During my last trip to Vermont, I enjoyed Olive Garden‘s Zuppa Toscana Soup as an appetizer. Three weeks later, I’m still thinking about it. You know what that means! It’s time to try making it for ourselves at home!

It has been quite some time since I made any “copycat meal” that did as well as The Famous Orange Julep Drink. I was excited to try to bring the taste of the Olive Garden back to my home in Montreal. As I ate it at the restaurant, it gave me a general idea of what would be needed for the recipe. After looking around at some similar recipes, and altering ingredients here and there- this is the final product. (Since this is my first attempt, I may update this recipe at a later date but for now, this is delicious).

Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients

1lb. Italian Sausage*
4 Tbsps Butter
½ White Onion, diced
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
6 cups Sodium Reduced Chicken Broth
4 cups Kale, chopped
4-5 Yellow Potatoes – chopped into same-sized pieces according to your preferences
2 cups Water
2 cups Coconut Milk (This can be substituted with Cream, Evaporated Milk, etc…)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Optional: Chopped bacon or ready-made bacon bits, and grated parmesan cheese for topping

*Preferably spicy sausage but mild works too. Use pre-minced or if using regular sausages, remove the casings and ground the meat with a spoon or meat chopper. Add Italian Herb Seasoning if using mild for a bit of extra flavor.

Instructions

In a large pot, sauté the sausage for 5-6 minutes until browned. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and keep to the side. (Before adding the sausage back to the pot later, be sure to drain the liquid out if you want the soup to stay more of a white/yellow hue. I didn’t drain it and it turned more red, which is also fine but it’s up to your preferences!)  

Using the same pot, add the butter and sauté the onions over medium heat. Once they are translucent, add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until they are tender.

Add the kale, heavy cream, and sausage; stir well. Taste and season as needed.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese and/or bacon as a garnish if desired. If you discover that you wish to add more heat, add a pinch of red chili flakes.

Enjoy!

Related:

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup
Potato and Spinach Cream Soup
Potato and Chickpea Soup Recipe