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    Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Sausage

    Zuppa Toscana

    Jump to Recipe

    Hearty and flavorful, this copycat Zuppa Toscana based on Olive Garden's delicious recipe is a rich and filling soup made a little lower in fat and calories. It is the perfect blend of potatoes, spinach, sausage, and a creamy broth. Serve it with a fresh baguette for dipping and you don't need any other sides for a complete meal.

    Jump to:
    • ⏲️ Time needed
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍲 Vegetarian option
    • 📋 Instructions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 🥗 Side dishes
    • 📌 Pin this recipe

    Bowl of soup with spinach, potatoes, bacon and cheese

    ⏲️ Time needed

    Zuppa Tuscano is a quick "prep then simmer" recipe. It takes about 15 minutes to get everything prepared, then about 45 minutes to simmer to delicious perfections.

    🥘 Ingredients

    This version is a lower fat version of the Olive Garden soup that inspired it, using turkey sausage and turkey bacon instead of pork (this saves about 130 calories per serving).

    • Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings and cut into bite size pieces
    • dice onion
    • cooked and chopped turkey bacon
    • minced garlic
    • chicken broth
    •  half and half
    • peeled and diced potatoes
    • chopped spinach
    • Parmesan cheese for garnish

    🍲 Vegetarian option

    To make a vegetarian version, use Beyond Sausage Hot Italian, omit the turkey bacon, and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. If you like the smoked flavor of cured meat without the meat itself, add a drop of liquid smoke to the soup (a little of this goes a long way).

    📋 Instructions

    Start by sautéing the Italian sausage and onion in a large pot until sausage is cooked through and onion is tender.

    Add turkey bacon and garlic and sauté until garlic is slightly tender, about 2 minutes. When it is tender, add the broth and bring it to a boil. Add the diced potatoes and spinach and turn the heat to low. At this point, simmer for 30 minutes—this is a good time to prepare any sides or bread.

    After 30 minutes, add the half and half and cook over low heat until just heated. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

    📖 Recipe

    Bowl of soup with spinach, potatoes, bacon and cheese

    Zuppa Toscana

    5 from 1 vote
    Hearty and flavorful, this copycat Zuppa Toscana based on Olive Garden's delicious recipe is a rich and filling soup made a little lower in fat and calories. It is the perfect blend of potatoes, spinach, sausage, and a creamy broth. Serve it with a fresh baguette for dipping and you don't need any other sides for a complete meal.
    AuthorAuthor: Mary Ann
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    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Main Dish, Soup
    Cuisine Gluten-free, Italian
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 254

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound Italian turkey sausage
    • 1 large onion
    • 6 turkey bacon slices, cooked and chopped
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 8 cups chicken broth
    • 1 cup half and half
    • 3 large potatoes
    • 10 ounces pkg. frozen chopped spinach, or fresh equivalent - about 2-½ cups chopped
    • 4 tablespoon Parmesan cheese for garnish
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    Instructions

    • Dice 1 large onion.
    • Remove 1 pound Italian turkey sausage from casings and cut into bite size pieces.
    • Sauté Italian sausage and onion in a large pot until sausage is cooked through and onion is tender.
    • Add 6 turkey bacon slices and 2 teaspoons minced garlic and sauté until garlic is slightly tender, about 2 minutes.
    • Add 8 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil.
    • Peel and dice 3 large potatoes.
    • Add potatoes and 10 ounces pkg. frozen chopped spinach, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
    • Add 1 cup half and half and cook until just heated.
    • Serve garnished with 4 tablespoon Parmesan cheese for garnish.

    Notes

    To make a vegetarian version, use Beyond Sausage Hot Italian, omit the turkey bacon, and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. If you like the smoked flavor of cured meat without the meat itself, add a drop of liquid smoke to the soup (a little of this goes a long way).

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 254 calCarbohydrates: 18 gProtein: 18 gFat: 13 gSodium: 1714 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 3 g

    🥗 Side dishes

    Soups like Zuppa Tuscano that have meat, green vegetables, and starchy vegetables don't need sides if you use large servings, but making smaller servings allows for bread for dipping (to me, soup isn't worth having if I can't dip a nice crusty bread in it!) and a salad to go with it.

    📌 Pin this recipe

    Bowl of soup with spinach, potatoes, bacon and cheese; text Zuppa Tuscana (Tuscan Soup) Add Salt & Serve formerly Menus4Moms

     

    Bowl of soup with spinach, potatoes, bacon and cheese; text Zuppa Tuscana (Tuscan Soup) Add Salt & Serve formerly Menus4Moms
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    Posted by Mary Ann on June 16, 2014; Updated on September 16, 2021Filed Under: Sausage, Soups and Stews, Stovetop Recipes, Vegetarian (or Vegetarian Option) Recipes

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    Mary Ann Kelley

    Hi there! I'm Mary Ann Kelley, and I'm the food blogger/meal planner here at Add Salt & Serve. Read more

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    Bowl of soup with spinach, potatoes, bacon and cheese; text Zuppa Tuscana (Tuscan Soup) Add Salt & Serve formerly Menus4Moms