Delicious Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup (copycat recipe) made with Swiss Chard, Italian sausage (bratwursts will work too), potatoes, and bacon. Made in one pot, the soup takes only 40 minutes to make (including idle time while everything is simmering)!
I never realized that a soup with such a fancy name as Zuppa Toscana is so easy to make! This soup is usually made with kale, but I had lots of Swiss chard so I thought I would use that instead. I loved the addition of Swiss chard in this soup! Here are all major ingredients I used:
MY OTHER VIDEOSThe cooking process is very easy: everything is done in one pot. First, you cook the sausage with onions, then add water and bring to boil. Next, add potatoes and garlic, and simmer until potatoes are soft. Finally, add Swiss chard, bacon, and half-and-half. That’s it!
The soup tastes even better the next day, or two and even three days later, after being refrigerated, which allows all flavors to blend in. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 12 oz Italian sausages or bratwursts (about 2-3 sausages), chopped
- 5 cups water
- 2 medium size or large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into small chunks
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 strips of freshly cooked bacon, chopped
- 3 cups Swiss chard (center stalks removed and sliced thin like ribbons)
- 1 cup half and half
- salt and red crushed pepper
Instructions
- Chop uncooked sausages into small slices. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a soup pot, add chopped onions and chopped sausage and cook until both onion and sausage are cooked through.
- Add 5 cups of water to the pan, stir, and bring to boil.
- Add potatoes (peeled and cubed into small chunks), and minced garlic. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook until potatoes are done, about 15-20 minutes on low simmer.
- For Swiss chard, make sure to remove center stalks and slice the Swiss chard leaves thin like ribbon. Then, add Swiss chard and half the bacon (reserve the remaining half for serving) to the soup pot. Add 1 cup half and half to the soup pot. Bring to hot temperature (not boil), mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste
- Serve in individual bowls, topped with the remaining amount of chopped bacon on top.
Thank you, upped the bacon just a bit but one of the best soups i have ever made!
Just came across this recipe, hope its not too late for a response. My question is, since I just made a pot of turkey stock, can I use that instead of water or will that change the overall taste too much? Oh and as for the sausage, do you think spicey is ok or is this better with mild? I’m sure its a preference but again, I don’t want to change the overall taste of this apparently awesome soup recipe!