Zuppa Toscana Recipe
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If you’re a fan of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana, you’ll love this homemade version—loaded with Italian sausage and fresh veggies, it’s satisfying and so easy to make. Perfect for cozy nights in!
This is my take on the famous Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden—a hearty and comforting Italian-inspired soup loaded with savory Italian sausage, tender potatoes, and fresh spinach, all simmered in a creamy, flavorful broth. While you’ll find plenty of versions of this soup online, what makes this one stand out is the slightly thicker broth, thanks to a touch of flour. It gives the soup a more substantial, satisfying texture, turning it into a true main course. Pair it with an arugula salad and some good crusty bread, and dinner is done!
What You’ll Need To Make Zuppa Toscana
- Italian Sausage: Adds protein and rich, savory, and spicy flavor to the soup.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic: These aromatics create a flavorful base for the soup.
- Carrots: Bring a hint of natural sweetness and a bit of color to the soup.
- All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the broth slightly, giving it a satisfying body without being too heavy.
- Chicken Broth: The liquid base of the soup, adding richness and savory flavor.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: Creamy and tender, these potatoes absorb the broth’s flavors, giving the soup heartiness.
- Salt, Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Add balance, seasoning, and heat to the dish.
- Baby Spinach: Adds freshness and a pop of color to the soup.
- Heavy Cream: Adds creaminess to the broth, making the soup comforting and rich.
- Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano Cheese: Adds a salty, nutty flavor that brings everything together.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it browns, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a colander in the sink to drain, leaving some of the drippings in the pot for sautéing the vegetables.
Add the diced onion and carrots to the reserved drippings and sauté over medium heat until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables.
Stir until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the potatoes, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
While the soup simmers, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. With more paper towels, blot the sausage to absorb any excess grease.
Add the baby spinach and cooked sausage to the soup. Simmer until the spinach is wilted, a few minutes.
Add cream and cheese.
Stir to combine and continue to simmer until everything is warmed through. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve hot, passing more cheese at the table. You can prepare the soup up to 2 days in advance; freezing is not recommended.
Video Tutorial
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Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy, depending on your preference), removed from casings
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, diced into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for more heat)
- 2 cups baby spinach, stems removed, packed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it browns, 5 to 7 minutes. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a colander in the sink to drain, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pot for sautéing the vegetables.
- Add the diced onion and carrots to the reserved drippings (if the pot seems dry, add a bit of oil). Sauté over medium heat until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Do not brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Gradually pour in the chicken broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the potatoes, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. With more paper towels, blot the sausage to absorb any excess grease.
- Add the baby spinach and cooked sausage to the soup. Simmer until the spinach is wilted, a few minutes. Stir in the cream and cheese and continue to simmer until everything is warmed through. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve hot, passing more cheese at the table.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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This soup is SO delicious. Thank you!
Excellent! I skipped the cream for my husband (lactose intolerant) and it was still amazing. Highly recommend!
Always 5 stars. Always delicious.
Big fan here.
This soup is wonderful even without the cream!
Thank you.
Always.
I made this tonight and it was wonderful! A nice, hearty and flavorful soup for a cold day!
I absolutely love all your recipes, Jen, and often rave about them to my friends and family! Would it be possible to add a button option on your recipes to easily double or triple the ingredient quantities? I plan to make this soup tonight and can’t wait to try it.
Hi Colleen, thanks for your nice words about the recipes and for spreading the word about the website! I will add your request to my list of potential enhancements to the blog. In the meantime, a reader shared a website that will scale your recipes. It’s called AnyList (https://www.anylist.com/complete) if you want to check it out. I took a peek at it, and it appears that there are a lot of free options but if you want to scale recipes, that’s an option you need to pay for. (Keep in mind that I haven’t tried it myself.)
Phenomenal soup. An instant addition to our winter meal rotation.
Jenn, thanks for your prompt response! The soup is PERFECT and as promised here’s the fifth star!
Jenn, I can’t wait to try this soup recipe! Your recipes are always easy to follow and the final results are always ‘gobble-up good’!! We don’t eat pork – wondering if you could suggest a replacement? There is a good butcher near me that makes turkey sausage and receives very high ratings for it. Should I go with that? Thanks for everything… I’m sure I’ll be adding another star when we’ve enjoyed it.
Hi Frannie, turkey sausage would be a perfect replacement. Enjoy!
Frannie…why in the world would you even rate a recipe if you haven’t tried it?! And to leave off a star even. Jenn deserves better!
I make a lot of soups but this is my favorite. It’s pretty, delicious, chunky and comforting. Your recipes are my go tos, Jenn.
I make one of Jenn’s soups every Monday during the winter and I made this for the first time last week. It is so satisfying-definitely a new favorite!! Made it with hot Italian sausage and we inhaled it. Tomorrow’s soup? Ah, Italian Wedding-that’ll warm us up!!
Thank you, Jenn!