Are you craving a deeply comforting bowl of soup that evokes the taste of your favourite Italian-American restaurant, but without the fuss or the expense? What if you could capture that same rich, hearty flavour in your own kitchen, using wholesome ingredients and a wonderfully simple method? You absolutely can. We’re delighted to share our recipe for the most delicious Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup, a straightforward and flavourful dish that’s destined to become a firm family favourite.

This is far more than just another soup; it’s a bowl of pure comfort. It serves as the ideal meal for a cool evening, a brilliant choice for weekly meal planning, and a surprisingly easy way to delight your dinner guests. By harnessing the power of the slow cooker, we elevate humble ingredients into a sophisticated and satisfying soup that tastes as if it has been lovingly tended to for hours. Prepare for your home to be filled with the wonderful aroma of sausage, garlic, and herbs simmering away.

What is Zuppa Toscana?

Directly translated as “Tuscan soup,” Zuppa Toscana is a beloved dish with Italian roots. While authentic recipes in Tuscany can differ, the version many of us recognise and adore was made famous by the Olive Garden restaurant chain. It is celebrated for its distinctive blend of spicy Italian sausage, delicate sliced potatoes, and fresh kale, all brought together in a wonderfully creamy broth. Our take on this classic embraces all that iconic flavour, adapting it perfectly to the slow cooker for an exceptionally tender and flavourful result.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Effortless Cooking: We adore recipes that fit seamlessly into a busy day. Simply brown the sausage, combine the ingredients in the pot, and allow your slow cooker to handle the rest. It truly is the definition of a low-effort, high-reward meal.
• Incredibly Flavourful: The gentle, slow cooking time enables the flavours of the spicy sausage, savoury broth, and kale to meld together in perfect harmony, resulting in a soup with remarkable depth and richness.
• A healthy olive garden copycat: We’ve made a few thoughtful adjustments to create a lighter, more nutritious version that you can feel great about enjoying. It’s brimming with goodness from the kale and potatoes, and we provide tips to customise the creaminess to your preference.
• Perfect for Meal Prep: This soup is one of those wonderful dishes that tastes even more delicious the following day. Preparing a large batch is an excellent strategy for having tasty lunches or dinners ready for the week.
• Completely Customisable: It’s incredibly easy to modify this recipe. You can turn up the heat, use different greens, or make it dairy-free to cater to your family’s tastes and dietary requirements.

Ingredients

• 500g spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 large white onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 900g Maris Piper or other waxy potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1.5 litres chicken stock or broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for extra heat)
• 150g fresh kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped
• 200ml double cream (or single cream for a lighter option)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
• Crusty bread, for serving

How to Make Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup: A Step-by-Step Guide

We have organised this recipe into four simple stages. The first step of browning the sausage is crucial for developing a deep flavour base. After that, your crockpot takes over, freeing you up for the rest of your day.

1. Brown the Sausage and Aromatics: In a large frying pan set over a medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage, using a wooden spoon to crumble it as it cooks until beautifully browned. Tip in the chopped onion and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until it becomes fragrant. Carefully drain any excess grease from the pan.
2. Load the Slow Cooker: Carefully transfer the browned sausage and onion mixture into the insert of your slow cooker. Tip in the sliced potatoes, chicken stock, dried oregano, and the optional red pepper flakes. Give all the ingredients a thorough stir to combine them well.
3. Cook Low and Slow: Place the lid securely on your slow cooker and set it to cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. The soup will be ready once the potatoes are perfectly tender and a fork can pierce them with no resistance.
4. Finish with Kale and Cream: Around 15-20 minutes before serving, pour the double cream into the slow cooker and stir in the chopped kale. Put the lid back on and allow the kale to wilt and the cream to warm through completely. Season with a generous amount of salt and black pepper to taste. Serve piping hot, garnished with a dusting of Parmesan cheese and some crusty bread for dipping.

Tips for the Perfect Crockpot Zuppa Toscana

To ensure your soup turns out wonderfully every single time, we’ve put together a few of our best tips. Much like our heart-warming Slow Cooker Beef Stew, paying attention to the small details can elevate the final dish.

Choosing the Right Sausage

The sausage is undoubtedly the heart of this crockpot sausage soup, so selecting a quality product is key. We suggest using a good-quality spicy Italian pork sausage to achieve that classic, fiery flavour. If you’re not a fan of heat, a mild or sweet Italian sausage will work just as beautifully. For a leaner alternative, consider using turkey or chicken sausage.

Prepping Your Kale

Kale is a nutritional giant, loaded with vitamins A, K, and C. For a deeper dive into its many health benefits, you can explore this informative article from the Harvard School of Public Health. To prepare it for this kale and potato soup, simply hold a stem and pull the leaves away from it. The tough, fibrous stems can be discarded. Give the leaves a quick, rough chop. Be sure to add the kale towards the end of the cooking process to prevent it from overcooking and losing its lovely green hue.

Making It Creamier or Lighter

You are in complete control of this soup’s richness. We adore using double cream for an indulgent, restaurant-quality texture. However, if you are looking for lighter soup recipes, single cream is an excellent substitute. For an even lighter version, you could use evaporated milk or thicken the broth by mixing a tablespoon of cornflour with a small amount of cold water to create a slurry and stirring it in at the end.

Serving and Storage Suggestions

We find that this Zuppa Toscana is a wonderfully satisfying meal all by itself, particularly when paired with a thick slice of warm, crusty bread to soak up the flavourful broth. For a balanced meal, a crisp side salad tossed in a simple vinaigrette offers a refreshing contrast to the soup’s richness.

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. The flavours will continue to develop, often making it taste even better the next day! You can reheat it gently in a saucepan on the hob or in the microwave. We generally advise against freezing soups that contain cream and potatoes, as their textures can alter when thawed. If you do wish to freeze it, we recommend freezing the soup base *before* you add the kale and cream for the best results.

FAQ

Your New Go-To Comfort Meal

This Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup is much more than just a recipe; it’s the answer to busy weeknight dinners, the star of a cosy weekend lunch, and a dish that is sure to please everyone. It’s the type of meal that warms you right through, delivering on both incredible flavour and comforting satisfaction. It’s truly one of our most-loved dishes, right alongside our nourishing Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

We are so thrilled for you to try this taste of Tuscany in your own home. It’s proof that you don’t need to be tied to the kitchen for hours to produce a meal that is both wholesome and deeply gratifying. So, it’s time to get your slow cooker out and prepare to fall in love with your new favourite soup!

Have you tried this Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup? We would be delighted to hear how it turned out! Please feel free to leave a comment and a rating below to share your experience. Your feedback is invaluable to us and other readers.

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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 4 hours
Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 500g spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 large white onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 900g Maris Piper or other waxy potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1.5 litres chicken stock or broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for extra heat)
• 150g fresh kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped
• 200ml double cream (or single cream for a lighter option)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Brown Sausage & Aromatics: In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, crumbling it, until browned. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant. Drain excess grease.
2. Load Slow Cooker: Transfer the sausage mixture to the slow cooker. Add the sliced potatoes, chicken stock, oregano, and optional red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine.
3. Cook Low and Slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
4. Finish with Greens & Cream: About 15-20 minutes before serving, stir in the chopped kale and double cream. Cover and allow the kale to wilt and the cream to warm through.
5. Season and Serve: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with Parmesan cheese if desired, and with crusty bread on the side.

Nutrition Information: This recipe is a lighter, more nutritious version of the classic. Exact nutritional values will vary depending on the specific ingredients used, such as the type of sausage and cream.

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