February 17, 2018

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A bowl of creamy copycat Zuppa Toscana is served in a rustic brown ceramic soup bowl. The bowl is on a white linen table cloth. Bits of green kale, Italian sausage, white beans and shredded Parmesan cheese are visible on the surface of the warm soup.

I’ve seen recipes for soups like this one all over the web for a while now, and like thousands of other folks I’ve enjoyed the Olive Garden’s menu staple soup called Zuppa Toscana for years (with a serving of warm, buttery breadsticks and salad on the side, of course!). I figured it was time for me to jump on the bandwagon and make a version of this flavorful soup at home too.

A bowl of creamy Tuscan sausage and white bean soup with kale is served in a rustic brown ceramic soup bowl. The bowl is on a white linen table cloth. Bits of green kale, Italian sausage, white beans and shredded Parmesan cheese are visible on the surface of the warm soup.

But, first I wanted to know what makes this soup “Tuscan”, (as I’ve never been to Tuscany!) so I did a little research. According to this page on Wikipedia, the popular Olive Garden version that we all know as “soup in the style of Tuscany” is the Americanized and “more calorific” version of a broth-based soup commonly served in the region of Italy called Tuscany. The native recipe for this soup uses some combination of kale, cannellini beans, crushed tomato or tomato pulp, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, olive oil, powdered chilis, rigatino (a form of Italian bacon), and water. The soup is also served over a slice of fresh Tuscan bread.

Well, I made some of this tasty Tuscan soup… and I rolled with the more calorific (this is a new favorite word. just f.y.i.) American version and I made it with heavy cream. Okay and as you’ll see, I made it even more calorific by adding some flour to thicken it up a little. A creamy soup was what I was craving, but now that I know what ingredients will make a true Tuscan-style, broth soup, maybe next time I’ll keep it more traditional and try it their way.

This soup has an incredible amount of flavor, it’s a hearty and satisfying meal on it’s own, and it’s made with just a handful of simple ingredients.

A spoonful of this rustic Tuscan white bean soup is ready to be savored. Hearty bits of kale, sausage, a tender potato are visible in this one tempting bite.

Just note that the most important part of this recipe is the simmering time!

In the beginning stages of cooking this soup, the flavors that impart from the heavily spiced Italian sausage and the bitter kale don’t play well together. As an ingredient combo, they’re a bit overwhelming to the simmering pot. I was a tad concerned after the first few taste tests. The wilted kale was very bitter! But I allowed the pot to keep simmering slowly for at least forty-five minutes, and thankfully those sharp flavors mellowed out.

It just took a little bit of extra patience with this recipe, and the comforting flavors of this soup came together deliciously.

We honestly love this copycat Zuppa Toscana recipe on chilly nights; it’s such a comfort food treat! I hope your family enjoys this soup as much as we do!

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*_{Post and recipe were originally posted on February 17, 2018. Both the post and recipe were updated on October 30, 2025}

Tuscan Sausage, Potato & Bean Soup

Recipe by Marcelle at A Little Fish in the Kitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

This flavorful Tuscan Sausage, Potato, and Bean soup is comforting and hearty. It’s remarkably similar to Olive Garden’s famous Zuppa Toscana, so if you’re a fan of that menu item, you will definitely enjoy this satisfying soup. This soup is fantastic with some hot, buttered French bread or bread sticks, and/or a crisp, green salad on the side.

Course: SoupsCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 lb bulk, mild Italian sausage
2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fresh kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 cups (48 oz) chicken broth
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled into bits (I often substitute in 4 slices of cooked, chopped turkey bacon)
1 can (15 oz) Canellini beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese, for serving

Directions

Over medium heat, warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Crumble the Italian sausage into the pot and use a using a spatula to break it up into bite size pieces. Cook the sausage over medium heat, stirring often, until it begins to brown. Drain any excess oil from sausage and return it the pot. Add in the bacon bits, diced potatoes, garlic and chopped onion. Saute it all together for about 5 minutes.
Add in the flour and stir into the sausage mixture until it is absorbed. Fold in the chopped kale, white pepper, crushed red pepper and stir. Finally, pour in all of the chicken broth. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow the soup to gently simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
At the 45 minute mark, add the beans to the soup, bring pot back to a boil and gently simmer for 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat, remove pot from the burner and stir in the cream or half and half.
Serve this flavorful soup hot, topped with a few teaspoons of shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

Recipe from A Little Fish in the Kitchen blog at www.alittlefishinthekitchen.com. All content is owned by Marcelle G. Bolton. Please contact the author for permission to republish.