Zuppa Toscana Recipe (a la Olive Garden) (2024)

Ingredients

Scale

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage (I recommend spicy)
• 3 garlic cloves,minced
• 1 medium white onion,peeled and diced
• 1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
• 5 to 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 to 3 cups chopped fresh kale
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 6 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

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1. Cooksausage in a largestockpot over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks.Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a separate plate, reserving 1 tablespoon grease in the stockpot for later*,and discarding the excess grease.(I actually like to briefly rinse my cooked sausage in a strainer to remove even moreexcess grease.)Set aside.
2. Add onions to the stockpot (with the grease), and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, and cooked sausage, and continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the kale and cream, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve warm, garnished with the bacon bits.

Slow Cooker Version:

1. Cooksausage in a largestockpot over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a separate plate.(I actually like to briefly rinse my cooked sausage in a strainer to remove even moreexcess grease.)Set aside.
2. Add cooked sausage, garlic, onion, potatoes, and chicken stock to a slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or on high heat for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in thekale and cream, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve warm, garnished with the bacon bits.

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Version:

1. Pressthe “Sauté” button on your Instant Pot. Add the Italian sausage, and sauté until browned and cooked through, breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Press “Cancel” on the Instant Pot.Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a separate plate, and drain and discard the excess grease in the Instant Pot.(I actually like to briefly rinse my cooked sausage in a strainer to remove even moreexcess grease.)
2. Add cooked sausage, garlic, onion, potatoes, and chicken stock to the bowl of the Instant Pot, and stir to combine.
3. Press “Manual”, then press “Pressure” until the light on “High Pressure” lights up, then adjust the +/- buttonsuntil time reads 10 minutes. Cook. Then very carefully, turn the vent to “Venting” for quick release, and wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped. Remove the lid.
4. Stir in thekale and cream, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve warm, garnished with the bacon bits.

*Stovetop Version: Ifyou would rathernot sauté the onions in the grease, you can sub in 1 tablespoon olive oil instead.