Zuppa Toscana is probably one of the richest, most hearty soups out there and is definitely one of my favorites. This creamy soup with tender potatoes and flavorful Italian sausage is modeled after the famous Zuppa Toscana from The Olive Garden restaurant, but I threw in my own personal twist. I’ve added an extra budget-friendly ingredient and lightened it up just a touch so I can slurp up a giant bowl without feeling too full.
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“I love this recipe. We make it so often, it is literally taped to the cabinet next to the stove! Works perfect every time. I occasionally swap cannellini beans for the great northern if I cannot find them. Other than that, it’s so perfect!”
Pam
Easy Recipe for Zuppa Toscana
If you’ve never been to Olive Garden or had Zuppa Toscana soup anywhere else, I’d describe it as a creamy potato soup loaded with flavorful Italian sausage, kale, and bacon. The original version uses heavy cream, bacon, and a whole pound of sausage, but I decided to try to lighten it up a bit. I used half and half instead of heavy cream, subbed half the sausage for white beans, used smoked paprika for smokiness instead of bacon, and then loaded up on potatoes and kale. The result? Still totally creamy and chock full of flavor, plus a hefty dose of vegetables. Whenever I make this soup, I know I’m going to eat nothing but this for the next four days straight (it has kale, so it’s okay, right?).
Tips for adding dairy to hot soups!
Anytime you add dairy to a homemade soup like this one, there’s a chance it can separate or curdle. To avoid this, I’ve always simmered my soups (and never let it come to a boil!), but I want everyone to enjoy their Zuppa Toscana as intended, so I’ve updated the recipe to include the following information:
- Use room temperature half and half, as cold dairy is more likely to curdle than room temperature dairy
- Temper the half and half with some of the hot broth before adding it to the soup
These tips (room temperature half and half, tempering the dairy before adding to the pot, and only letting the soup simmer once it’s added) will go a long way in keeping your soup silky-smooth and creamy—not curdled or grainy.
Zuppa Toscana
Servings 8 (1.5 cups each)Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Italian Sausage, hot or mild* ($2.23)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.08)
- 1 15 oz. can Great Northern beans** ($0.94)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 3 cups chicken broth*** ($0.39)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
- 1 lb. red potatoes ($2.55)
- 1/2 lb. kale, chopped with stems removed ($1.50)
- 2 cups half and half, room temperature**** ($1.49)
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional ($0.02)
- freshly cracked black pepper, optional ($0.05)
Instructions
- Add the sausage to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. The sausage should contain enough fat to keep it from sticking, if not add a touch of olive oil. It’s okay if a small amount browns on the bottom of the pot.
- While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and sauté until the onions are softened. The moisture from the onions should help dissolve any browned bits of sausage off the bottom of the pot.
- Drain and rinse the can of beans. Add the beans, smoked paprika, chicken broth, and one cup water. Place a lid on the pot and let it come up to a simmer over medium heat.
- While the pot is heating, cut each potato into quarters lengthwise, then slice across into thin, 1/8-inch thick slices. Add the potatoes to the pot along with the pre-chopped kale. The kale will fill the pot when it’s first added, but the heat from the liquid will wilt it within a few minutes. Stir it occasionally to help the wilting process.
- Let the pot simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Remove some of the hot broth from the pot, transfer it to a separate bowl, and whisk in the room temperature half and half. Now, pour the tempered half and half mixture back into the soup pot with the potatoes and kale. Bring everything to a gentle simmer (don't let it boil!).
- Season with red pepper flakes and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.
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Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Chef’s Knife
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Zuppa Toscana Step-by-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Brown the sausage: Add 1/2 lb. Italian sausage to a large soup pot and sauté over medium heat, breaking it into chunks as it cooks. I didn’t use any extra oil because sausage tends to be pretty fatty. It’s okay if a little sticks to the bottom of the pot because it will dissolve in the next steps. While the sausage browns, dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and continue to sauté until the onions are soft.
Simmer: Drain and rinse one 15oz. can of Great Northern beans, then add them to the pot with 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika, 3 cups of chicken broth, and 1 cup water. The smoked paprika will give that smoky hint that the bacon would have supplied. Sneaky, right? Put a lid on the pot and let it come to a simmer over medium heat.
Prep the potatoes: While the pot is heating up, wash and slice one pound of red potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices. Slicing them thinly helps them cook faster, plus makes a great texture in the soup.
Add the veggies: Add the potatoes to the pot along with 1/2 lb. of chopped kale. The heat from the liquid will begin to wilt the kale. Give it a stir occasionally to help it come into contact with the hot soup and wilt. After a few minutes, it will have wilted down into the soup nicely. Let the soup simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Now, remove some of the hot broth and add it to a separate jug or bowl.
Temper the half and half: Pour 2 cups room-temperature half and half into the reserved broth, stirring gently to combine. This helps temper the dairy so it blends smoothly into the hot soup without curdling.
Simmer: Pour the tempered half and half into the pot and bring it up to a gentle simmer. DO NOT let it come to a boil at any point now!
Season to taste: I like my soup spicy (and had used mild Italian sausage), so I seasoned it with a pinch of red pepper flakes. A little freshly cracked black pepper is also nice. Depending on what type of broth you use, you may need to add a little salt (I did not add any).
Serve, and enjoy!
Absolutely deserving of all the internet hype. SO. GOOD.
make it vegetarian
The sausage in this copycat Zuppa Toscana recipe is responsible for adding a lot of flavor to this soup, so if you plan to skip the sausage to make this recipe vegetarian, you’ll need to ramp up the seasoning. I suggest adding a tablespoon or so of Italian seasoning blend to make up for the spices that are found in the Italian sausage. You may also want to add an extra can of beans to bulk up the soup a bit. Be sure to use a vegetarian broth, too!
Serving suggestions
This is truly a meal in a bowl with the starchy potatoes, protein-filled Italian sausage and beans, and veggilicious kale, but if you want something on the side, I’ve got you covered. Garlic bread would probably be my first pick, or you can do something simple like no-knead bread or soda bread. Or maybe you want to go a little lighter and add a simple side salad to really make you feel like you’re at The Olive Garden!
Storage & Reheating
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I like to portion it out into individual airtight containers to make reheating easier. To reheat, you can either use the microwave or the stovetop, stirring occasionally until fully heated through. Some readers have also successfully frozen this soup and said it thaws and reheats well! I’d freeze it for up to 3 months. If you do decide to freeze it, just keep in mind that dairy-based soups can sometimes separate after thawing, and potatoes can become a bit mushy.
More Cozy Soup Recipes
Our Zuppa Toscana recipe was originally published 1/31/15. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 4/12/25.
This is THE BEST soup I have EVER made or eaten. In the spirit of keeping things low budget, I subbed and added some things based on what I already had at home. I used 3 hot Italian sausages with the casings removed, and added ~15 ish plain frozen meatballs that I tossed in with the browning meat and that I broke up once they were thawed. I also used 1 cup of beef broth that I had leftover from another recipe and 3 cups of water. I used heavy whipping cream and added one roughly diced zucchini as well because I needed to use them up. Even with all of the alterations, this was HANDS DOWN the BEST SOUP I’ve EVER eaten. I’ve never posted a comment on a recipe before, but I had to with this one. As soon as I had the first bite, I immediately was like “I gotta send this recipe to everyone”. I was hesitant to try it because I thought it might be bland or the beans might overpower the taste or texture, but it was SO perfectly flavourful! And the texture is almost like eating chili! All this to say, this is 1000% a new staple in my rotation!
I swear this is the best soup I have EVER tried. In the spirit of keeping this budget-friendly, I subbed a few things for ingredients I already had, and added a couple things I needed to use up. I used 3 hot italian sausages with the casings removed, and ~15 plain frozen meatballs that I tossed in with the sausage and broke up once they were thawed enough. I also used 1 cup of beef broth that I had leftover from another recipe, and 3 cups of water. I used heavy (whipping) cream, and added one roughly diced zucchini in there as well because I needed to use them up. Even with all the subs I made and added ingredients, it turned out amazing. Next time, I’ll try the recipe as written and I KNOW it’s gonna be DELICIOUS!
Better than olive garden!
I substituted some ingredients (spinach instead of kale, evaporated milk instead of of half and half) and it was delicious! My husband and son had seconds (and thirds!). I have added this recipe to my forever family favorites. Thank you for sharing!
I made this vegan with vegetable bouillon, vegan Italian sausage and plant based heavy cream. Oh my gosh it is DELICIOUS!!! Absolutely delicious. I made a giant vat of it and my husband and I will scarf it after workouts since it seems to have everything one would need for recovery. I’m writing this recipe down and keeping it my forever folder.
I made this tonight, and my hubby & 8yo loved it! It was missing something sweet for me, and I think I’ll add some sun-dried tomatoes next time. Still so yummy!
Beth, in a phrase like this:
“subbed half the sausage for white beans“
the thing that comes first is the substitute – the thing that wasn’t part of the original recipe – and the thing that comes second is the thing being removed.
This looks so good! Can’t wait to try it. Do you think it would work to substitute a can of coconut milk for the half & half?
Other readers have done that with success! Just keep in mind that you might be able to detect that coconut flavor but it should be subtle.
SO GOOD! I have shared this recipe many many times!
A wonderful, tasteful and effortless soup, came out so good!!! Didn’t had any Italian sausage, I used a different one and it was so so so good!!! Thank you
This soup is wonderful . I’ve been making it for years . Last week I substituted a can of evaporated milk for the 1/2 & 1/2 . It was just as creamy . I have also switched out part of the 1/2 & 1/2 with dairy milk . Just as awesome .
I am trying to work in Kale to more of our meals , so I look forward to Budget Bytes adding some new ones .
I made this soup a while back and would agree with other commenters that it is ridiculously awesome! Would it do well in an Instant Pot? If so, I’d love directions! Thanks for all the amazing recipes, this is always the first place I look when I need to find a new dish.
I’m sure you could! I would do all the sautéing in the instant pot, then when you add the chicken broth, cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release and stir in the half and half and kale. Let us know if it works!
My husbands favorite soup is the zupa
Toscana. I made this and it was fantastic. I did not have half and half so i used one and a half cups of heavy cream thinned with a half cup of water. Hubby said best soup I have ever made. We have been married 48 years. That is a lot of soup to beat.
I love this recipe!! Very yummy, but I tend to get a gut ache after. Might just be me.
I would like to point out that the online recipe says this makes (8) 1.5 cup servings and that is quite literally impossible.
I make this at least twice a month, and each time measure out portions using a 1/2 cup ladle. I get 5 servings every time.
I also agree with others- there is something weird about putting the cream in prior to boiling the potatoes. Maybe that is the source of my gut ache.
Made some substitutions (and also read most of the comments). Used heavy whipping cream (it’s what I had on hand), Russet potatoes (peeled, again what I had on hand), some kale and Rainbow Chard and did not use the sausage. I threw a TON of Italian seasoning in, along with some red pepper flakes… and then threw some Bacon Bits in at the end.
This was awesome. I did need to let it simmer (I was afraid of the dreaded curdle) longer than 15 minutes… more like 30 minutes total– BUUUT it was awesome!