Easy Zuppa Toscana made in 30 minutes with browned bits of sausage, tender potatoes, and wilted kale, all wrapped in a a creamy, rich, slurpable broth!
Zuppa Toscana
Just a Reminder That Zuppa Toscana Is One Of The All Time Greats.
A few nights ago, Bjork and I sat down for dinner with the girls. It’s pitch black out. Freezing cold and windy.
On the stove: a Dutch oven with browned bits of sausage, tender potatoes, and wilted kale, all wrapped in a a creamy, rich, slurpable broth. House smells amazing, we’re all feeling real cozy.
I ladled steamy zuppa toscana into bowls. Handed out chunk of warm, crusty bread. There’s buttering, there’s soup dunking, and honestly, just silence and clinking bowls and spoons.
And then there’s this moment where we looked at each other and almost started laughing, like, “oh my gosh. this is so good right now.”
Zuppa toscana (the one I’m channeling here) is the Italian-American classic Olive Garden soup that we all know and love. But it hits really different when homemade.
The thing I want you to know most of all is that the broth here is BROTHY. It’s creamy while being highly slurpable. When you dip a piece of bread in there, it’s going to sop, soak, saturate in the best way. (I have a very similar recipe – sausage, kale, and white bean stew – which is highly rated and I love it. But the difference is that one tends to be thicker. This one is truly brothy.)
We’re talking *MINIMAL* ingredients. Humble simplicity. Just the easiest recipe ever, and somehow the end result is just so incredibly delicious.
Wishing you a cozy zuppa toscana night with lots of bread!
Here’s the dutch oven I love, if you’re in the market for one! (affiliate link)
Welcome To My (NEW) Kitchen! Let’s Make This Zuppa Toscana.
1
Brown The Sausage, Onions, and Garlic.
I start with the sausage, then add onions and garlic. Let it cook down for a good 5-10 minutes until super soft.
2
Add Potatoes and Broth.
I add water and then use Better Than Bouillon for my broth base!
3
Add Kale and Cream.
Let it hang out over a low simmer so all the flavors lock in and the kale wilts down.
4
You’re Done!
This is such a great moment. Soup, bread, coziness at its peak.
Guys, I live in Minnesota and I make so much soup. I love it so much. Click here for a list of 30 more of my favorite, top-rated soup recipes!
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Zuppa Toscana
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5–6 servings 1x
Description
Easy stovetop Zuppa Toscana with browned bits of sausage, tender potatoes, and wilted kale, all wrapped in a a creamy, rich, slurpable broth!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Zuppa Toscana:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. ground mild Italian pork sausage
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3–4 cups)
- 6 cups chicken broth (see notes)
- 2 stalks of kale, stems removed, finely chopped (2–3 cups)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
To Season / Serve:
- salt and pepper to taste
- freshly grated Parmesan to taste, for topping
- 1 loaf crusty bread, with butter (this one is so easy – or just a store-bought take-and-bake loaf!)
Instructions
- Sausage: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (affiliate link) over medium high heat. Brown the sausage until fully cooked.
- Onions and Garlic: Add the onions and garlic to the sausage. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until soft and fragrant. FYI your house will smell AMAZING.
- Potatoes and Broth: Add the potatoes and the broth. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. (Be careful not to let it go for too long, because the potatoes will start to get really soft.)
- Finish with Cream: Add the kale and heavy cream. Simmer for 5 minutes until kale has wilted.
- Serve: Season with salt and pepper, top with Parmesan for even more flavor, and dunk into that glorious broth with hot crusty bread.
Notes
Broth: I always use 6 cups water + 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon chicken flavor base. It’s amazing. Highly recommend. If you’re not using this, you’ll probably need to add a bit more salt.
Pork Fat: This soup will have small beads of the pork fat distributed throughout the soup and/or pearling on top of the soup. That’s a good thing – it is a sign of both amazing flavor and a luscious mouthfeel. These will incorporate as it gently bubbles, and they will rise to the surface as it cools. To re-incorporate, just heat it back up again and give it a stir.
Bacon: Hot take, but I don’t think it’s necessary which is why I didn’t include it. You get so much flavor already from the pork sausage. I have never eaten this and wished it had bacon in it.
Potato Peels vs. No Peels: If you want to save a bit of time, use baby potatoes and just cut them into quarters – you don’t have to peel them! It has a slightly different, more earthy taste (as potato peels do), but can confirm, it’s still delicious.
White Wine: For weeks now, I’ve considered adding white wine to this recipe to deglaze the pan after the sausage, onion, and garlic; in my mind, it would add a nice layer of acidity to a very savory, rich broth. However, I have made this so many times and never had white wine in the house on any of the times, and I have loved every batch so much exactly as it is. Let me know if you try it with white wine in there!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: zuppa toscana, olive garden copycat, soup recipe, creamy soup recipe
Frequently Asked Questions: Zuppa Toscana
Can you make this vegetarian?
You could swap the Italian sausage for white beans, but the flavor won’t be quite the same! If you want to match the flavor profile, I’d recommend using a plant-based sausage like Beyond Meat or Impossible.
Do you need to peel the potatoes?
Nope! I prefer them peeled for a smoother texture, but you can keep the peels on to save time. If you do choose to keep the peels, I’d do a baby red or Yukon gold potato instead, as the skin isn’t as tough.
How long do the leftovers keep?
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Can you freeze this soup?
You can freeze this, but because of the kale and potatoes, things can start to brown pretty fast! I’d recommend reheating and eating it within three months.
What can you serve with Zuppa Toscana?
I recommend a really fresh and zippy green salad, and some fresh bread.
Where’s the bacon!?
In my opinion, you get enough richness and smokiness from the Italian sausage so I don’t add it! But you are definitely welcome to use it for yours – either in the soup itself or as a topping.
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November 11, 2025
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I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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This soup is so yummy! I make it very simply as you do, but have used a can of full fat cocounut milk, or coconut creme to sub out the heavy cream here. To deglaze I’ve used white wine (yum) and also a splash of apple cider vinegar when I didn’t have wine open (rarely!) which was also yummy. Swapping out chicken sausage for pork still provided ample flavor and I didn’t miss the fat content.
Thank you, I was wondering if I could use the leaner sausage-type and sub cocount milk, and love that your comment tells me! Looking forward to eating this soup so much!
You’re welcome! I have had it both ways (with bacon and pork sausage and cream) and without, and did not miss the fat. I will also add a can of cannelini beans, which help to thicken it up, and you could even whiz them in a blender first to give you some more creaminess if you’d rather vs. brothy.
Tried THIS recipe for Zuppa and I found it to be very flavourful and quite simple to put together quickly. I deglazed with ACV, left skins on potatoes (red, small), 18% table cream and, of course, BACON! I did, however, substitute chopped spinach for the kale, as that is what I had on hand.
I served with flaky rolls, parmesan, freshly cracked pepper and a favourite…more bacon pieces! Wonderful!
Enjoy!
Oh, sounds so good with the addition of bacon!
I am wondering if it would be good with turkey sausage to reduce the fat or if it just wouldn’t taste as good?
Hi! The fat of the pork sausage is essential for the best flavor here.
There’s an almost identical recipe on here (Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup) that I love making with sweet Italian chicken sausage– it also includes white beans. I recommend that one for a slightly healthier take. I made it this week and ate lunch at 9am the next day bc I kept thinking about my soup leftovers lol!
Another orange meal!!
This Zuppa Toscana turned out absolutely delicious! The creamy broth, tender potatoes, and savory sausage make it the ultimate comfort food. It’s rich, hearty, and tastes just like the restaurant version — maybe even better at home!
What would work best to substitute for the cream? My daughter is allergic to dairy.
I know you didn’t ask me, but…I always use full-fat coconut milk or unsweetened coconut cream instead of heavy cream. Someone else mentioned this in a review, also. I hope this helps 🙂
Yep! Coconut milk (full fat) or coconut creme. Trader Joe’s has great ones that aren’t super pricey. You don’t notice the flavor difference with everything else in the soup 🙂
I tried using Better than Broth mixed with water in place of chicken broth in your Creamy Chicken with Gnocchi last night. We like the recipe overall, but the Better than Broth made it way too salty for our taste. (I usually use low-sodium chicken broth.) Just a caution for those using this product.
Hi! Can i sub the Italian pork sausage with pork mince? It’s really hard to get Italian pork sausage where i come from.
This Zuppa Toscana looks amazing! Love how cozy and comforting it feels — definitely trying this recipe soon.