Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)

With easy and delicious ingredients, this Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana is an easy and comforting weeknight dinner.

If you love Olive Garden, then you will fall in love with this slow cooker version of their Zuppa Toscana Soup!

We are total soup people around here and now that it is getting cooler, I want all the comforting food and this soup recipe is exactly that.

I also love when I can make anything in our slow cooker, just set it and forget it is the kind of recipe that I can get behind.

With potatoes, italian sausage, seasonings, kale and bacon, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana.

If you are looking for the perfect dinnertime recipe, then you need to whip up this Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana ASAP. It will become a family favorite.

Some of our other favorite slow cooker recipes that we have on our site include: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings, Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

• Easy ingredients help this come together in no time.
• The slow cooker lets you fix it and forget it and come home to a delicious dinner.
• This is really comforting and perfect for those cool fall and winter nights.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):

Italian sausage
Onion
Garlic
Potatoes
Salt
Black pepper
Red pepper flakes
Chicken broth
Water
Heavy whipping cream
Kale
Bacon

HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER ZUPPA TOSCANA, STEP BY STEP:

1. To the slow cooker add the browned and drained sausage, onions, potatoes, garlic, and seasonings.
2. Then add in the chicken broth and water and stir everything to combine.
3. Cover and let cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours or until potatoes are fork tender. 
4. Once potatoes are tender stir in the heavy whipping cream and the kale.
5. Cover and let cook for 30 minutes.
6. Before serving, stir in the cooked, crumbled bacon or sprinkle on top of each bowl of soup.
7. Serve and enjoy!

WHAT KIND OF POTATOES SHOULD I USE?

You can use Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe, both work well and really are to your preference and what you have on hand.

We have not tried this with red potatoes, but they seem like they would work as well if you do have them. If you do try them with red potatoes you want them to be larger.

DO I HAVE TO USE KALE?

While kale is traditionally used in Zuppa Toscana, you can absolutely substitute it if you are not a fan.

You will want to substitute it with the same amount of spinach, both will taste great.

CAN I THICKEN THIS SOUP?

While this is on the more “watery” side, if you want to thicken the soup up slightly you can!

Mix 1 Tablespoon cornstarch into 1 Tablespoon cold water and mix into your soup and heat and stir.

Keep adding this addition until you reach your desired consistency.

WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH THIS SLOW COOKER ZUPPA TOSCANA?

While this is great all by itself, if you want to serve it with something you can. Usually something light I would suggest. Some ideas include:

1. Cornbread Muffins
2. Garlic Bread
3. Soft Garlic Breadsticks
4. Southern Style Green Beans
5. Potato Wedges
6. Side Salad
7. Sauteed Asparagus

Any tasty lighter side that you think would go well with this soup would be perfect – use your best judgement.

HOW TO STORE:

This soup can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container where it will keep for up to 3-4 days.

You can reheat it on the stove or in the microwave until heated through.

We do not recommend freezing this recipe as cream based soups tend to separate when defrosting and reheating.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• Use Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe.
• If you do not want to use kale, then you can substitute spinach in it’s place.
• You can cook this on low for 8 hour or high for 4 hours.
• The bacon can be stirred into the soup or sprinkled on bowls.
• Adding some parmesan on top of this soup is an amazing addition if you want to add some cheese.
• If you want your soup thicker, you can mix together cornstarch and water – see above on how to do that.
• Depending on your spice tolerance you can use spicy or mild italian sausage and omit the red pepper flakes if you don’t want as much spice.

Are you a soup person? Love your slow cooker? Then you have to whip up a batch of my Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana, the perfect cozy meal!

If you like this recipe you might also like:

• Cabbage Roll Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup