Crockpot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)
This creamy Crockpot Zuppa Toscana is an easy Olive Garden copycat made with Italian sausage, tender potatoes, kale, smoky bacon, and a rich garlic cream broth. A hearty slow cooker soup for cozy family dinners.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner, SOUP
- Method: Crockpot
- Cuisine: ITALIAN INSPIRED
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, mild or hot
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ¼-inch-thick half-moons
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 4 packed cups chopped kale, tough stems removed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the skillet and carefully discard the rest. Refrigerate the cooked bacon until serving.
- Brown the sausage and onion. Add the Italian sausage and diced onion to the skillet. Cook for 8–10 minutes, breaking the sausage into crumbles, until the sausage is cooked through and the onion has softened. Drain excess grease.
- Add the garlic. Stir the minced garlic into the sausage mixture and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Fill the slow cooker. Transfer the sausage mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the sliced potatoes, chicken broth, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Stir gently.
- Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Begin checking at the shorter cooking time, since slow cookers vary.
- Add the kale and cream. Stir in the chopped kale and heavy cream. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 20–30 minutes, until the kale is tender and the soup is hot throughout. Taste and add salt as needed.
- Serve. Warm the reserved bacon until hot. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with bacon and optional Parmesan cheese. Serve with warm bread or breadsticks.
Notes
- Timing: Listed cook time uses 6 hours on LOW plus 30 minutes after adding the kale and cream. Allow longer if the potatoes need more time.
- Sausage: Use mild sausage for less heat or hot Italian sausage for a spicier soup. Omit the optional red pepper flakes if desired.
- Potatoes: Leave the skins on or peel them. Yukon Gold potatoes can replace russets and tend to hold their shape better.
- Bacon: Reserve it for serving to keep it crisp. For a softer texture and more smoky flavor throughout the broth, add half the cooked bacon with the potatoes.
- Thicker soup: Before adding the kale and cream, mash about 1 cup of cooked potatoes with a little broth, then stir back into the soup.
- Spinach substitution: Replace kale with baby spinach and add during the final 5–10 minutes.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours. Keep for up to 3–4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until the soup reaches 165°F. Add broth as needed.
- Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the soup base without cream or kale for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat, and add the kale and cream. Potatoes may soften after freezing.
Find it online: https://www.firsthomelovelife.com/crockpot-zuppa-toscana/