Richmond, Virginia woman makes Zuppa Toscana soup like the one served at Olive Garden

Olive GardenPhoto byFamartin/Wikipedia Screenshot

Some people usually go to Olive Garden for Italian food, including spaghetti, lasagna, or other pasta dishes. Others might go for the restaurant's hearty salad. Still, others say they go for the unending breadsticks. However, this Virginia woman goes for Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup

Zuppa Toscana SoupPhoto byYouTube Screenshot

I love Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup so much that I learned to make it at home. To make 8 servings, I use the following ingredients:

• 1 pound of Italian sausage
• 2-3 large Russet potatoes with peels
• 1 large onion
• 4 garlic cloves or minced garlic
• 6 bacon slices or 4 Tbsp. bacon bits
• 16 oz. of chicken broth or 5 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 8 oz. of heavy cream
• 1/4 bunch of kale
• 1 quart of water
• salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper

Preparation for making the soup doesn't take long at all. Sauté the Italian sausage in a large skillet and drain the excess fat from it. Then, set it aside while you get the other ingredients ready. Sauté bacon, onions, and garlic over low-medium heat until the onions are soft. Add chicken broth or bouillon and water to a large pot and heat until it starts to boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft (about half an hour). Add the heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated. Mix in the ground Italian sausage. Add kale during the last 2-5 minutes of cooking.

Valuable tips

Use ground Italian sausage instead of the links. It is more convenient and will save you time by not having to cut up the links.

If you like hot and spicy foods, buy the hot Italian sausage instead of the mild. Be careful, though, if you are preparing the soup for others because they might not like their food hot and spicy. The same rule goes for the optional red pepper.

If you use slices of bacon instead of bacon bits, it is better to cut the slices into bite-size pieces.

Wash the Russet potatoes thoroughly. Do not peel them, as the peels add to the soup's flavor. Cut the potatoes into individual slices. It is a good tip to cook the potatoes in the microwave before you put them in the mixture.

Wash the kale thoroughly and remove the tough ribs. Chop or tear the leaves. Kale should be the last ingredient put in the pot because it doesn't take long to cook. If you want the soup a little thicker, mash some of the potatoes on the side of the pot.

When the mixture is ready, sit back and enjoy your soup with bread sticks or garlic bread. Also, eat a salad and enjoy your lunch or dinner. The bonus of making your own soup is that you will have enough left over for several more meals. Like many other foods, the soup tastes better days after it has been prepared because all the flavor has a chance to settle into the dish.

An individual bowl of Zuppa Toscana soup at Olive Garden costs $6. The above recipe makes eight servings, which means it would cost $48 at the restaurant. The ingredients do not cost nearly as much when you prepare the dish at home.