This Whole30 zuppa toscana copycat recipe is so good you’d never think it’d fit into a Whole 30 meal plan but with one small swap from the original copycat recipe, you can eat this throughout your 30 days! Filled with sausage, hearty veggies, and a creamy broth – this zuppa toscana soup is an Olive Garden copycat recipe you’ll want to make over and over again.
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The Best Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
I’m a big fan of Olive Garden. Give me a never ending pasta bowl and breadsticks any day. Unlimited soup and salad? Sign me up.
I can’t have onions but Olive Garden’s zuppa toscana soup always looks and smells so good, so I decided to work with my husband (he can eat the soup) to make my own copycat version at home.
They actually said it might be better than Olive Garden’s!
It’s so good. Seriously. It’s one of the only soups (this and my grandma’s chicken noodle soup) that I crave all the time, even when it’s hot out. And that’s saying something.
The combination of the creamy broth with the hearty potatoes and sausage is what soups are meant to be. Serve it up with a little toasted bread (unless you’re doing Whole 30 or looking for something gluten-free) for the ultimate winter meal!
Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe Ingredients
This soup is basically made up of meat, potatoes, and veggies, making it perfect if you’re trying to eat paleo or Whole 30 because the substitutes are simple! It’s the perfect hearty soup for one of these fall themed parties or a favorite things party where your favorite thing is soup!
Ingredient notes & whole 30 Substitutions
- Olive oil – you can also use avocado oil or ghee in place of the olive oil. I actually recommend using avocado or ghee because they’re designed to cook at higher temperatures but I know not everyone has them on hand.
- Ground Italian sausage – we typically use sweet Italian but you can just use regular mild Italian or even spicy Italian if you want a little more heat. You could also use cased sausages crumbled up.
- Chicken broth – if you’re doing Whole 30, substitute this with chicken bone broth (or just do that anyway – it has tons of flavor!)
- Potatoes – I recommend large russet potatoes for easy cutting (and they seem to hold up longer before dissolving). We like to peels ours but you can use them with the peel on as well, just make sure to cut away any bad spots
- Kale – make it easier on yourself by buying the pre-washed kale that you can just cut up. If you don’t, make sure to take the kale off of the stalks, wash and dry well, then cut up.
- Heavy whipping cream – if you’re doing Whole 30, substitute the heavy cream with coconut cream to make it dairy free, you won’t taste any difference! If you want it to be a bit thinner, you can also use coconut milk.
- Salt – the amount of salt you’ll use will depend on what kind of chicken broth you’re using. The recipe calls for kosher salt to salt the carrots but then you’ll also salt to taste at the end – use your best tastebuds and remember that most people will be garnishing with salty parmesan cheese!
Tip!
Make sure your carrots are all cut around the same size so that the cook at the same speed. I like to cut small rounds for the smaller portions of the carrot then cut the carrot in half and cut half-rounds for the upper, thicker, portion of the carrot.
Same thing with the potatoes – cut them in 1 inch pieces or as close to that as possible so that they cook at the same pace. If you have really big pieces and really small pieces, you’ll end up with some potatoes dissolving before the other ones are completely cooked.
Want something without the meat? Try this Weight Watchers potato soup instead!
How to make Zuppa Toscana
Making this zuppa toscana copycat recipe is a little more complicated than opening a can of soup and dumping it in a pot but aren’t all homemade soup recipes?
It’s almost that easy. I’ve included step by step instructions below (and even more detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post) and there is also a video in this post that you can watch to see how easy this is! It’s simply a matter of cooking, chopping, and chowing down!
1 – Cook the sausage
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once heated, and the Italian sausage into the pot. Cook the sausage, continuing to break it up, until it has browned, about 8 minutes.
Once browned, remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate with a paper towel, leaving the oil in the pot. Do not turn down the heat.
Prep Your Other Ingredients
Once you start cooking, this soup moves fast, so I highly recommend prepping all of your other ingredients while you are cooking the sausage (or before) so that you can just toss everything into the pot when you hit that point in the recipe. You don’t want to burn garlic because you don’t have the chicken broth ready to go.
2 – Cook the Veggies for your zuppa toscana
Add your oil of choice to the hot pot then immediately add the diced carrots and salt to the pot. Cook the carrots, stirring frequently, until they begin to caramelize, about three minutes.
Once the carrots are caramelized, add the minced garlic, and continue stirring for one more minute.
3 – Add your Liquids
After the minute, immediately add the chicken broth, cut potatoes, and Italian seasoning to the pot and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender (soft when you stick a fork into them, but they hopefully shouldn’t be falling apart).
4 – Finish the copycat zuppa toscana
Add the kale, reserved sausage (that you cooked earlier) and cream (heavy cream for regular soup, coconut cream for Whole 30) to the pot and stir to mix it in.
Simmer for four more minutes to let the kale cook and the cream combine into the broth. Once it’s done simmering, salt to taste – the amount will be dependent on what kind of chicken broth you used and how salty it is.
Then remove it from heat and serve immediately.
Let people top their own with grated parmesan cheese and crispy bacon crumbles (if desired).
What to Serve with Zuppa Toscana
While zuppa toscana is a whole meal right in one bowl of soup between the veggies, potatoes, and sausage – if you want something to serve it with, try one of these!
- Toasted Italian bread – this is my favorite way to enjoy the soup, you could also serve it with these garlic breadsticks instead.
- Freshly grated parmesan – a great way to make this even more like the Olive Garden experience at home
- Caprese salad skewers – you could also just skip the skewers and serve caprese salad
- Strawberry spinach salad – make this without the pasta, perfect for the soup and salad option!
- Italian ricotta cookies – if you want a simple dessert, these ricotta cookies are the perfect Italian ending!
- Sour cream chocolate cake – if you want a more Olive Gardenish dessert, this layered chocolate cake is a good substitute for their chocolate lasagna.
How to Store Zuppa Toscana
Divide leftover zuppa toscana into refrigerator safe containers. We like these glass serving dishes that you can just pop in the oven or these silicone meal prep dishes that are easy to pop the soup out into a soup pot to reheat. You can refrigerate for up to five days or freeze (freezing instructions in the FAQs section) for up to three months.
Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe FAQs
How long is zuppa toscana good for?
Zuppa toscana should be good for up to five days in the refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer. It’s a great one for meal prep because it reheats (and freezes) so well!
Can you freeze zuppa toscana?
Yes, you can freeze zuppa toscana – it actually reheats extremely well! Freeze the soup for up to three months in the freezer when stored in something freezer safe like these Souper Cubes (they’re awesome!) that are designed specifically for storing serving sized portions of things like this zuppa toscana soup or Cincinnati chili. You just pop the soup cubes out and reheat on the stove when you’re ready to eat!
Can you use frozen kale in zuppa toscana?
You can in a bind, but it’s not going to give you the same crisp crunch as the fresh kale. I recommend buying fresh kale – pre-stemmed and cut if you can find it to save time. If you can’t find fresh kale, you can always make this without kale (but I prefer it with).
How do I make this a Whole 30 recipe?
I’ve included a section of notes in the recipe card on Whole 30 substitutions to make for this recipe – it’s as simple as switching out the chicken broth for bone broth and heavy cream for coconut cream. You’ll never even taste the difference, I almost prefer it that way! Add it to your Whole 30 meal plan along with this almond chicken and this homemade taco meat.
What can I add to my soup to make it more liquid?
This is a bit thicker of a soup so if you want to add more liquid (to make it go a little further), add another two cups of chicken broth and 1/4 cup of heavy cream (to keep the creaminess ratio the same) while keeping the other ingredients the same.
I don’t like coconut. Will I taste the coconut cream?
The coconut cream is just used as a thickening agent in this copycat zuppa toscana. You don’t taste it at all since it’s just a 1/2 cup combined with four cups of chicken broth (plus all the other ingredients). If you’re allergic to coconut, that’s a totally different thing but if you just don’t like it, you won’t taste it.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
If you love this copycat zuppa toscana, make sure to try one of these easy one-pot dinner recipes next!
- Instant Pot fettuccine Alfredo – just toss everything into the pot and let the Instant Pot do the cooking for you!
- Beef and potato stew – a hearty, beefy, stew that’s easy to make all in one pot!
- Baked ziti with ricotta – this dump it all in one pan dinner (you don’t even have to cook the pasta first) will be a huge hit with the entire family!
- White bean chicken chili – another comfort food classic, this white chicken chili is perfect for a Sunday dinner or cold night!
- Ham fried rice – way better than takeout, this is the perfect quick weeknight dinner!
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Whole30 Zuppa Toscana Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage or 3 Italian sausages, casings removed
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 4 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bunch kale washed, stems removed, and cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- grated Parmesan cheese optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once heated, and the Italian sausage into the pot. Cook the sausage, continuing to break it up, until it has browned, about 8 minutes.1 lb mild Italian sausage
- Once browned, remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil behind. Do not turn down the heat.
- Add olive oil to the pot and allow it to heat up for another 30 seconds then add the diced carrots and the salt to the pot. Cook the carrots, stirring frequently, until they begin to caramelize, about three minutes.1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 4 medium carrots, 1/4 tsp salt
- Once the carrots are caramelized, add the minced garlic, and continue stirring for one more minute.4 garlic cloves
- After a minute, add the chicken broth, cut potatoes, and Italian seasoning to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost done.4 cups chicken broth, 4 medium potatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Add the kale, reserved sausage and cream to the pot. Simmer for four more minutes then remove from heat and serve.1 bunch kale, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- Serve with grated parmesan and a slice of toasted bread.grated Parmesan cheese
Tips & Notes:
Whole 30 Substitutions
- Ground Italian sausage – use regular Italian sausage (not sweet – it typically has added sugar), either mild or spicy.
- Chicken broth – substitute with chicken bone broth instead of chicken broth
- Heavy whipping cream – substitute this with coconut cream
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