A cozy rustic soup- this creamy slow cooker zuppa toscana is the best way to soothe anything that ails you. Loaded with spicy Italian sausage, tender slices of potato, and fresh kale- this Olive Garden copycat is a full hearty meal when served with a slice of hearty bread.
While I am a firm believer that soup is a 365 day meal, I am fully aware that not everyone agrees.
I could happily tuck into a hearty bowl of soup any day of the year.
Some of my favorites include beef stroganoff soup, pizza soup, and the classic potato soup.
Can you ever really go wrong with a good bowl of soup for dinner?!
Still even I will agree that when the temperature starts to drop, soup just hits differently- in all the best possible ways.
And if you need a little bit of warm and cozy in your day, there’s nothing that quite fits the bill like this slow cooker zuppa toscana soup.
This spot on Olive Garden copycat checks all the boxes for a filling meal that will warm you up from the inside out.
Ingredients Needed
This Italian soup is a staple in our home, and for good reason.
So much flavor, and a relatively simple ingredient list!
To make it you’ll need:
- Sausage – We recommend using spicy Italian sausage, but you can sub a milder pork sausage if preferred.
- Broth – Chicken broth, homemade or store bought, and you can use a low sodium version if salt’s a concern.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves, peeled and minced. The pre-minced stuff just doesn’t to the trick here.
- Onion – One large white onion, peeled & diced
- Potatoes – Either russet or red will both work in this recipe. Wash & scrub them, but leave the skins on. Slice the potatoes in half, and then thinly slice the halves.
- Bacon – About 1/4 cup of crisp, crumbled cooked bacon- it adds crispy texture and a hint of smoky flavor.
- Kale – Fresh kale, with the stems removed. Wash it well since sand and dirt love to hide in the leaves.
- Cream – Heavy whipping cream
- Parmesan – Freshly grated off the block is best
That’s it. Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients you’re ready to get a pot of this copycat olive garden soup going!
How To Make
Slow cooker zuppa toscana soup is super easy to throw together- just another reason I love this recipe and keep it in regular rotation.
To start, you’ll need to prepare the sausage.
Add the sausage to a large skillet set over medium high heat.
Brown the meat, breaking it apart as it cooks, until no sign of pink remains to be seen.
Let it continue to cook just until it begins to crisp up slightly around the edges of the crumbles.
Drain off all of the excess grease and then transfer the cooked sausage to the bowl of your slow cooker.
Add the chicken broth, garlic, onion, and potatoes to the bowl of the slow cooker with the meat.
Add the lid to cover, and then cook the soup on low for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
You’ll know the soup’s done when the potatoes are fork tender. They will break apart some when stirred, which is not only ok but encouraged.
Turn the slow cooker OFF.
Add the kale, stirring in to evenly incorporate. Cover with the lid and let the soup rest for 5-10 minutes.
The residual heat will cook the kale, allowing it to soften without wilting completely. Don’t let it sit too long though, or it will continue to wilt and get sad and soggy.
Just before serving, stir the heavy whipping cream into the soup until fully incorporated.
At this point you can stir the bacon into the soup, or save it to serve as a garnish on individual bowls.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Storing
Extra, or leftover, slow cooker zuppa toscana soup can be stored in an air tight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
The cream will separate, but will reincorporate when heated and stirred. So don’t be put off by that.
Reheat leftovers in a pot on the stove set over low heat, just until heated through.
Can You Freeze Zuppa Toscana?
Yes! Our zuppa toscana recipe is actually freezer friendly.
Once the soup’s done and you turn off the crockpot, let the soup cool completely. DO NOT add the cream.
Transfer the soup to a freezer grade ziplocking bag or other freezer safe air tight container.
The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Stir the cream in, once the soup’s been thawed and reheated on the stove top, just before serving.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Use quality chicken broth! The broth is the base so the more flavor in your broth, the more and better flavor your soup will have overall.
- Be sure to drain the grease from the cooked sausage as much as possible. Sausage is very greasy, and you don’t want that to end up in your soup.
- Traditional zuppa toscana (aka Tuscan soup) includes cannellini beans- flesh this soup out by stirring in a can of drained & rinsed beans.
- Want to get more veggies in? Chopped carrots, thinly sliced zucchini, and diced sweet bell peppers all make delicious additions to this rustic soup.
Other Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
There’s nothing quite as warm and cozy as tucking into this Slow Cooker Copy Cat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana. It is truly a soup to soothe the soul, and stick to your ribs.
Spicy Italian sausage, fresh kale and russet potatoes in a rich, creamy broth topped off with crispy, crumbled bacon and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
This is one recipe everyone needs in their slow cooker cook book.
And consider sharing a bowl with a friend, you never know when someone could use the warmth a simple bowl of rustic soup can offer.
Looking for other slow cooked soups to try? Check out these fan favorites:
- Slow Cooker Jambalaya Soup
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti & Meatballs Soup
- Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Chili
If you’ve tried this SLOW COOKER ZUPPA TOSCANA, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Slow Cooker Copy Cat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 1 lb spicy Italian sausage casings removed
- 32 oz can chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2-3 large russet baking potatoes sliced in half and then into 1/4 inch thin slices
- 1 large white onion diced
- 1/4 cup crisp cooked crumbled bacon (optional)
- 2 cups washed kale stems removed & roughly chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- freshly grated Parmesan for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until it's no longer pink and has just started to crisp up.
- Drain the sausage and transfer the cooked sausage to your slow cooker. Add in the chicken broth, garlic, potatoes, and onion.
- Cover & cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are cooked and soft/fork tender. The potatoes will break up a bit when you stir the soup, and that's perfectly fine.
- Turn the slow cooker off and add the kale. Return the lid and let everything sit for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and serve. Stir the bacon into the soup, or sprinkle some over top each bowl of soup before serving- if using.
- Garnish each bowl with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Use quality chicken broth! The broth is the base so the more flavor in your broth, the more and better flavor your soup will have overall.
- Be sure to drain the grease from the cooked sausage as much as possible. Sausage is very greasy, and you don't want that to end up in your soup.
- Traditional zuppa toscana (aka Tuscan soup) includes cannellini beans- flesh this soup out by stirring in a can of drained & rinsed beans.
- Want to get more veggies in? Chopped carrots, thinly sliced zucchini, and diced sweet bell peppers all make delicious additions to this rustic soup.
Nutrition
recipe originally published August 31, 2017
Ginger says
Looking delicious – perfect for the New Year!
Wishing you all the best for 2016 and thanks for joining us at our very special Fiesta Friday extravaganza!
Ginger
4sonsrus says
Thanks, Ginger! And thanks again for stopping by & for partying with us 🙂
Judith Graber says
I’ve not tried this soup but I am not a fan of kale so that’s probably why. Looks delicious – thanks for sharing with Fiesta Friday.
Nicole says
Love the Zuppa Toscana Soup. Very good woth garlic bread. .
4sonsrus says
Yes, a good bread is a must with this soup. We don’t wanna leave a drop behind. I usually bake plain bread sticks to go with it, but I’m going to try it with garlic bread next time. Thanks for the suggestion, Nicole!
Karen says
I’ve made this and it’s so easy and tastes just like Olive Garden!! I love that all I have to do is throw it in the slow cooker. Thank you for sharing!!!