This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Zuppa Toscana copycat is pure comfort in a bowl made with sausage, potatoes, kale, and bacon in a creamy broth. It’s simple to make at home and always a hit with the whole family.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Kitchen Girl.
There’s a reason Zuppa Toscana is one of the most-loved soups. This version takes all the cozy flavors of Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes, and kale in a creamy broth. It's even better than the restaurant favorite because you control the ingredients. Everything comes together in one pot with simple, everyday staples, which makes it wallet-friendly. The best part about zuppa toscana is that it’s approachable for any cooking level, which means anyone can get a fuss-free bowl of comfort food on the table and be a rock star for the night!
And while this soup is satisfying on its own, I can’t resist pairing it with something for dipping. Think soft French bread, homemade croutons, or even crostini. It’s the kind of meal that feels like a hug on a cool day.
What You'll Need
- Olive oil – A little oil starts the cooking. If you don't have olive oil, any neutral cooking oil works.
- Onion and garlic – These classic aromatics lay the foundation for flavor in every bowl.
- Italian sausage – Choose spicy for a kick or mild for a gentler flavor. The restaurant version uses spicy, but either works beautifully.
- Potatoes – I prefer russets because they’re starchy and help naturally thicken the broth as they cook. Peeling is optional; skins add texture, while peeling makes a smoother soup.
- Kale – Any variety will do, and it holds up well to simmering. Spinach is a quicker option. Stir it in at the end to keep it fresh and bright.
- Chicken broth – I go with low-sodium broth since sausage and bacon already bring plenty of salt.
- Water – This stretches the broth and balances the richness without adding calories.
- Heavy cream – A small amount swirls in at the end to give the broth its signature richness.
- Bacon – Crumbled bacon adds a salty, smoky finish. Cook it in advance or crisp it up as you start the soup and set it aside until serving.
How to make zuppa toscana
This soup requires only one pot: a cast-iron Dutch oven or a heavy-bottom stainless steel pot. For the Instant Pot method, see the recipe footnotes.
Heat the pot over medium-high, then add olive oil. Sauté onion and garlic until tender, stirring as needed. Add sausage and cook until browned, then drain excess grease.
Add the potatoes, kale, broth, and water to the pot. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender. For a creamier texture, mash a few potatoes right into the broth—the soup will naturally thicken as it cools. Finish by stirring in the cream and bacon, and prepare to serve a bowl of comfort.
Serve and devour!
Recipe tips and variations
- Bacon – If I’m using raw bacon, I cook it in the pot first, then set it aside to crumble in at the end. It’s simple and saves an extra pan.
- Kale or spinach – Kale is my usual choice because it holds up to simmering, but spinach is a great shortcut. I add spinach right before serving so it stays bright and fresh.
- Potatoes – Any potatoes will work here, but I prefer russets because they’re starchy and break down just enough to make the broth creamy. Leaving the skin on is optional—it adds texture, but peeling makes the soup a little smoother.
- Storage & reheating – Cool the soup thoroughly before refrigerating. It will thicken in the fridge, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating to loosen it.
- Freezing – This soup freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove.
More soups to love
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Sausage and Kale Soup
- Grandma's Homemade Vegetable Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Split Pea Soup with Ham
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
📖 Recipe
Easy Zuppa Toscana Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Kitchen Girl.
Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, or butter
- ½ medium Onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 pound Raw Italian Sausage, casings removed
- 5 medium Russet Potatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes
- 4 cups Kale or Spinach, loosely chopped
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Water, or more chicken broth
- ⅓ cup Heavy Cream
- ⅓ cup Crumbled Bacon, about 6 slices cooked * see footnote
- Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
See recipe notes below for the pressure cooker method.
- Heat a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add OLIVE OIL and heat until shimmering.
- Add ONION and GARLIC; sauté until tender, stirring as needed.
- Add SAUSAGE; cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Stir in POTATOES, KALE, CHICKEN BROTH, and WATER.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the POTATOES are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Mash a few POTATOES into the broth for a creamier texture. The soup will also thicken more as it cools.
- Stir in CREAM and BACON. Add more KALE (or SPINACH), if desired. Season with SALT and PEPPER to taste. Serve warm.
- To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days, or freeze up to 90 days.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- 4.5-quart Dutch oven or stockpot or 6-quart pressure cooker
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Ann Smith says
Made this and we loved it, thank you!
Traci says
Thanks for trying my recipe and I'm glad you enjoyed it! Appreciate you taking the time to leave this feedback too. Thank you! xoxo
Kelly says
Could I substitute a can of coconut milk to make this dairy free?
Traci says
Sure, in equal amounts, but it will turn into a very coconut-ey soup. I'm sure you are aware of that. Enjoy!
Lynne says
This was amazing!!! My husband‘s favorite soup at Olive Garden is Zuppa Toscana … I was so excited to be able to prepare it for him at home and he absolutely loved it!!! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!!!!
Traci says
Wow, great to hear, it Lynne 🙂 I always love when the other half signs off and glad you gave this recipe a try. Thanks so much for the feedback - much appreciated!
Sandy says
I use coconut cream in place of the cream since my guy has dairy allergy and it is delish!
Traci says
Yes! That's a common substitution. I love how versatile Zuppa toscana really is. Thanks for the feedback! 🙂 Cheers!
Sheryl McDougall says
I have made this twice with spinach and am finally making with kale. This is a wonderful recipe.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad to hear you're enjoying it 🙂 I think Kale is my fav. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. Cheers!
Adrienne says
So delicious. We have made this twice now in the last month! Kids gobbled it up and asked for seconds.
I double the recipe using a hot and spicy turkey sausage and Italian sausage. Thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad you're enjoyed the Zuppa 🙂 It's one of our favs and your selections sound delicious. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback! xoxo
MsCali2GA says
This recipe was perfect for a hearty weeknight winter dinner. I used my InstantPot, so it was super quick. I ended up having to use spicy ground Italian sausage because that is all the grocery store had and it was a bit too spicy for my liking so I added a little extra salt to neutralize the spice and it turned out absolutely perfect. Another tip is to use chicken bouillon powder make your own chicken broth. It is much more flavorful than the boxed or canned chicken broth. This recipe was awesome though, simple ingredients and easy to follow instructions.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. I've actually used Better than Bouillon as my broth of choice for over 10 years. I find it to be less salty than regular bouillon. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂 xoxo
Janet says
I love this recipe. After making it and enjoying it a few times I used chorizo sausage, white and regular sweet potatoes and less broth so it was more of a stew. It was delicious.
The Kitchen Girl says
So glad to hear it, Janet! I love the idea of Zuppa Toscana with sweet potatoes YUM! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it 🙂
Stephanie says
I’ve made this before and our family devoured it! Thanks so much! Question - can I double this recipe in the Instant Pot? Any changes to process or time?
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks so much, Stephanie. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, you can double this recipe in the 6 quart cooker (or larger) using the same instructions. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Andreea says
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have only tried 1 other recipe in IP and this soup was a hit with all my friend during the Thanksgiving dinner. Even my 2 very picky fiends had 2nd servings and they loved it. I am so happy I found your website and I am sure I will try many many other recipes.
Thank you
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome and thank you for taking the time to let me know 🙂 I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it. xoxo
Nataliya says
Just made it! Very good dish!
I didn't have heavy cream or half and half (I thought I had it!) so I added milk at the end plus a spoon of sour cream to my bowl. In addition, I wanted more sustains so I added a bit of oatmeal. Thank you for the recipe, definitely a keeper for this rainy season. Thank you for sharing it!
The Kitchen Girl says
Nataliya yessss! So glad you're enjoying it and thanks so much for the feedback. Cheers!
Jen says
I made the Zuppa Toscana For dinner tonight. Super good. Everyone ate it up and I usually can’t get my son to eat kale. He ate two bowls! I did the stove top version, because I don’t have a pressure cooker. It was really easy which I appreciate because I don’t love spending a ton of time in the kitchen.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Jen! This makes my day 🙂 I love it when we can get the kiddos to eat green things and love it. Zuppa Toscana is a great way to do just that. Thank youuu for the feedback!
Theresa says
Do you think this could be made in a crockpot? My son’s family is coming to town and I will have to double the recipe.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Theresa, yes Zuppa Toscana could be easily made in the crockpot. You would need to sauté the sausage, onions, and garlic on the stove, add everything to the crockpot, and cook on high for roughly 3 hours or low for roughly 6-8 hours. It depends on how soft you want your potatoes, so you can play that by ear. Hope this makes sense. Let me know if you have questions. Enjoy!!
Kara says
Has anyone done his with sweet potatoes? My family prefers them for dietary reasons and am thinking of trying it.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Kara, that would be delicious, but I would cut the cook time down significantly whether it's the Instant Pot or stove. Let me know which one you'll be using 🙂
Anne says
Your recipe for Zuppa Toscana was a HUGE hit...all the men in my life loved it! Traci, your soups are all I make!!!
Thank you
The Kitchen Girl says
Awwwww, yay Anne!!! This makes my day 🙂 ❤️ Thanks for the feedback...much appreciated!
Pam says
If you could see our weather here today you would understand why I'm running to the store for the ingredients to make this soup right now.
The Kitchen Girl says
Lol that's awesome! I mean, the soup part Thanks, Pam...enjoy!
Beth says
I love easy comforting soups in the winter. Totally can't wait to try this one!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Beth! Hope you love it! 🙂
Angela says
One of my favorite soups done so quickly in the instant pot. What a great recipe!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Angela! Love hearing that! Zuppa Toscana made in the Instant Pot is like a dream come true! 🙂
Shanna says
This is my favorite soup ever. It is the closest thing I have tried to the original. So yummy!!!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Shanna! Yep, the copycat zuppa toscana is so much the real thing 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
Jessie says
I'm on a soup making kick, for lunches these days! This copycat recipe is one of my favorites!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! Right there with you on that 🙂 Thanks!
Emily Liao says
This is by far one of my favorite winter soups to make! So creamy and flavorful 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Emily! So glad to hear it! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Carrie Robinson says
Oh yum! This looks like perfect comfort food to me. 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! Hope you enjoy!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
I can’t wait to try this recipe at home, it looks very tasty!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Shadi! Hope you love it 🙂
Eileen Kelly says
I needed a quick soup that the family would love and this zuppa toscana hit the spot. Easy and absolutely delish! I will get some precooked bacon, from your tips for the next time. Lovely soup.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Eileen! I'm so glad to inspire your family dinner. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
rika says
I love using my instant pot for this soup! So easy and quick!
The Kitchen Girl says
Meee too, Rika! This Zuppa Toscana Instant Pot version couldn't be easier 😉