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Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

The classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form!  It tastes WAY better than Olive Garden’s, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Now that the weather will be slowly cooling down, it’s time to break out your slow cooker!  Maybe you’re like me and use yours year round, (like for my slow cooker honey balsamic pulled pork).  When the weather gets cooler, I immediately want some comfort food, soups in particular!  My husband’s favorite soup is Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana, so naturally I wanted to find a way to have it at home (for way less money)!

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana | The Chunky Chef | The classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than Olive Garden's, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser! | http://thechunkychef.com

This soup has all the great flavors of the Olive Garden soup, but making at home is much more convenient, and I think it tastes way better!  If you’ve never had this soup… it’s a creamy soup with tender potatoes, spicy Italian sausage and healthy kale.

My original recipe for this was to make it on the stovetop, but then I thought about it, and I just love slow cooker soups so much, I knew I had to make this one too!

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana | The Chunky Chef | The classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than Olive Garden's, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Just 7 ingredients (plus seasonings) is all you’ll need, and getting this soup in the crockpot and on it’s way to deliciousness takes about 5 minutes.  Just brown your Italian sausage, and stir in some minced garlic.  Add that to the bottom of your slow cooker and add in a bag of Simply Potatoes diced potatoes and onion.  Pour chicken stock over the top and stir to combine.  If there’s not enough liquid to cover the potatoes, add in a splash of water until they’re covered.  Pop the lid on and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

30 minutes before you want to eat, whisk some flour into a cup of heavy cream until smooth and pour it into the slow cooker.  Add in some kale (or swiss chard, or even spinach), stir, cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.  This will thicken the soup slightly and give it that delicious creaminess!

If you’re worried about the cream, keep in mind that it’s only 1 cup for the whole slow cooker, (which is about 6 servings).  I *think* it would be okay to use half and half, although, keep in mind, I haven’t tested it.  If you try it that way, let me know how it works! 🙂

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana | The Chunky Chef | The classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than Olive Garden's, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser! | http://thechunkychef.com

The traditional way to make this soup is to use spicy Italian sausage, but if you’re really worried about the heat, you can use mild and just add red pepper flakes to your taste.  I think the cream masks the heat pretty well though.

To me, no soup is complete without some bread alongside, and to dunk inside!  So feel free to serve this up with some breadsticks, rolls, or just a crust piece of bread.  For a fuss-free no-knead bread, I like THIS one 🙂

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana | The Chunky Chef | The classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than Olive Garden's, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser! | http://thechunkychef.com

Imagine curling up on the couch on a crisp early fall evening with a bowl of creamy comfort soup!  Casual enough for a relaxed dinner or lunch at home, yet also fancy enough to serve at a dinner party.  Perfect!

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana | The Chunky Chef | The classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than Olive Garden's, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser! | http://thechunkychef.com

Now you could totally use regular potatoes and onion for this soup… but have you guys checked out Simply Potatoes?

They’re made with REAL ingredients and are fresh, NOT frozen.  It’s all the great potato-y goodness, and none of the hassle of peeling!  Easy to keep on hand, and they make slow cooker meals a cinch!  Especially this variety…  NO peeling and chopping potatoes and NO chopping an onion 🙂  Score!  I love to have a bag of Simply Potatoes on hand, it makes dinner a lot easier!

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana | The Chunky Chef | The classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than Olive Garden's, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser! | http://thechunkychef.com

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Simply Potatoes.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Many of you have asked for a stove-top version of this recipe, so check the recipe notes section below the recipe for that converted recipe!

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Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 513 kcal
Author: The Chunky Chef
The classic zuppa toscana soup, in slow cooker form! It tastes WAY better than Olive Garden's, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground Hot Italian sausage
  • 1 bag Simply Potatoes diced potatoes and onions (can substitute with 1 diced yellow onion and 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed)
  • 2 cloves large garlic minced
  • 32 oz chicken stock
  • 1/2 bunch kale (a couple of handfuls) de-stemmed and torn into bite sized
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

  1. Heat large saute pan over medium high heat and brown sausage.
  2. Add minced garlic and stir to combine.
  3. Drain off the grease and then add sausage and garlic to the bottom of slow cooker.
  4. Add bag of diced potatoes and onion, cover with chicken stock and water (if necessary) to completely cover potatoes and sausage.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 (potatoes should be soft)
  6. BEFORE SERVING:
  7. Whisk together heavy cream and flour until well mixed. Pour into slow cooker, add kale and stir to combine.
  8. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes until soup has thickened slightly.
  9. Taste, season according to your tastes, and serve.

Recipe Notes

** if desired, top soup with slices of crumbled peppered bacon
** goes great with a nice crusty bread

STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS 

  1. In your dutch oven or large soup pot, brown the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes over MED-HIGH heat. The last minute or two, add minced garlic. Drain.
  2. Add chicken stock and bag of diced potatoes and onion (or substituted russet potatoes and diced onion), bring to a boil.
  3. Keep at a low boil for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender (this time will vary based on your stove).
  4. Whisk flour and heavy cream and add to pot, stirring to combine.
  5. Add in kale, stir, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes (or until soup has thickened slightly).
  6. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana
Amount Per Serving
Calories 513 Calories from Fat 365
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 40.6g 62%
Cholesterol 116.3mg 39%
Sodium 799mg 33%
Total Carbohydrates 19.7g 7%
Sugars 4.5g
Protein 18.1g 36%
Vitamin A 37%
Vitamin C 75%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. My favorite thing to cook in my slow cooker is pot roast or balsamic short ribs both are so yummy. I can’t wait to try this soup.

    Reply

      • Ok, got it. Is some absurd naming policy of some of their creative, probably.
        “Toscana” is an adjective which means originally “from Tuscany”, it’s a region in Italy. Being born there I have quite some feeling for those cooking traditions, and I thought it was named because of some connection there.
        …I still think the people naming it tried some weird connection there (I don’t know what my region suggests to the imagination of foreigner, but I guess the branding has been done with that in mind), but not your fault. And it probably tastes quite good, even if it could be called “soup mexicana” or “soup antillaise”. I’m sure for you it’s a name with no meaning, sorry.

        Reply

        • No offense taken, I know what it translates too… while I’ve unfortunately never been to Tuscany, I didn’t want to deviate from the restaurant dish, as most people want that same flavor and name as well 🙂

          Reply

  30. I love this soup for fall! I’ve made it a few times and being lactose intolerant, as well as trying to stay moderately healthy, I sub the cream for coconut cream. Works great! You also can’t taste the coconut cream 🙂

    Reply

  31. I make this all the time on the stove top and use fat free half and half and it tastes great. I never thought to make it in the crockpot. Thanks for posting this.

    Reply

  32. I made this soup today to take to a friend’s house for lunch. INCREDIBLE! I’m saving this as a go to slow cooker soup recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply

  33. I made your Zuppa Toscana tonight and man, it was good! My husband orders it Olive Garden all the time, but he agreed this was WAY better! The broth was richer and there was more sausage – and it was just more flavorful. I could lighten it up if needed, but I loved it just the way it is – a very filling meal.

    Reply

  34. Wow! I love this soup and I’m excited to try it out crockpot style! Quick question, if I wanted to try to make it Low Carb and sub the potatoes out for cauliflower, should I use frozen or fresh? I’m new to crockpot cooking and I don’t want the cauliflower to be soggy of over cooked.

    Reply

    • Hi Aubryn!! Great call on subbing the potatoes for the cauliflower… I bet that will taste amazing 😀 I’ve never done it that way before, but I’d think that fresh cauliflower would be the way to go. I hope you love it!!

      Reply

  35. I’m not sure if Simply Potatoes is available here in Canada. What amount of potatoes and onion should be used in the recipe?

    Reply

  37. Do you think I could sub spinach for the kale? I’m more of a spinach fan, but I wouldn’t want to ruin the soup!

    Reply

  38. I just made this soup tonight, and oh my goodness, it is fantastic! And it was so easy! It is my new favorite – thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  39. What is the likelihood of this being reheatable? I try to meal prep on Sundays for the week, and this seems like it would be a great lunch for the office, but with the kale, I’m too too sure about how long it would last.

    Reply

  40. Do you think I could use frozen chopped kale instead of fresh? Getting all of the grit out of fresh kale can be so tedious!

    Reply

    • Hi Heather 🙂 I think that would work well, although I think if you defrosted the frozen kale and wrung some of the liquid out, then you could just add them to the soup a few minutes before eating 🙂 I know what you mean, fresh kale can be a pain! I usually fill my sink up with water, add the separated kale stems, move them around with my hands in the water for a minute and let them sit for 5-10 minutes. The grit generally falls to the bottom of the sink 🙂

      Reply

  41. I made this tonight, but used the Simply Potatoes with Steak House Seasoning because that’s what I had on hand. It turned out great!! Very flavorful.

    Reply

  47. We can no longer find heavy cream in the stores around here. Only heavy whipping cream is available. Will this work, or is it too sweet? Do you know of a substitute?

    Reply

  49. This is awesome! This is my picky eater of a daughter’s favorite food and it looks super easy to make! Thank you. Do you know if it freezes well?

    Reply

    • Hi Kelly! 🙂 I know the struggle of a picky eater all too well… it can be frustrating! We rarely have any leftovers lol, but I think this should freeze well. I would let it cool to room temperature (or slightly warm), and pour into large ziploc bags. Seal them well and lay them flat on on a baking sheet and put that in the freezer until the bags are frozen. Take them off the baking sheet and they’ll stay nice and flat or you could even store them vertically to save on freezer space 🙂

      Reply

  51. I don’t normally like to post changes that I make to recipes online but sometimes it’s a matter of convenience and a bad memory. I made this soup tonight on the stove top instead of in the slow cooker. It is delicious! I added a tablespoon of chicken base (I thought the recipe called for it but I got it mixed up with another recipe), I cooked it for about at hour and then added the kale and then later the cream. I think that next time I will add less cream – just a personal preference. Overall this is a great recipe, easy, and good ingredients. Thanks!

    Reply

  52. I tried your recipe and it came out amazing I used spicy sausage and added crushed red peppers because I like spicy food but ANAZING! Thanks 🙂

    Reply

  54. This was nothing short of delicious. Skipped the “fresh” bagged potatoes and opted for chopping up a living potato instead. So so good. Why have I never heard of this before reading this recipe. Yum!

    Reply

  55. Made this for my husband tonight with double meat and he absolutely LOVED it. He said it’s better than olive gardens. He ate so much that he is sitting on the couch full as can be and soooo very very satisfied ! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe xoxoxoxoxo

    Reply

  56. This was delicious and very easy to make. I lightened it up by using Skim Plus Fat-Free Half & Half instead of heavy cream, and I used Nature’s Promise Hot & Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage. I took it out of the casing and broke it up while browning.

    Reply

  57. I’m not sure I’ll find the “1 bag Simply Potatoes, diced potatoes and onions”. What would the equivalent be if I bought the potatoes/onions fresh?

    Reply

  58. I never leave comments, but Lord this soup is soooo addicting it is so easy to make and so good! I’ve made it four times and each time my parents swing by to get some! This time I’m trying out the spinach instead of kale. So excited!!!! Perfect! Thank you!

    Reply

  60. Silly question: have you made it on a prep day with the intention of eating later in the week? Just wondering if I should wait to add the cream until right before we eat or if I add it when it’s done cooking and let it sit in the fridge for a day or so if it will still be ok? I’m sure the it will separate a bit but nothing a little heating and stirring can’t handle, right??

    Reply

    • Hi Sarah 🙂 I’ve never made it with prepping in mind… but I think that adding the cream as normal should be okay. When you reheat and stir it should come back together. For texture reasons, I would wait to add the kale until you reheat it though.

      Reply

  61. I am a huge fan of soups!! I can eat it any time of the year 🙂
    I am getting ready to put this in my crock pot right now. Can’t wait to try! I’ve never had kale tho before. So I’m super excited to try something new.

    Reply

    • Hi Francesca! I agree… soups are awesome year round 🙂 I hope you LOVE the soup! Kale is pretty versatile, but it gets nice and mild as it wilts in the soup 🙂

      Reply

  63. I tried this recipe and it was amazing! I couldn’t find Simply Potatoes at my local store, so I just diced two large gold potatoes I had at home. Just incredible! I’ve already passed the recipe to a coworker and friends!

    Reply

  65. I loved loved loved this soup and made it last week in hot humid New Orleans. I’m trying it this weekend with chicken bc my niece suggested it as we thought the sausage became overwhelming at times. I will post on the outcome. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Hi Vanessa! I’m so happy you loved the soup, even in such hot weather 🙂 Yes, for those that aren’t crazy about sausage, it could be a bit much, so I’d love to hear how the chicken turns out 🙂

      Reply

  66. I make this a lot but not in the crockpot. I use mild Italian sausage and add just a tiny bit of red pepper flakes. I also use unpeeled sliced potatoes instead of frozen ones. It doesn’t take that long for them to cook. Also use regular whole milk a lot of times. I never thicken it and it tastes just like olive gardens.i can make this ready to eat in 30 minutes.

    Reply

    • Hi Heidi 🙂 In order to double the recipe, you’d need a REALLY big slow cooker… probably the best bet would be to have two slow cookers side by side and have the recipe going in each. I just don’t know that it would all fit in one… even one of the bigger ones. But yes, to double it, you would just add twice as much of all the ingredients 🙂

      Reply

  70. I’ve made this 3 times now! Lots of my close friends are gluten and dairy intolerant so I nix the flour and use coconut cream instead of heavy cream. Always a hit and lucky to obtain leftovers 🙂

    Reply

  71. Excellent soup! Made it today but used mild Italian chicken sausage, half & half, and baby spinach leaves and it was delicious! My husband and I loved it! Thank you for sharing; I will definitely be making it again!

    Reply

  72. As I sit here on a Sunday afternoon, I read your wonderful recipe and it did intrigue me. I didn’t have the time for the slow cooker and made in a large pot on stove. I added fat free half and half and fresh spinach! The smell has slowly permeated my whole house and it is just delightful. The half and half worked wonderfully! Great food and great ideas! Keep up the good work!

    Reply

  73. Hi there! I tried this today and I have to say a huge THANK YOU! This recipe is great. I made it exactly according to the original recipe except I cut my own onions and potatoes. This is for sure being added to my favorite slow cooker meals!

    Reply

  74. Hi! I found this recipe on Pinterest & had to try it tonight! So quick & easy, even with cooking it on the stove & using regular potatoes (couldn’t find the bagged ones that weren’t hash browns). It was delicious! Going into my Autumn/Winter rotation. Thank you!!

    Reply

  75. How would you adapt this for the stove top? I’ve seen that others have done it in these comments, but nobody says how (like how long to cook it before and after adding the flour mixture). I’m not a very good cook and need to follow a recipe to get anything to turn out right. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Shannon 🙂 I’ve never cooked this without using my slow cooker (as it’s just so convenient), but here’s what I think should work:
      In a dutch oven or whatever big pot you usually cook soup in, brown the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes over MED-HIGH heat. The last minute or two, add minced garlic. Drain.
      Add chicken stock and bag of diced potatoes and onion, bring to a boil.
      Keep at a low boil for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender (this time will vary based on your stove).
      Whisk flour and heavy cream and add to pot, stirring to combine.
      Add in kale, stir, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 5-10 minutes (or until soup has thickened slightly).
      Season with salt and pepper, and serve 🙂
      I hope this works out for you.. it’s such a perfect chilly weather meal 🙂

      Reply

  78. This soup recipe was super easy! I LOVE the Olive Garden version, but this one turned out even better. I’m hooked!

    Reply

  79. If it serves 6 does that fill your crock pot or are you able to double it in that size of crock? I have to feed 7 peeps and I’m sure they will all wants seconds

    Reply

  81. Made this last night for my family, and it was amazing! Delicious with kale, btw. and a side of french bread. Tastes just like theirs too! TY for sharing.

    Reply

  82. I have always fixed my version of this soup on the stove and my family loves it. Excited to see how crockpot version turns out tonight. For people commenting on being too spicy- I always use half hot Italian & half mild or sweet Italian sausage. So you get a little kick but it is still kid friendly. Also you can now put the other half of your sausages in freezer and just pull them out for the next batch of soup!

    Reply

  83. Hi Amanda! Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe! That’s one of my all time favorite soups and I can’t wait to try it. I have a 2 qt Crockpot and I was wondering how to alter the recipe for a smaller slow cooker?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Liz 🙂 I hope you love it as much as we do!! I think halving the recipe should work, as the recipe only fills about half of my 6 qt slow cooker. If you wanted to be completely safe, you could cut the recipe down to 1/3, but that seems like a lot of math to me lol. I’d love to know how you like the recipe!

      Reply

    • Hi Shannon 🙂 I used ground sausage that came pre-ground like hamburger meat… but if you have sausages, you could carefully slice open the casings, squeeze out the inside of the sausages (which is basically ground sausage) and cook as directed 🙂 I’ve also seen some recipe that use sliced sausages, so if you’d prefer that route, I’m sure it would work too 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi Margaret 🙂 I’ve never made it using regular pork sausage, but I’m sure that would work just fine! If you want that Italian flavor (like Olive Garden’s), maybe add a pinch of Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes to the pork as it cooks 🙂

      Reply

  87. Could you make this in a Dutch oven? I got one for Christmas and I’m dying to use it! How would the time and temperatures convert?

    Reply

    • Hi Jordana 🙂 Congratulations on your dutch oven! I love mine 🙂 Are you wanting to use it on your stovetop? I think that would be the best way to use it, as cooking the soup in the oven can be tricky (the potatoes could end up really mushy). Here’s what I’ve recommended to other readers wanting a stovetop conversion… In your dutch oven, brown the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes over MED-HIGH heat. The last minute or two, add minced garlic. Drain.
      Add chicken stock and bag of diced potatoes and onion (or substituted russet potatoes and diced onion), bring to a boil.
      Keep at a low boil for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender (this time will vary based on your stove).
      Whisk flour and heavy cream and add to pot, stirring to combine.
      Add in kale, stir, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes (or until soup has thickened slightly).
      Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
      I really hope you love the soup!

      Reply

  90. I love this soup. It is perfect on cold winter nights! I like to use cauliflower instead of potatoes. It makes a great low-carb, healthier version of the soup. I also like to use 1/2 mild and 1/2 hot Italian sausage. It gives it just enough heat and flavor, but you don’t notice the heat! I have never thought to use a slow cooker. Thanks for the tip.

    Reply

  92. This was so delicious!!! Thank you for sharing! Does this soup freeze well? With just 2 of us, I’d like to freeze for another time.

    Reply

    • I made it for just 2, as well. I did freeze my extras and reheated later. It worked well. I don’t know if it makes a difference, but I heated it up in a pot on the stove rather than the microwave. It took about 10 minutes and was as good as the first day I made it!

      Reply

  93. I made this tonight and it was delicious! I used half & half instead of cream and fresh potatoes and onion instead of Simply Potatoes. I cooked it on high and would suggest cooking for 4 hours (as opposed to being closer to the 3-hour mark) so that the potatoes soften up enough. Still super delicious!! Thank you for posting this!

    Reply

  96. I don’t have any fresh potatoes or the simply potatoes on hand. Would the frozen diced hash brown potatoes work?

    Reply

  98. the soup sounds great and will be trying it soon, this is for the reader that had a comment about the name of the dish, there is a Tuscan kale and perhaps that’s why it was named as such?

    Reply

  101. Gave it rating based on the recipe alone.

    Actually I just wanted to sign up for the newsletter and couldn’t find a way other than posting a review. Could be I missed the letter sign up.

    I did take a quick look at the site, looks good.

    Reply

  102. I looove this soup! I’ve made it 3 times and actually have some cooking right now! 🙂 I went back to the Olive Garden after making it to compare since I forgot what the restaurant’s tasted like and in my opinion this recipe is way better. I always end up adding the whole bunch of kale instead of half because it spreads too this once it all shrinks away (my boyfriend’s suggestion) and it’s the perfect amount. I’ve made it cutting up the onion and potatoes myself and using the simply potatoes bag and I do really like the convenience of the latter and that they’re not frozen! My sister doesn’t eat pork so I’ve also made it with ground chicken and seasoned the meat myself and it turned out much tastier than I was expecting (I think I preferred it in fact). My mouth is watering waiting for this batch to finish! Thanks so much for the awesome recipe!!!

    Reply

  104. Made the Zuppa Tascana. It came out PERFECT. I double the recipe for more people and everyone LOVED IT.
    THANK YOU CHUNKY CHEF

    Reply

  106. I make zuppa toscana pretty regularly and it takes about an hour, if that long, and only one pot. Why would I want to add extra cleanup and more than four hours to the cooking time?

    Reply

    • Hi Emily 🙂 Well you absolutely don’t have to make it in the slow cooker. Many readers reached out to me and asked for a slow cooker version, so I posted this one. Some people aren’t home all day, or don’t have a hour or more in the evening to cook. It’s another way to cook it, not a replacement for your version. Feel free to cook whatever version you like, no one is forcing you to cook it in the slow cooker.

      Reply

  107. I made this yesterday to portion out for lunches at work for the week. It is so delicious! I ended up getting a bag of frozen potatoes that had onions and peppers in it, and I thought it was a great addition to the soup. My fiance’ doesn’t normally eat lunch at work thought it was so delicious that he asked me to portion some out for him to take to work too! I am currently at my desk eating my lunch and all of mu coworkers have asked what kind of deliciousness I’m eating. Thank you for this amazing recipe!!

    Reply

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