb!! You have really helped me eat right and even lose some weight. I have food allergies and I also have nerve issues due to my Spinal Stenosis. I recently had lower back surgery in November, I’m still in recovery. My nutritionist loves your recipes too!! I have shared them with her!! She has put me on a strict nature foods diet to help my nerves against inflammation and to help me lose some weight. I’m gluten free,soy free,sugar free and dairy free!! So..your recipes have really helped me a lot!! They are all so yummy too!! Keep them coming!! I will be a fan of yours forever!!
Thank you,
Kolette Abel❤️😄
Aw this is amazing, Kolette. I am so glad you found my site and are loving my recipes. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me! ❤️