This post is brought to you by Johnsonville. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own - always have been, always will be!
Eating out with 5 kids gets expensive fast, so there's nothing I love more than recreating our favorite restaurant meals at home... except maybe improving on the original!
Recently Johnsonville asked me to participate in a series of secret ingredient challenges over the next year, and the ingredients for the first challenge are their Better-For-You sausage and Uncle Ben's Ready Rice.
The obvious recipe using these ingredients would seem to be an easy sausage and veggie stir fry over rice, but I've been craving Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana lately.
Yes, I realize that this classic Italian sausage soup typically does not include rice, but I decided to add two bags of Uncle Ben's Brown Ready Rice... As it turns out, we loved the added texture! Not to mention it stretches this dish just a little bit further, making it a hearty meal all on its own.
I've also lightened up this Zuppa Toscana a bit by using Johnsonville Pork & Chicken Mild Italian Sausage, turkey bacon, and reducing the amount of heavy cream by half. I still wouldn't call this Zuppa Toscana low-fat by any means, but it's certainly a better-for-you alternative.
Tara's Tip: Easy Baked Bacon
Want perfectly cooked bacon with less mess? Give my oven baked bacon method a try! I'll never fry bacon in a skillet again.
Souper Cubes 2-Cup Freezer Trays with Lids
If you like to freeze leftover soup for later, you NEED these sturdy silicone trays with lids!! These are the perfect size for freezing and reheating individual servings. AND they're easy to use and clean like a dream, with no residual odors!
Printable Recipe ↓
Zuppa Toscana Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 (19-ounce) package mild Italian sausage links
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 (9-ounce) packages pre-cooked brown rice
- 2.5 pounds gold potatoes - sliced
- 1 large yellow onion - chopped
- 2 slices bacon - cooked and diced
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 cups kale - ribs removed and chopped
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 6 cups cold water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- kosher salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Slice uncooked sausage and then cut each slice in half. Brown sausage in a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. When cooked through, remove to a plate.
- Pour another drizzle of olive oil into the same pot, and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent.
- Add in the chicken stock, water, and sliced potatoes, and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until tender enough to be pierced easily with a fork.
- Add the sausage back to the mixture, as well as the bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low, and add the kale, rice, and heavy cream.
- Heat through and serve.
More Sausage Recipes To Try
If you like this zuppa toscana recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious sausage recipes with bold flavor:
- Spicy Fire House Chili
- Italian Sausage Spaghetti Pie
- 3-Ingredient Rotel Sausage Dip
- Cheddar Sausage Ball Recipe
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @unsophisticook on Instagram and hashtag it #unsophisticook.
Shaina says
This looks fantastic. I love the green that the kale brings to it.
Amanda says
Such a smart recipe!! I love it. And its beyond beautiful!
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says
I haven't tried that soup at Olive Garden, but now I want to! Your version looks great, love the rice in it!
Aggie says
I've always loved that soup at OG! This looks delicious. And it really does get expensive going out to dinner with kids - mine are getting quite the appetites lately and ordering big! :)
Angie says
This looks incredible!
ashley - baker by nature says
Oh my gosh, this soup looks incredible! I would totally get down on a pot of this!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
My kids would love this soup! What a fun challenge with Johnsonville!
Cassie | Bake Your Day says
I love zuppa toscana! This looks fabulous!
Cindy says
Oh this sounds delicious! I love this soup and actually had it yesterday at Olive Garden!! Can't wait to give this a try!
Sommer @ ASpicyPerspective says
Soup looks fabulous, Tara! :)