SLOW COOKER ZUPPA TOSCANA

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Rich and flavourful, Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana is filled with chunks of potatoes, spicy sausage, kale, Parmesan, and bacon. A simple yet cozy and delicious soup!

This soup was made popular when Olive Garden started offering it on their menu. However, my version is better than Olive Garden.

A bowl of Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana with text overlay.

SLOW COOKER ZUPPA TOSCANA

I use my slow cooker all year. Actually, I use it a lot during the summer because, like grilling, it doesn’t make the house hot. Plus, it’s so convenient to use. For most of my slow cooker recipes, I simply toss the ingredients in and forget until dinner. 

This is a really tasty soup recipe

WHAT IS ZUPPA TOSCANA?

Zuppa Toscana originated in Italy and literally means ‘Tuscan soup’. Traditionally, it was made of kale, zucchini, cannellini beans, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, tomato pulp, extra virgin olive oil, salt, chili powder, Tuscan bread, and Italian bacon.

Most recipes now have sausage, may or may not have cannellini beans, and most do not have bread in them. Here are the ingredients I use.

A Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana soup with potatoes and kale.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR ZUPPA TOSCANA

  1. Italian sausage. A leaner option is ground chicken or lean ground turkey + one tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
  2. White or yellow onion.
  3. Garlic.
  4. Potatoes. I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes for soup. In my opinion, they’re ideal. They have thin skin that you don’t have to peel.
  5. Salt.
  6. Pepper.
  7. Red pepper flakes.
  8. Chicken broth.
  9. Water.
  10. Whipping cream. You can use half & half, which is half whole milk and half whipping cream to cut some fat and calories.
  11. Kale. Spinach is a good substitute for kale.
  12. Bacon. You can use turkey bacon.
  13. Of course, you can add carrots and celery if you prefer. I’d use three of each sliced or diced.
  14. As well, you can add a 15-ounce can of rinsed cannellini beans.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS

  • You can use hot Italian sausage for a kick or even breakfast sausage if you like things milder.
  • You can also use baby potatoes and skip the peeling.
  • If you don’t like kale you can substitute spinach, but stir it in 10 minutes before serving instead of 30.
  • You can also garnish this with some shredded Italian blend cheese or grated parmesan.
  • Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
A Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana with kale and bacon.

CAN I FREEZE SLOW COOKER ZUPPA TOSCANA?

No, I don’t recommend freezing Zuppa Toscana Soup. Creamy soups, as well as potatoes, don’t freeze well.

WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH SLOW COOKER ZUPPA TOSCANA?

Breadsticks, Cheese bread, Cheesy Garlic Bread, Green Salad, Wedge Salad, Marinated tomato pea salad.

I DON’T HAVE A SLOW COOKER CAN I MAKE THIS ON THE STOVETOP?

Yes, absolutely!

Photo process shots of slow cooker Zuppa Toscana

WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? YOU MUST TRY THESE!

  1. Pasta Meatball Soup Recipe
  2. Skinny Turkey Meatball Tortellini Soup
  3. Cheesy and Creamy Broccoli Soup
  4. Beefy Tomato Soup Recipe
  5. Cabbage Roll Soup
  6. Chicken Pot Pie Lasagna Soup Recipe
  7. Healthy Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken Soup
  8. Hash Brown Slow Cooker Potato Soup 

What I used

If you made and love this recipe, please give it a 5-star rating and leave me a comment. As well, I would love if you shared my site with your friends. I don’t have a huge budget to advertise like Betty Crocker and Pillsbury. Most everyone finds me by word of mouth and referrals from their friends. A huge thank you for sharing!

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana is a flavorful soup that combines potatoes and kale.
Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana with a spoonful of kale and potatoes.

SLOW COOKER ZUPPA TOSCANA

Creamy, hearty, delicious OliveGarden Zuppa Toscana right at home and right from your slow cooker.  Italian sausage, onion, garlic, potatoes andkale all cook up in a creamy soup that everyone will love. Topped with a littlebacon this is comfort in a bowl.  Don’tforget to serve it with plenty of breadsticks!
Author: Paula
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Italian sausage browned
  • 1 medium onion white or yellow, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons garlic minced
  • 4 large potatoes peeled and diced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 32 ounces chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 bunch fresh kale washed and chopped, about 2 cups
  • 4 slices bacon cooked and chopped

Instructions

  • Pour the browned and drained sausage into the slow cooker along with the chopped onions, peeled and diced potatoes, minced garlic, seasonings, chicken broth, and water.  Stir to combine.
  • Cover and let cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours or until potatoes are tender.
  • Once potatoes are tender, 30 minutes before serving stir in the heavy whipping cream and the kale.
  • Stir together, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes.
  • Before serving, stir in your cooked, crumbled bacon.

Nutrition

Calories: 573kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 1439mg | Potassium: 876mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2760IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 2mg
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7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Planning to make some thing new recipe in next weekend , I always tried recipes in my weekends. This Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana recipe seems amazing , thanks you for sharing this with us.

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Your email address will not be published. Have you tried this recipe? Consider giving it 5 stars!