Raise your hand if you love a good (OK great) copycat recipe! I know I do. I am not a huge fan of Olive Garden (or any chain) but I have been known to indulge in their soups if I ever find myself there. OK, I might have a piece of a breadstick too. My favorite is their Zuppa Toscana soup. If you have ever had this Italian sausage soup you most likely love it too. It consists of spicy Italian sausage, fresh kale and russet potatoes in a creamy broth. And it’s gluten-free. So, I have created the perfect copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana cream soup. I promise, you’ll never have to step into an Olive Garden again, unless you want to.
Homemade Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
But now that the temperatures are cooler, I love to make a big pot of soup and freeze some to have on hand. I prefer making my own soup anyway since it’s easy, economical and you know exactly what’s going into your food.
Seriously, why not enjoy a recreation of a favorite restaurant dish in the comfort of your own home, for a lot less coin? Copycat recipes are huge (just search for them on Pinterest) so I set out to recreate one of my favorite Olive Garden soups – the Zuppa Toscana Soup – and I think I nailed it, if I do say so myself. And the best part? Like most of my recipes, this soup is super easy to make. Let me know what you think.
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Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
Yields: 8 servings
Prep: 10 minutes| Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 ½ tablespoons garlic, minced
- ½ an onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 5 cups water
- 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 bunch kale, large stems removed and chopped
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Optional garnish: shredded parmesan cheese, extra crushed red pepper
Directions:
- In a large pot on medium heat, add Italian sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break apart sausage and cook until browned.
- Stir in onion and saute for 3-5 minutes or until tender and translucent.
- Add butter and stir until melted.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add potatoes to the pot followed by chicken broth and water. Stir to combine.
- Increase heat to allow the liquid to come to a low boil for 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in kale leaves.
- Cover and decrease heat to allow the soup to simmer for 10 additional minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Stir in heavy cream.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Notes:
- If using “hot” Italian sausage, you may consider leaving out the crushed red pepper and tasting before deciding if you want it spicier.
- If using salted chicken broth and/or salted butter, taste before adding the salt to see if it’s needed.
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Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup

This easy to make and delicious soup consists of spicy Italian sausage, fresh kale and russet potatoes in a creamy broth. And it's gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 ½ tablespoons garlic, minced
- ½ an onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 5 cups water
- 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 bunch kale, large stems removed and chopped
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Optional garnish: shredded parmesan cheese, extra crushed red pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot on medium heat, add Italian sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break apart sausage and cook until browned.
- Stir in onion and saute for 3-5 minutes or until tender and translucent.
- Add butter and stir until melted.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add potatoes to the pot followed by chicken broth and water. Stir to combine.
- Increase heat to allow the liquid to come to a low boil for 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in kale leaves.
- Cover and decrease heat to allow the soup to simmer for 10 additional minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Stir in heavy cream.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
- If using “hot” Italian sausage, you may consider leaving out the crushed red pepper and tasting before deciding if you want it spicier.
- If using salted chicken broth and/or salted butter, taste before adding the salt to see if it’s needed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 556Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 763mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 17g
Here are more of my recipes you might want to make: Savory Keto Pumpkin Soup Recipe That’s So Easy To Make and to Make The Best Perfectly Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
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