Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Olive Garden Copycat

With arctic temperatures we hunkered down last weekend and cooked two slow cooker meals.  We made one of our go to favorites, Mississippi Pot Roast, and then tried a new recipe for Zuppa Toscana.  I had tasted the soup at a recent dinner with friends and had been craving it ever since.  The recipe called for an instant pot and since we don’t have one, I searched around for a slow cooker option.  Having cooked many meals in my slow cooker, I had an idea how long it would take, but it is always nice to have a little bit of a guide.

It turned out so good!  The potatoes were  tender enough that they had a good bite to them and they didn’t get mushy even as we ate it the next few days as left overs.  The sausage gives it a really good flavor and the kale is a really nice addition that won’t scare your kids when its mixed in.  Give it a go and report back with what you think!  Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Olive Garden Copycat

I loved this Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat recipe but I don't have an instant pot, so I searched for a slow cooker version and found many to chose from. They are all very similar. I chose this one to base my cooking time on.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time4 hours hrs

Total Time4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 8

Author: adapted from this Instant pot and this slow cooker recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage casings removed
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 3 russet potatoes diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pinch salt to taste
• 1 pinch black pepper to taste
• 6 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 bunch kale stems removed and torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup Half and Half

Instructions

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown and crumble Italian sausage, about 5-8 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until some of the onion begins to turn opaque (no need to cook onion completely at this point). Drain grease from skillet.
• In a 6 quart slow cooker (or bigger), add cooked sausage & veggies plus the diced potato. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour chicken broth on top. There should be enough broth to cover the tops of the potatoes; if there isn't, add a little water so potatoes are covered.
• Gently stir ingredients, cover slow cooker, and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
• Remove lid from slow cooker and add kale and half and half, then stir to combine.
• Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for another 30 minutes.

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