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.
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.
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR ZUPPA TOSCANA
- Italian sausage. A leaner option is ground chicken or lean ground turkey + one tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
- White or yellow onion.
- Garlic.
- 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.
- Salt.
- Pepper.
- Red pepper flakes.
- Chicken broth.
- Water.
- Whipping cream. You can use half & half, which is half whole milk and half whipping cream to cut some fat and calories.
- Kale. Spinach is a good substitute for kale.
- Bacon. You can use turkey bacon.
- Of course, you can add carrots and celery if you prefer. I’d use three of each sliced or diced.
- 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.
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!
- Pasta Meatball Soup Recipe
- Skinny Turkey Meatball Tortellini Soup
- Cheesy and Creamy Broccoli Soup
- Beefy Tomato Soup Recipe
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie Lasagna Soup Recipe
- Healthy Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken Soup
- Hash Brown Slow Cooker Potato Soup
What I used
- These bowls are fun and festive
- I adore soup crocks with handles
- Add a little elegance
- Beautiful ladle
- If rustic is more your style
- Dutch oven- Le Creuset is top of the line, with great heat distribution but slightly pricey. Lodge is great if you don’t want to spend as much.
- Slow Cooker
- Wood spoon
- Ladle
- Prep bowls
- Soup bowls or these
- Salt/pepper shakers in clamp jars
- Liquid measuring cup
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
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage browned
- 1 medium white onion white or yellow, chopped
- 2 tablespoons garlic clove minced
- 4 large potatoes peeled and diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ 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
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
I use kale and do not dice the potatoes. I quarter the unpeeled potato and then slice it. I top the soup with grated fresh parmesan cheese. This is better than Olive Garden’s in my opinion. Thank you for sharing.