Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

I had kale in our CSA box and this is one of my favorites at Olive Garden. We really enjoyed this recipe and would say it was a reasonable copy of Olive Garden's version. For future reference, my sausage worked out to be about 1/2 pound to equal a 1.5 cups. I also used Yukon Gold potatoes which seemed perfect. I had a little trouble with the directions, but that may just be me. I wasn't sure if I was to cook the bacon in the same pan as I had cooked the sausage or if I should drain off the fat of each. I decided to cook the sausage in one pan and the bacon/onion in another. I drained fat off both. If I use bacon next time, I will cook it first and then cook the onions and garlic after it is done in the bacon grease. I mistakenly mixed the sausage in with the broth and potatoes at the point where you are to simmer for 15 minutes, but that worked out ok. Next time I will add more potatoes, a little less sausage and probably leave out the bacon, but I will definitely make this again! Thanks for sharing Leslie 0! A great supper on a cool October night!

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Fantastic soup, Since I made it the first time 3 weeks ago I have had to make it two more times, both double batches. This was a huge hit with both my picky eater hubby as well as my Sicilian dad. I did adjust the recipe/process a bit by the third time. I don't cook with exacts so I know my measurements were off each time but it turned out faboo. Definitely double the recipe if you want any leftovers for lunch or to freeze. So here are the adjustments I made. I used one tube of Bob Evans hot sausage instead of 1 1/2 cups. I cooked the sausage, then the bacon in the soup pot. After each was done cooking I put it to the side. Then I took out most of the bacon fat (and saved to the side to use with burgers one day) and left about 1 tbsp to cook the onions in. I dumped in the onions and let them caramelize in the pan while I chopped up the crispy bacon. When I added the water I increased the amount by at least a cup, since my husband really liked the broth. I also cooked the soup a bit longer to give the potatoes a creamier texture. It was absolutely delish and I will use this recipe over and over. Thank you so much for posting it!

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This was really good soup! My husband watches his carbs, so I didn't add the potatoes. As a result, the broth was very thin. I will definately make it again, and when I do, I will add more cream and reduce it to make it a little more thick. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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Delicious! I begged my Mom to cook it for me a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved it! Thanks for the great recipe! -Crystal H.

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I really enjoyed making and eating the Zuppa. It reminded me of the Olive Garden without all the hassels. Very easy to make. You couldn't get any closer to the real O.G.

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This was a relatively easy recipe with alot of flavor! Everyone loved it. Many people here at my work are also now making this recipe.

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I left the bacon out entirely, saute'd the Onions and 2 minced fresh garlic cloves in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Outstanding! Required no additional seasoning what's so ever! Serve with garlic toast and Riuniti Lambrusco :)

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Just Fantastic, enough said.

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I made the soup for lunch today, used a mixture of both Turkey and Pork sausages. I did not cook the onion with the bacon. I used 6 slices pork bacon, but only crumble the meat portion into the soup, discard the rest. After cooking sausage and bacon I poured off all the greases, whatever leftover from the pan will be enough to cook the garlic and onion. After added crumbled bacon and sausage and before adding cream, I skimmed the soup again. Served with tossed salad and hot Italian bread. It was a hit at my house, an Olive Garden meal without the hassle of driving, waiting and tipping. Thanks for posting Leslie.

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I made the Zuppz for Saturday light supper and it was terrific. Everyone loved it. I had my small grandchildren and the all had extra bowls. Thanks.......

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We're very pleased! Tastes just like the Zuppa we get at Olive Garden. Thanks! Larry Souders

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Excellent, The same as Olive Gardens recipe.

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excellent..my whole family love's it...yummy.

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This was spot on, IMHO! I browned the sausage and onion together and left both in the pan and continued. (Didn't notice til later that it was assumed I'd remove the sausage - why bother?)
Instead of cooking bacon - and adding the extra fat - I used a couple teaspoonfuls of bacon crumbles, the kind sold in the salad dressing section. DH loved it, too and requested to have it again, always a good sign!

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Made this several times now. The bacon I can take it or leave it. Last time I just sauteed my onions in with my ground sausage. But decided to try something new. Trust me on this, it's REALLY good. Add up to 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder and up to 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric. So good and the turmeric gives a nice yellow color and is natural pain reliever.

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We have been LOVING this recipe for YEARS, and I just wanted to thank Leslie O. for sharing this! Don't hesitate to try this. If you love Olive Garden's soup, you will LOVE this! Minor things we do...one potato per person (we do six) and a hit of red & black pepper flakes. SOO GOOD! Enjoy!

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This is a guaranteed tummy pleaser! Thank you so much! I substituted a block of cream cheese for the whipping cream. There were NO complaints at the table!

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I doubled the recipe and was glad I did. Instead of white potatoes, I substituted sweet potatoes (no doubt a heresy, but healthier) and drained all the fat off the sausages after browning them. This was an excellent recipe to introduce kale to the family.

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I love this recipe. I was very easy to make. I've only made it twice for my family and they loved it. Will definately make it again.

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great recipe! I didn't want to run to the store so I made a few substitutions. I used frozen spinach, turkey sausage, and substituted the heavy cream for 2% milk and butter (I saw a substitution guide on allrecipes.com). It still tasted GREAT and was quick and easy to make!

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