Zuppa Toscana - Creamy Italian Sausage and Potato Soup

Craving a warm, comforting bowl of Zuppa Toscana? The best Olive Garden copycat recipe brings the rich flavors of creamy Tuscan soup to your kitchen with Italian sausage, potatoes, kale, and dumplings. This Creamy Italian Sausage and Potato Soup is a hearty chowder made with ground sausage, frozen potatoes, and a creamy broth, creating one of the best Italian soup recipes for chilly nights.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Italian

Servings people

Calories 418 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the sausage and potato soup

6 strips bacon chopped
1 pound Italian sausage plain, sweet, or Maple flavor
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 clove garlic pressed
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes cut in half and sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
8-10 cups chicken broth
1 cup corn
1 bundle kale leaves stripped and chopped, about 6 cups
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated, not the dusty kind, for garnish
2 green onions chopped, for garnish

For the ranch dumplings

2 tablespoons butter melted
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
1 pinch garlic powder
1 pinch onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup whole milk
1 cup all purpose flour or cup-for-cup gluten-free baking mix

Instructions

Sauté bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. When it's done, remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and allow to cool. When cooled, crumble bacon into a bowl and set aside. Transfer about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet to the Dutch oven.
Heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion to the hot grease in the pot. Sauté until soft and golden. Add pressed garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add the sausage to the onions in the pot. Break the sausage up with a spatula, mix it into the onions, and sauté until the sausage is no longer pink and the onions are beginning to brown.
Add 8-10 cups of chicken broth to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Add sliced potatoes and cook until they are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Reduce heat to medium-high and add corn, crumbled bacon (reserve some for garnish), and kale (reserve some for garnish) and bring everything back to a boil.
While the soup is heating, melt the butter in a medium bowl, then whisk in the ranch dressing, garlic powder, onion powder, baking powder, and salt. Add milk and whisk to combine. Add flour and stir with a spoon or spatula to make a thick dough. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Break off small pieces from the dumpling dough and drop them into the pot of boiling soup, submerging them with a spoon as necessary. Lower the heat to medium to keep the soup at a lively simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the dumplings. Do not remove the lid until the time has passed! The dumplings are done when they have almost doubled in size, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
When dumplings are done, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Season soup to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish with reserved bacon, reserved kale, green onions, and grated parmesan.

Nutrition

Keyword bacon, corn, potato, sausage, soup

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