I took the Olive Garden classic Zuppa Toscana, and made it a little more regionally correct, with Tuscan kale (cavolo nero), cannellini beans, and NO bacon. My version of Zuppa Toscana is delicious, filling, and a great weeknight meal made in under an hour.
If you love soup like zuppa toscana, you'll love some of our other favorite soups, like Pasta Fagioli with Spinach, Italian Wedding Soup, and Classic Italian Minestrone.
A Quick Look at The Recipe
- ✅Recipe Name: Zuppa Toscana
- ⏲️Ready in: 1 hour
- 👪Makes: 6 servings
- 📋Main ingredients: Sausage, potatoes, kale.
- ⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: My Zuppa Toscana recipe is a more Tuscan version of the Olive Garden classic soup.
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Why this Recipe Works
Our take on Zuppa Toscana is uniquely delicious because we remove one overpowering ingredient that makes the meal outstandingly "American". Bacon. Bacon completely changes the flavor of this dish from "Tuscan" to "somewhere in America." Traditional Tuscan meals rely more on beans, greens, and great olive oil for flavor.
This recipe works for us because it is a one-bowl dinner. It doesn't have to be served as a side, and it doesn't need anything else. It's just a filling dinner like Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms. And when you have a kid, that's great. Because as long as they're hungry, they'll eat it! And I'll guarantee this one is better than the one served at that Olive Garden I mentioned above, plus it's one-pot like our One-Pot Lasagna Soup.
I love one-bowl dinners like White Bean Pumpkin Chili or Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Potatoes. Yellow potatoes are starchy, and baby potatoes soften quickly.
- Beans. Cannellini beans are perfect for this Italian soup, but white northern beans or kidney beans can be substituted. Cannellini beans do a great job of holding their shape in soup, which is why Italians use them in White Bean Lentil Soup and Escarole and Bean Soup.
- Sausage. Mild Italian sausage is perfect for soup. You can mix your own Homemade Italian Sausage Seasoning with ground pork as well.
- Kale. I am very particular about what I put kale in because it can have a distinct flavor and texture. Lacinato or Tuscan Kale is best for most dishes, and it's more tender than curly kale, which is why we use it when braising it in our Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe. Remove it from the stem before adding it. Substitute spinach or escarole.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on ingredients.
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How to Make Zuppa Toscana
The steps below follow along with the corresponding numbered photos.
Step 1: Remove the sausage from its casing. Bring a large Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Place the sausage in and sear undisturbed for 3 minutes to develop a crust. Then use a wooden spoon to break apart the sausage and stir occasionally until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage and set it aside.
Step 2: Lower the heat to medium-low and add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Then add the carrots. Stir until the onions are translucent and the carrots are softened. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, dried parsley, dried basil, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and dried oregano.
Step 4: Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
Step 5: Add the stock and raise the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil. Stir well.
Step 6: Add the potatoes and lower the heat to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 7: Stir in the sausage and the beans and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Step 8: Add the kale on top and cover. The kale will wilt in about 3 minutes, then stir the kale into the soup.
Step 9: Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Serve hot!
Serve Zuppa Toscana with crusty Italian bread and Parmesan cheese. This soup is even better on day 2, as the starch from the potatoes thickens it.
If you do love a nice thick soup, try Sausage and Lentil Soup too!
Pro-tips
- Sear the sausage to let the sausage develop a crust, but also to build a fond on the bottom of the pot. The fond will flavor the soup with a savory flavor throughout the soup.
- Skim fat from the pot if the sausage leaves a lot of fat after searing.
- Add the carrots after the onions are softened so that they hold their texture in the soup.
- Test your potatoes with a fork to make sure they are ready before you add the kale.
- Add the heavy cream off the heat so that it doesn't curdle.
FAQs about Zuppa Toscana
It means Tuscan Soup. Sometimes it's called bread soup or minestra di pane. It's usually made with all the veggies above and zucchini, along with beans, sausage, and potatoes.
No, the soup will still be tasty without it. It just won't be, well, as creamy. Zuppa toscana has a specific creamy and brothy texture because of the starchy potatoes and heavy cream.
Yes, but not well. Potatoes will break down upon reheating, and heavy cream will separate slightly. As long as you're not worried about texture, you can freeze.
I don't like the way bacon gets soggy in soup, so if I'm going to put some kinds of extra pork in the soup, it would be pancetta.
More Italian Classics!
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
Zuppa Toscana
Equipment
- 1 Large Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1.25 lbs sweet Italian sausage
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 lbs baby dutch yellow potatoes
- 3 cups tuscan kale, chopped about 1 head
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 14 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Remove the sausage from its casing. Bring a large Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Place the sausage in and sear undisturbed for 3 minutes. Then use a wooden spoon to break apart the sausage and stir occasionally until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage and set it aside.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add the carrots. Stir until the onions are translucent and the carrots are softened. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, dried parsley, dried basil, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and dried oregano. Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Add the stock and raise the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil. Stir well, then add the potatoes and lower the heat to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add in the sausage and the beans and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add the kale on top and cover. The kale will wilt in about 3 minutes, then stir the kale into the soup.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Serve hot!
Video
Notes
- Sear the sausage to let the sausage develop a crust, but also to build a fond on the bottom of the pot. The fond will flavor the soup with a savory flavor throughout the soup.
- Add the carrots after the onions are softened so that they hold their texture in the soup.
- Test your potatoes with a fork to make sure they are ready before you add the kale.
- Add the heavy cream off the heat so that it doesn't curdle.
Nina grace deflora says
Amazing! I made it today! Thank you for the recipe!
Linda Magnotta says
Thanks again for yet another delicious recipe. So flavorful and hearty, simple and quick to make. My family loved it.
Linda Magnotta says
Five stars for sure! Very flavorful and hearty, so simple and quick. My family loved it. Thanks again for another delicious recipe.
Becky says
This soup is delicious! No one notices the Kale! Even my husband who prefers noodles and rice soups liked it! I doubled the recipe and served 7 and had leftovers for everyone to take some home! Only thing I wish it said how many cups of Kale as i bought two bunches and only used about half.
Vinny says
Hey Becky! Glad everyone loved the soup. I Use 2 whole heads of tuscan (lacinato) kale. It's probably 3 handfuls of kale. If you want less though, one head should be fine. I definitely suggest tuscan kale though, it's a lot smaller than heads of curly kale.
Patti says
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Aracelis says
Instead of kale can l use Spinach.?
Vinny and Marisa says
Yes spinach or escarole would be great substitutions
Angelina Marie Padilla says
made this tonight... it was fantastico!!
thank you Vinny,
Angelina
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