Learn how to make super delicious zuppa toscana – a fantastic Italian soup from Tuscany. Do not miss out on this awesome recipe below!
Why You”ll Love Zuppa Toscana
Zuppa Toscana is a super delicious soup dish that’s incredibly nutritious, with many healthy ingredients, including different sorts of vegetables, potatoes, beans, and meat.
The soup is rich and milky, thanks to the heavy cream. Besides, there are many other flavorful components, such as onion, garlic, and multiple seasonings.
People love to make and eat Zuppa Toscana soup as a delightful starter for lunch or dinner. It’s such a comforting and hearty dish to enjoy all year round, but especially in the wintertime, as a wonderful way to warm you up.
Though the super delicious Zuppa Toscana recipe is popular in the States nowadays, it actually originated in the Tuscany region, central Italy, hundreds of years ago. The food from this area is generally simple but still exquisite, with all high-quality and locally sourced products.
#Fun fact: Zuppa Toscana literally means “Tuscan soup” in Italian. Another name the locals tend to use more is “minestra di pane” or “bread soup”.
Why bread soup, you may ask? Traditionally, Zuppa Toscana is always served with some Tuscan bread, or Pane sciocco, on the side. It’s a type of local bread. “Sciocco means “without salt”. As you guess, it’s more bland and actually pairs very well with a savory soup like Zuppa Toscana.
I am sure if you love Olive Garden restaurants and are a regular, you have already tried out their Zuppa Toscana soup once. It’s one of the signature dishes that is super popular.
Some argue that it’s not really that authentic. In fact, the American version of the Zuppa Toscana recipe is slightly creamier than the original one from Italy. You can choose to make the dish light or rich depending on your preference.
Other mouthwatering dishes from Italy you may like:
- The best homemade polenta recipe
- Delightful Lasagna To Make At Home
- White Chicken Tortilla Soups for You
Olive Garden’s Super Delicious Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
Today you can have a chance to make a homemade Zuppa Toscana recipe. It is so yummy and, in my opinion, even better than Olive Garden’s. Just follow the instruction, and you will see what I mean.
Time to prep | 15 minutes | Servings | 4-6 |
Time to cook | 45 minutes | Skill Level | Easy |
INGREDIENTS:
- 16 oz of Italian sausage
- 7 oz kale
- 4 potatoes
- 16 oz of bacon
- 48 oz chicken broth
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 16 oz of heavy whipping cream
- Black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- Clean and thinly slice potatoes. Set aside.
- Remove stems from the kale and roughly chop/break the leaves into smaller pieces.
- Chopped bacon and add to a heated saucepan. Stir well for about 10 minutes until the bacon releases all the fat. Get some of the fat into a bowl and set aside.
- Add Italian sausages into the saucepan and break it down. Mix the bacon in the sausage until completely fried
- Add onion and garlic. Give it a mix and keep cooking for about 10 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and some pepper. Cover it and let it come to a boil for about 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, mix them, and let them boil until they are a bit tender.
- Add heavy whipping cream. Give it a stir.
- Add kale and cover the lit for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Serve Zuppa Toscana soup in a bowl with some Tuscan bread on the side. Enjoy!
If you want to make a vegan dish for this Zuppa Toscana, I got you my friend!
Zuppa Toscana Recipe – Vegan Version
The second Zuppa Toscana recipe is a veganized version of the Olive Garden classic with vegan sausages, potato and kale. The Beyond sausage tastes just like real meat. You can hardly tell the difference. Feel skeptical, let’s try and taste for yourself.
Time to prep | 15 minutes | Servings | 4 |
Time to cook | 45 minutes | Skill Level | Easy |
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 russet potatoes
- 1 bunch kale
- 3/4 can coconut milk
- 2 cups almond milk for soup base
- 1 cup almond milk to add to soup
- 3.5 cups water
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- Remove stems from the kale and roughly chop/break the leaves into smaller pieces.
- Clean, peel, and thinly slice potatoes.
- Peel and chop the onion.
- Add vegan sausages to a pan. Break them up and cook them for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside.
- Add flour to the same pan with the remaining grease. Cook and mix well until you get a roux (pasty consistency). Add more oil if needed.
- Gradually add almond milk and keep whisking until you get a consistency like an Alfredo sauce.
- Pour the mixture into a bigger pot.
- Add water, vegetable bouillon, and coconut milk. Keep stirring, and bring it to a boil.
- Add onion, potatoes, and kale to the pot. Cover the lid and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Season with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Add vegan sausages to the pot. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Serve hot immediately. Bon appetite!
Tuscan Bread to Enjoy with Zuppa Toscana Soup
I figure the Zuppa Toscana recipe will not be completed without some Tuscan bread.
Therefore, I want to give you a very simple recipe for it, too, actually even simpler than making other types of bread. Even though it’s called “no salt bread” or “saltless bread”, it’s still super flavorful, crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside.
Time to prep | 5-6 hours | Servings | 4 |
Time to cook | 1 hour | Skill Level | Medium |
For a 500g Tuscan bread, you will need:
INGREDIENTS:
- 400g bread flour
- 260 ml water (room temp./ slightly warm)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 8g fresh yeast (or 4g dried yeast)
DIRECTIONS:
- Mix flour, water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl until forming a dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 3 hours.
- Fold the dough and put it in a kitchen cloth dusted with flour. Let it rest for another 2 hours until it doubles the size.
- Put the baking tray inside the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF or 220ºC.
- Take out the baking tray, add in the dough, and put back in the oven to bake 3 times: the first 20 mins at 425ºF with a bowl of water, the next 10 mins at 390ºF, and the last 20 mins at 355ºF.
- Take the loaf of bread out and let it cool.
Tips and Praise
moni marti, “Oh my god… I just made your recipe, and your husband is right. It’s better than olive gardens! Thank you!!!”
Jules Martinez, “If I can give you 10 stars I would. This soup came out super super delicious. Your receipe was easy to follow. My husband loved it and he is picky..Thank you Karina.”
hello!, “As a former Olive Garden employee back in the day I can definitely say YOU DID THAT!!! They do add red pepper flake at the restaurant but the idea of making a roux and the build the flavor (as our people do!!) is gonna taste better than the restaurant version. You did great with the editing and clear direction too. Keep the recipes coming sis great job!”
Glenn Brook, “Amazing!! Definitely making this for myself. You showed a perfect way to thicken the sauce, love your vids!!!”
FL Kayak, “Fantastic. I enjoyed watching and will make this with a Tuscan stew recipe I have. Thank you.”
Editor’s Note
This super delicious Zuppa Toscana soup is one of the most amazing 1-pot-recipes you should add to your collection to make as often as you like.
It has got all the nutrition you need in 1 dish, so you may not even need to cook too many options. But of course, you can serve the Zuppa Toscana soup as a yummy side dish to pair with Baked Potatoes, Butter Garlic Green Beans, or Summer Fruit Salad.
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