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Pasta Chicken

Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup with Swiss Chard

Published: Sep 20, 2014 | 24 Comments

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Delicious Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup (copycat recipe) made with Swiss Chard, Italian sausage (bratwursts will work too), potatoes, and bacon.

Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat Recipe

Zuppa Toscana Soup

  • Zuppa Toscana means soup in the traditions of Tuscany, Italy.
  • This version of Zuppa Toscana is made in one pot, and the soup takes only 40 minutes to make (including the idle time while everything is simmering)!
  • This soup is usually made with kale, but in this recipe I use Swiss chard instead which works beautifully!

 Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup (copycat recipe)

Substitutions

Zuppa Toscana is a super versatile soup and you can easily substitute certain ingredients:

  • Use Italian sausage or bratwursts.
  • Use Kale or Swiss chard or spinach.
  • Use bacon or prosciutto or pancetta.
  • Use heavy cream or milk or half-and-half.

 Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup (copycat recipe)

Ingredients for Zuppa Toscana Soup

  • olive oil
  • onion
  • Italian sausages or bratwursts
  • water
  • russet potatoes
  • garlic cloves
  • bacon
  • Swiss chard
  • half and half
  • salt and red crushed pepper

ingredients

How to make Zuppa Toscana Soup

The cooking process is very simple: 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, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Finally, add Swiss chard, bacon, and half-and-half. That’s it!
  • Serve in individual bowls, topped with the remaining amount of chopped bacon on top.

Below are some step-by-step photos of the cooking process:

collage of step-by-step photos for major steps of cooking Zuppa Toscana Soup

This Zuppa Toscana 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!

 Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup (copycat recipe)

5 from 3 votes
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Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup with Swiss Chard
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

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)!

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 430 kcal
Author: Julia
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion , chopped
  • 12 oz Italian sausages or bratwursts, about 2-3 sausages, chopped
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 russet potatoes , medium size or large, peeled and cubed into small chunks
  • 4 garlic cloves , minced
  • 6 strips bacon , cooked and chopped
  • 3 cups Swiss chard , center stalks removed and sliced thin like ribbons
  • 1 cup half and half
  • salt and red crushed pepper
Instructions
  1. 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.
  2. Add 5 cups of water to the pan, stir, and bring to boil.
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. Serve in individual bowls, topped with the remaining amount of chopped bacon on top.
Nutrition Facts
Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup with Swiss Chard
Amount Per Serving
Calories 430 Calories from Fat 297
% Daily Value*
Fat 33g51%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 630mg27%
Potassium 638mg18%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 1245IU25%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 1.8mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Filed Under: Bacon, Dinner, Gluten Free, Italian sausage, Potatoes, Recipe, Soups, Swiss chard, Vegetables Published: Sep 20, 2014 24 Comments

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Comments

  1. Miller

    Mar 06, 2019 at 5:52 pm

    Julia,
    Hands down, this is the BEST soup I’ve ever made!!! It is perfect! My husband has talked about it for weeks. He invited family over to try it , he is in love with it that much! Thank you , thank you!

    Reply
    • Julia

      Mar 25, 2019 at 7:40 pm

      You are very welcome! Your comment made my day! So happy to hear your family enjoyed this soup!

      Reply
  2. Tami

    Sep 12, 2018 at 3:52 pm

    Hi,
    Changed it a bit, 1/2 hot sausage 1/2 mild sausage. Wasn’t hot at all, just gave it some extra taste. Was a hit, will make this again. We loved it! Thank you

    Reply
    • Julia

      Sep 14, 2018 at 12:47 pm

      You’re very welcome! So glad you liked it! Your addition of hot sausage sounds delicious!

      Reply
  3. Michelle K

    Jul 26, 2018 at 9:22 am

    Definitely a ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    My husband and I ate the entire soup in 2 days.
    I’m a soup and cracker girl but this didn’t need any crackers. I was surprised how flavourful it was just using water. I did add a lot more Swiss chard. We can’t keep up to it in the garden.

    Reply
    • Julia

      Jul 31, 2018 at 4:53 pm

      So glad you liked it! Thank you for such a kind comment! The more Swiss Chard in this recipe the better! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Steve bethea

    Nov 08, 2015 at 7:40 pm

    Thank you, upped the bacon just a bit but one of the best soups i have ever made!

    Reply
  5. Patty

    Oct 02, 2015 at 9:06 am

    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!

    Reply
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