Zuppa Toscana

Name: Zuppa Toscana Soup with Italian Sausage & Kale
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 1 lb bacon, chopped; 1 large yellow onion, diced; 2 lbs Italian sausage, blend of hot and mild; 4 cloves garlic, puréed; 8 cups chicken stock; 20 oz diced potatoes, par-cooked; 2 cups heavy whipping cream; salt, to taste; black pepper, to taste; 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and chopped; shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Zuppa Toscana is a creamy Italian-American soup built on bacon, Italian sausage, and hearty potatoes with kale, simmered in chicken broth until rich and comforting. This quick version skips long cook times without sacrificing depth.

🍴Copycat

🌍Italian-American 🏷️Zuppa toscana 🏷️Soup 🏷️Italian sausage 🏷️Kale Potato

🏷️

🏷️Bacon

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TikTok

Total

45 min

Servings

8

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$22–$36

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From TikTok

-0:00

TikTok

Ingredients

1 lb bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 lbs Italian sausage, blend of hot and mild
4 cloves garlic, puréed
8 cups chicken stock
20 oz diced potatoes, par-cooked
2 cups heavy whipping cream
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 large bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnishoptional

11 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the chopped bacon and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is starting to crisp.
2
Add the diced onion to the pot and cook with the bacon until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3
Add the Italian sausage to the pot. Use a meat chopper or spatula to break it up and cook until fully browned.
4
Stir in the puréed garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant.
5
Pour in the chicken stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
6
Add the diced potatoes and bring the soup to a simmer.
7
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy whipping cream. Gently bring the soup back to a simmer, but do not boil.
8
Season the soup with salt and black pepper to your taste.
9
Add the chopped kale to the pot. Stir gently until the kale wilts into the soup, about 1-2 minutes.
10
Let the soup simmer for a few more minutes for all the flavors to meld together.
11
Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Par-cook potatoes for 5–7 minutes before adding to the broth to ensure they finish tender and don't overcook once cream is added.
Brown the sausage thoroughly and render the bacon fully to build flavor; don't skip deglazing the pan with a splash of stock to capture fond.
Add cream off heat or over low heat to prevent curdling; stir constantly for 1–2 minutes until fully incorporated.
Chop kale finely and add in the final 3–5 minutes so it wilts without becoming mushy or losing bright color.

Substitutions

Heavy whipping cream → whole milk or half-and-half (soup will be thinner; use 2.5 cups to compensate)
Kale → spinach or Swiss chard (add in final minute; more delicate and wilts faster)
Italian sausage → ground Italian turkey (flavor will be leaner; brown thoroughly)

Storage & make-ahead

Store in an airtight container up to 4 days refrigerated; reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally. Best reheated on stovetop rather than microwave to preserve texture.