Zuppa Toscana Soup that’s Even Better than Olive Garden’s!
This soup is a regular in my home, it’s one of my families favorites! I love that it’s so easy to make and it has such an incredible flavor thanks to those hearty bits of sausage. This recipe is inspired by the Zuppa Toscana Soup at Olive Garden but when you make it fresh at home it’s that much better (plus my version seems to be less brothier meaning you get more potatoes, bacon, kale and sausage). Plus it’s made with love right? Then you can complete the meal by making your own homemade breadsticks and serving with a side salad with Italian Dressing.
Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe
Olive oil Italian Sausage (remove from casings if bought as links) Bacon Yellow onion Low-sodium chicken broth and water Russet potatoes Granulated sugar Half and half Kale Fennel seeds (optional) Romano cheese (optional)
How to Make Zuppa Toscana Soup
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into 1-inch pieces and add to saucepan. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Drain sausage onto a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels, set sausage aside.
Add diced bacon to saucepan, return to heat and saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced onions and saute mixture until bacon is cooked through and onions are translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes longer.
Add chicken broth and water.
Add in sliced potatoes, sugar, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring soup just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in cooked sausage. Cover saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are nearly tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.
Add in kale then simmer until potatoes are soft and kale is tender, about 5 – 10 minutes longer.
Stir in half and half and warm through. Use a spoon or ladle to remove excess fat from top of soup if desired. Serve warm topped with Romano cheese if desired.
What is Half and Half and is There a Substitute?
A question I get asked a lot is “what is half and half?” Half and half is basically a mixture of half milk and half cream (maybe just little more milk than cream). So for a good substitute simply use 1 cup low-fat milk and 1 cup cream.
Add this soup to the menu this week! Trust me, it’s a recipe you don’t want to miss out on. You’ll be loving every bite.
More Soup Recipes You Might Like
Pasta e Fagioli Soup Minestrone (Slow Cooker or Stovetop) Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
