I perfected a slow cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup that outshines the restaurant version and somehow vanishes at every gathering.
I’ll be honest, I kept tweaking this because the restaurant version never felt right. This slow cooker take on Zuppa Toscana Soup somehow goes deeper, with spicy Italian sausage and ribbons of kale that hold up instead of falling apart.
If you love Copycat Recipes Olive Garden and have wasted hours scrolling Crockpot Soup Recipes, this one is gonna make you stop, promise. It’s rich, a little sneaky, and weirdly simple even when it tastes like you spent all day.
I can’t say it’s perfect, but people fight over the last bowl, so yeah, do try it.
Ingredients
- Italian sausage: Packed with protein and fat, gives savory, spicy flavor and hearty mouthfeel.
- Bacon: Smoky, salty crunch adds umami and fat, not the healthiest but so good.
- Russet potatoes: Starchy, give body and creaminess, add carbs and comfort to the bowl.
- Kale: Leafy greens with fiber and vitamins A, C, K, slightly bitter, brightens soup.
- Heavy cream: Silky, adds richness and calories, makes broth velvety and decadent.
- Parmesan cheese: Salty, nutty finish, a little goes far, adds umami and salt.
- Garlic and onion: Aromatic base, gives sweetness and savory depth, low calories but big flavor.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage bulk mild or hot casings removed
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 4 to 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or half and half if you prefer)
- 1 bunch kale stems removed and thinly sliced about 4 to 5 cups chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
How to Make this
1. Chop the bacon and brown it in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, transfer most to a paper towel lined plate but leave 1 to 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan for flavor.
2. In the same skillet crumble and brown the Italian sausage in batches until no pink remains, about 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon; transfer to the slow cooker and spoon any browned bits from the pan in too.
3. Add the diced onion to the skillet (use the bacon fat, or 2 tablespoons olive oil if needed) and sauté 3 to 4 minutes until soft, add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more, then scrape everything into the slow cooker.
4. Add the peeled, 1/2 inch cubed russet potatoes, 4 to 5 cups low sodium chicken broth (use 4 for thicker soup, 5 for thinner), kosher salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
5. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, until potatoes are fork tender.
6. About 20 to 30 minutes before serving, strip the kale stems, thinly slice the leaves and add them to the slow cooker so they wilt but stay bright; if you are short on time add them 10 to 15 minutes before but expect slightly softer greens.
7. Temper the heavy cream (or half and half) by stirring a cup of hot soup broth into the 1 1/2 cups cream, then pour that back into the slow cooker, stir gently and let it heat through for 10 to 15 minutes on low — do not boil hard or the cream can separate.
8. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and most of the crisped bacon, reserving some bacon for garnish; taste and adjust salt, pepper or red pepper flakes.
9. Serve hot topped with the reserved bacon and extra Parmesan, and if you want it thicker mash a few potato cubes in the pot and stir, or add a splash more broth if it got too thick.
Equipment Needed
1. Large skillet or frying pan (10 to 12 inch), for browning bacon and sausage and sautéing onions
2. 4 to 6 quart slow cooker, for simmering the soup low and slow
3. Cutting board, sturdy, for chopping bacon, potatoes, kale and onion
4. Chefs knife, sharp, about 8 inch preferred
5. Vegetable peeler, for peeling the russets
6. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth, cream and seasonings
7. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, to break up sausage and scrape browned bits
8. Tongs or slotted spoon, to transfer bacon and scoop sausage with less grease
9. Box grater for the Parmesan and a ladle for serving, dont skip the fresh grated cheese on top
FAQ
BEST Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Italian sausage: swap for ground pork plus 1 tsp fennel seed and 1 tsp Italian seasoning to mimic the flavor, or use turkey sausage for a leaner bowl, or try plant based sausage if you want a vegetarian version.
- Bacon: use pancetta or smoked ham for the same smoky depth, or skip it and brown 2 tbsp olive oil with a pinch of smoked paprika to fake the bacon flavor.
- Heavy cream: mix 3 parts whole milk with 1 part melted butter to approximate cream, or use evaporated milk, or if you dont want dairy use full fat coconut milk; to thicken milk use 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in cold water.
- Kale: baby spinach wilts fast and works great for a softer texture, swiss chard is a good middle ground (remove stems), or collard greens give a heartier, deeper flavor but need a longer simmer.
Pro Tips
1) Don’t crowd the pan when browning the sausage, do it in batches so it actually gets a crust, not steamed. Save 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat for the onion, it adds more depth than plain oil, and crisped bacon makes a way better garnish if you drain it on paper towels first.
2) Cut potatoes evenly so they cook at the same rate, and if you want the soup thicker, mash a few cubes directly in the pot instead of adding starch. If it gets too thick later, add broth a little at a time, taste and stop when it feels right.
3) Temper the cream slowly by whisking a cup of hot broth into the cream before adding it back so it doesn’t separate, and whatever you do don’t let the soup come to a hard boil after you add the dairy. Stir in the Parmesan at the end off heat for a smoother finish, otherwise it can get grainy.
4) Add the kale near the end so it stays bright and slightly chewy, but if you prefer it very soft add it earlier. A squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar at the end wakes the whole bowl up, trust me it makes the flavors pop.
BEST Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe
I perfected a slow cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup that outshines the restaurant version and somehow vanishes at every gathering.
6
servings
881
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large skillet or frying pan (10 to 12 inch), for browning bacon and sausage and sautéing onions
2. 4 to 6 quart slow cooker, for simmering the soup low and slow
3. Cutting board, sturdy, for chopping bacon, potatoes, kale and onion
4. Chefs knife, sharp, about 8 inch preferred
5. Vegetable peeler, for peeling the russets
6. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth, cream and seasonings
7. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, to break up sausage and scrape browned bits
8. Tongs or slotted spoon, to transfer bacon and scoop sausage with less grease
9. Box grater for the Parmesan and a ladle for serving, dont skip the fresh grated cheese on top
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage bulk mild or hot casings removed
6 slices bacon chopped
1 large yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
4 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 to 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or half and half if you prefer)
1 bunch kale stems removed and thinly sliced about 4 to 5 cups chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Chop the bacon and brown it in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, transfer most to a paper towel lined plate but leave 1 to 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan for flavor.
- In the same skillet crumble and brown the Italian sausage in batches until no pink remains, about 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon; transfer to the slow cooker and spoon any browned bits from the pan in too.
- Add the diced onion to the skillet (use the bacon fat, or 2 tablespoons olive oil if needed) and sauté 3 to 4 minutes until soft, add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more, then scrape everything into the slow cooker.
- Add the peeled, 1/2 inch cubed russet potatoes, 4 to 5 cups low sodium chicken broth (use 4 for thicker soup, 5 for thinner), kosher salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, until potatoes are fork tender.
- About 20 to 30 minutes before serving, strip the kale stems, thinly slice the leaves and add them to the slow cooker so they wilt but stay bright; if you are short on time add them 10 to 15 minutes before but expect slightly softer greens.
- Temper the heavy cream (or half and half) by stirring a cup of hot soup broth into the 1 1/2 cups cream, then pour that back into the slow cooker, stir gently and let it heat through for 10 to 15 minutes on low — do not boil hard or the cream can separate.
- Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and most of the crisped bacon, reserving some bacon for garnish; taste and adjust salt, pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Serve hot topped with the reserved bacon and extra Parmesan, and if you want it thicker mash a few potato cubes in the pot and stir, or add a splash more broth if it got too thick.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 576g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 881kcal
- Fat: 73.9g
- Saturated Fat: 31.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Polyunsaturated: 6.7g
- Monounsaturated: 26.7g
- Cholesterol: 204mg
- Sodium: 1910mg
- Potassium: 1127mg
- Carbohydrates: 29.2g
- Fiber: 4.4g
- Sugar: 3.5g
- Protein: 34.4g
- Vitamin A: 4267IU
- Vitamin C: 59mg
- Calcium: 189mg
- Iron: 2.7mg
