Olive Garden Zuppa Soup
This ONE POT Loaded Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Soup) is the ultimate creamy, hearty, decadently delicious comfort food! This ONE POT Loaded Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Soup) is the ultimate creamy, hearty, decadently delicious comfort food and has been called the "best soup I have ever tasted" by many! This Zuppa Toscana is BETTER than Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana recipe loaded with Italian sausage, potatoes, bacon, cannellini beans, carrots, corn, and kale/spinach!
Servings 10 bowls
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon uncooked
- 1 pound bulk/ground spicy Italian sausage
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped (approx. 1 ½ cups)
- 3 stalks celery, chopped (approx. 1 ½ cups)
- 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 1/2 pounds/3 medium russet potatoes chopped into bite size cubes
- 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans rinsed and rained
- 1 15 oz. can can sweet corn rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz. can creamed corn
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups milk
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp EACH dried parsley, salt
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried basil, dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp EACH dried thyme, pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste (optional if you like heat)
Add later:
- 2-3 cups half and half
- 4 cups loosely packed fresh chopped spinach or kale
Garnish (optional)
- remaining bacon in directions
- fresh parsley
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook bacon in Dutch oven/large stock pot until crispy; remove from pot. Drain all but 2 tablespoons bacon grease or add additional olive oil to equal about 2 tablespoons.
- Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat. Increase heat to medium high and add sausage and garlic and cook, while crumbling meat, until meat is browned, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and cook, while stirring, an additional 2 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and stir in potatoes, cannellini beans, creamed corn and sweet corn. Add chicken broth. Whisk cornstarch with milk (you can whisk with as little as 1 cup milk, just enough so it dissolves) and add to pot. Stir in Dijon, bay leaves and all seasonings.
- Increase heat to high, cover pot and bring to a boil. Remove lid and reduce heat to a gentle simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in half and half, adding additional broth or half and half if desired for a less “chunky” soup and warm through.
- Remove from heat and stir in spinach/kale and half of chopped bacon.
- Garnish individual servings with remaining bacon and Parmesan cheese if desired.
Video
Notes
Don't miss the "how to make" recipe video at the top of the post!
This recipe makes a lot of soup so consider halving the recipe if you don't like leftovers.