Zuppa Toscana (3 methods)

Brrr… winter nights? Craving something to warm the belly and comfort the soul? Here’s what I need brewing slowly in my kitchen… Zuppa Toscana! I whip up a giant pot of this creamy concoction filled with crumbled sausage, tender, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes, crispy heavenly bacon, and the goodness of kale.

It can’t get better than this… This one is cozy beyond cozy! Today I’m showing you three methods: stovetop, slow cooker, and instant pot.

What is Zuppa Toscana?

Zuppa Toscana, literally means Tuscan soup. This versions might not have much to do with soups made by Tuscans, as it originated right here in America, in your favorite Olive Garden. But even so, it has become quite famous and developed quite a following. And now you can make it in your very own kitchen!

It has all the elements of classic Italian fare with that rustic feel you get by adding different layers of flavors. Fresh produce, bacon, sausage, cream… These flavors and textures combine for the most comforting and savory dish, which will result in some seriously addicting eating in your home this winter!

You ready to take a bite?

Ingredients Needed

• Italian sausage – Removed from casing. I am using both sweet and spicy varieties. Believe me, it’s great, do it this way!
• Crispy bacon – Ay-yay-yaaay… mmm… I know!
• Hearty and chunky, fork tender, potatoes – Russet potatoes are starchy and ideal, as they add a great amount of thickness. You should cook it just enough to make them fork tender. Don’t overcook, as you don’t want mushy potatoes in your bowl. Saying that, you can experiment with other potatoes like Yukon, red or yellow.
• Kale – Oh-my-favorite-kale… provides great texture in every spoonful.
• Red chili flakes, garlic, oregano and thyme – To accentuate that Italian zing.
• Chicken broth – The base that marries everything together.
• Cream – So needed to add richness to the broth.
• White wine – To take this zuppa to next level! I am using just ½ cup. The rest you can toast with your family to this zuppa in the end… cheers!

Zuppa Toscana Recipe

As all three methods start similarly, I will focus on the stovetop version for now. You can find slow cooker and instant pot methods in the recipe card.

I grab a heavy bottom pot, like a Dutch oven or cast iron pot, and fry the bacon. Then, I remove the bacon and discard the excess bacon drippings, leaving about 2-3 tablespoons in the pan.

I add sausage to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until it’s brown. Then, I remove it and set it aside.

Next, I add chopped onions to the same pan and sauté them until they’re translucent. I toss in the chopped garlic and cook until it’s fragrant. I pour in my wine and reduce it to half, which takes about 2-3 minutes. I’m starting to add so many layers of flavors to my zuppa pot! I season with salt, pepper, chili flakes, thyme, and oregano.

Then it’s time to add the chicken broth and potatoes. I bring my soup up to a low boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. I cook until the potatoes are just fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.

I add in the browned meat mixture, keeping some aside as a topping to garnish the top of my soup bowls.

Next, I add my kale and cook until it’s wilted, about 2-3 minutes. I stir in the heavy cream and reduce the heat to low, letting all the flavors marry for a few minutes.

Optional: If I want a thicker consistency for my soup, I mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a little heavy cream and stir it into the soup during the last two minutes of cooking. Another method I use is to smash some of the potatoes in the soup. The starchiness from the potatoes helps thicken the zuppa nicely.

Serving Suggestions

Whatever method I use, I end up with one tasty pot in my kitchen. Now all that’s left is to serve it up! I garnish it with the remaining sausage and bacon, along with some shaved Parmesan cheese and a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme. That’s it… slurp… slurp!

Oh… don’t forget an unlimited side of some of my great crusty bread to soak up this delicious thing in your bowl!

Sometimes I also like a nice fresh salad alongside my zuppa.

Can I make it keto friendly?

Yes, easy. Replace the potatoes with turnips or cauliflower florets!! You can check out my detailed post for Keto Zuppa Toscana.

How about dairy free?

Certainly. Just replace the cream with one can of full fat, unsweetened coconut milk (no it won’t taste coconutty) and omit the parmesan garnish. You can also make it Whole30 by also omitting the white wine.

This zuppa is so out of this world that even though it didn’t actually originate from Tuscany, I am sure every Italian would approve and enjoy it wholeheartedly!

Pin or bookmark this Zuppa Toscana so you always know where to find it. And be sure to subscribe to the GypsyPlate mailing list, we’re always cooking up great new recipes for you!

Zuppa Toscana, on our Gypsy Plate… Enjoy!!!

Try these other great soups!
Portuguese Bean Soup
Chicken Pastina Soup
Caldo de Camaron
Finnish Salmon Soup
Asopao de Pollo
Birria Ramen
Yakamein
Sancocho

Zuppa Toscana (3 Methods)

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

My hearty and comforting Zuppa Toscana is based on the version made famous by Olive Garden. But I don't want to call it a copycat... because this home made version is much better!

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Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sausage links
• 8oz bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4-5 medium potatoes
• 4 cups chopped kale
• 7 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup white wine
• 1.5 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
• Red chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste
• Shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

Stovetop Method

1. In heavy bottom pot, fry bacon until crispy over medium-high heat. Remove bacon, set aside, and remove all but 2-3 Tbsp bacon drippings. Remove sausage from casings and fry in bacon drippings, crumbling with wooden spoon, until browned and crumbly. Remove and set aside.
2. Add chopped onions to same pan, sauté until translucent. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add wine and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, chili flakes, thyme and oregano.
3. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook until potatoes are just for tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Add about 3/4 of the meat mixture, saving some aside for garnishing.
5. Stir in kale and cook 2-3 minutes, until wilted.
6. Reduce heat to low, add heavy cream, stir nicely and allow flavors to mix together for a few minutes.
7. Taste. Add additional salt, pepper, red chili flakes, thyme and oregano as desired.
8. Serve in your favorite bowl and garnish with more bacon and sausage, shaved Parmesan and fresh thyme sprigs. Serve with plenty of nice crusty bread!

Slow Cooker Method

1. Begin by following steps 1 & 2 from stovetop method.
2. Add ¾ of cooked meat mixture (saving some aside for garnishing) and and potatoes to the slow cooker. Add in onion wine mixture. Swirl a little water in the original pan and pour that into the slow cooker, so you don't lost any of that reduced wine.
3. Add chicken broth and just enough water to cover the potatoes.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
5. Stir in cream and kale and cook until kale has wilted.

Instant Pot Method

1. With instant pot set to sauté, complete steps 1 & 2 from stovetop method in instant pot.
2. Add in potatoes, 3/4 of meat mixture (saving some aside for garnishing) and chicken broth.
3. Set pressure to HIGH on manual setting and set time for 5 minutes. Afterwards, allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before opening.
4. Stir in cream and kale. Serve once kale has wilted.

Notes

1. For thicker zuppa, mix 1-2 Tbsp flour with a little heavy cream and stir into your pot during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.
2. Make it keto by replacing potatoes with cauliflower florets.
3. Leftovers: As a leftover the next day, this zuppa is a BOMB, with all the flavors from the meats getting accentuated overnight. You are going to love it. Just store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
4. That being said, I don't recommend freezing this soup. Dairy does tend to separate when frozen and potatoes lose their consistency pretty quickly in the freezer.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 898Total Fat 61gSaturated Fat 29gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 32gCholesterol 168mgSodium 2678mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 6gSugar 8gProtein 41g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.