This Easy Tuscan Soup Tastes Better Than the Olive Garden Classic

We are an Olive Garden family through and through. It’s probably a good thing we don’t live close to one or we might eat there every single week. While my kids tend to get pasta or pizza, I love the soup and salad combo. As the weather cools off, I crave their Zuppa Toscana and decided to make a homemade version so I can enjoy it whenever I like. 

My version of Zuppa Toscana (which translates to Tuscan soup) is jam-packed with flavor and hearty ingredients like sausage, kale, white beans, and potatoes. While some versions are cream-laden, I add a little flour to help thicken the soup and then just add some half-and-half at the end (you can use cream if you like more richness). 

Simple Tweaks

This is a very flexible soup; you should feel free to substitute as needed. Here are some suggestions:

• Instead of spicy Italian sausage, try sweet sausage or turkey sausage
• Add other vegetables like carrots, red peppers, or Swiss chard
• Make the soup vegetarian by using mushrooms instead of sausage and vegetable broth
• For a brothy soup that isn’t creamy, leave out the half-and-half

Optional Upgrade

This Zuppa Toscana is especially delicious with crusty bread. You can serve some toasted, olive oil-drizzled bread for dunking, or you can make some quick homemade croutons for garnish. I’ve been eating bowlfuls topped with a handful of everything croutons. 

To make them, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine three cups of cubed bread, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of everything bagel seasoning on the baking sheet and toss to coat. Spread out and bake until browned, stirring halfway, 10 to 15 minutes.

Brown the sausage:

In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and sausage. As the sausage browns, use a sturdy spatula to break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Continue until the sausage is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl or plate and set aside, leaving the oil in the pot.

Cook the aromatics and add the broth:

To the pot, add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook until the onion is mostly translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it thoroughly coats the vegetables, 1 minute. Slowly stir in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Add the remaining ingredients:

Add the potatoes and white beans. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the kale and simmer just until tender, 4 to 5  minutes.

Remove from the heat and wait until the soup stops simmering. Stir in the half-and-half or cream. Add the sausage back to soup and taste, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

This soup keeps well for 5 days in the fridge. Reheat it in the microwave, covered, or on the stovetop on low heat until it’s steaming hot.

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