Slow Cooker Copy Cat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

a shallow white bowl filled with slow cooker zuppa toscana

5 from 6 votes

Slow Cooker Copy Cat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Total Time8 15

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 642kcal

Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us

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)

US Customary - Metric

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