Zuppa Toscana Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
I know it may seem like I'm obsessed with Olive Garden lately. I think this is the 3rd copycat recipe I've done of their restaurant in the last month. To be honest I really don't even like Olive Garden all that much (it's just one of the only few restaurant options I have close by to where I live). We went just a few days ago and I thought my pasta was soggy and the sauce was bland but I will always love their soups, salad and breadsticks. The Zuppa Toscana is my husbands favorite soup there so I decided to order some to go to bring home to make my own copycat recipe. I went to work adding a bit of this and a little of that to this very basic recipe until when tested side by side they basically tasted identical. You could make your own changes to the recipe, such as adding garlic (I didn't taste it in theirs so I didn't add it in this recipe), using hot or sweet Italian sausage (if you use sweet I'd recommend omitting the sugar as it won't be needed) or if you wanted an even creamier soup just add more half and half or cream. Enjoy!
I know it may seem like I'm obsessed with Olive Garden lately. I think this is the 3rd copycat recipe I've done of their restaurant in the last month. To be honest I really don't even like Olive Garden all that much (it's just one of the only few restaurant options I have close by to where I live). We went just a few days ago and I thought my pasta was soggy and the sauce was bland but I will always love their soups, salad and breadsticks. The Zuppa Toscana is my husbands favorite soup there so I decided to order some to go to bring home to make my own copycat recipe. I went to work adding a bit of this and a little of that to this very basic recipe until when tested side by side they basically tasted identical. You could make your own changes to the recipe, such as adding garlic (I didn't taste it in theirs so I didn't add it in this recipe), using hot or sweet Italian sausage (if you use sweet I'd recommend omitting the sugar as it won't be needed) or if you wanted an even creamier soup just add more half and half or cream. Enjoy!
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 pound italian sausage casings removed if necessary
- 4 ounces bacon (about 5 slices) diced into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup yellow onion (about 1 small onion) chopped
- 3 cans low-sodium chicken broth (14.5 oz)
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes scrubbed and rinsed then sliced into halves, halves diced into 1/8 to 1/6 inch slices
- 1 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt then to taste
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup lighly packed kale chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 container romano cheese for serving (optional)
- Carbohydrate 21.7617605233963 g
- Cholesterol 87.8612751878464 mg
- Fat 32.0503467235683 g
- Fiber 1.18850427696789 g
- Protein 13.5147170199056 g
- Saturated Fat 15.1088734835084 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (337g)
- Sodium 472.487081599967 mg
- Sugar 20.5732562464285 g
- Trans Fat 1.70768630316981 g
- Calories 427 calories
Step-by-step
- 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 leaving 1 tsp fat in pan, set sausage aside.
- Add diced bacon (being sure to separate pieces from each other if you stacked them when slicing) to fat in saucepan, return to heat and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add diced onions to bacon in saucepan and saute mixture until bacon is cooked through (not crisp) and onions are tender, about 5 minutes longer.
- Add chicken broth, water, sliced potatoes, sugar, fennel seeds, salt and pepper.
- Bring soup just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in half and half, kale and cooked sausage.
- Cover saucepan and simmer 25 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very tender.
- Use a spoon or ladle to remove excess fat from top of soup if desired.
- Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.
Introduce the russet potatoes to the simmering broth only after the sausage and bacon fats have rendered, because simmering starches too early in an acidic environment alters their gelatinization. Russet potatoes contain high levels of amylase and amylopectin, which break down rapidly during a 25 to 30 minute simmer to naturally thicken the surrounding liquid without requiring added cornstarch or flour.
Managing Texture and Dairy Stability
Achieving the correct mouthfeel relies entirely on how the dairy interacts with the simmering broth. Half-and-half contains roughly 10 to 12 percent milkfat, a high enough fat content to resist curdling when introduced to moderate heat, provided the pot remains at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. If the heat climbs too high, proteins coagulate into grainy pockets instead of maintaining a smooth emulsion. When substituting heavy cream for half-and-half, dilute it with a small splash of water to match the lower fat profile of the original dairy component. A heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or large non-stick saucepan distributes heat evenly across the base, preventing scorching as the rendered pork fats and starches mingle during the long simmer.
- Soup separates upon boiling: Lower the heat immediately and whisk vigorously to re-emulsify the dairy fats.
- Potatoes turn mushy: Reduce the simmering window by five minutes if using smaller, thin-skinned potato varieties that break down faster than russets.
- Excess grease pools on top: Skim the surface with a chilled metal spoon, allowing the fat to solidify slightly against the cold metal for easier removal.
