Homemade Zuppa Toscana Soup with Italian Venison Sausage
My Homemade Zuppa Toscana Soup with Italian Venison Sausage is a big hit when served in our house!Zuppa Toscana Soup is the most popular Olive Garden soup recipe. Its rich, creamy flavor is hard to resist. My copycat recipe is a hearty dish I made for a client to enjoy during a cold & snowy elk hunt here in North Dakota. The recipe is super simple and includes directions on how to make homemade Italian Venison Sausage. OLIVE GARDEN SOUP RECIPEI'm not a huge fan of Olive Garden, but I am a fan of the Zuppa Toscana Soup at Olive Garden. I know I’m not alone! What’s not to love though? There’s a reason they are so popular — they’re so flavorful and delicious. They seem to have some kind of “secret ingredient” that makes you come back again and again for that one-of-a-kind soup you can only get there. Entire websites have been created that are solely devoted to mimicking restaurant meals like this one. So when I set out to create one of my favorite dishes - Zuppa Toscana Soup - I did it with determination and I did it with all of my fellow home cooks in mind. You have a super busy life with responsibilities at work or home, you have to manage the bank account, keep the house clean, and you deserve to have a delicious bowl of soup in front of you at the end of the day. So here it is!HOW TO MAKE ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP AT HOME1. In a 6-quart pot, over medium-high heat, add 2 pounds of Italian venison sausage (find recipe below), breaking it up with your spatula and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. 2. Add a diced yellow onion and sauté for 4 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and sauté 1 minute.3. Add 6 cups chicken broth, 4 cups water, diced potatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. 4. Stir in 4 cups of chopped kale, and 1 cup heavy cream and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and serve.MORE SOUP RECIPESIf you are looking for another great soup to use with upland birds, check out these family favorites:Stuffed Cabbage SoupPheasant and Potato Gnocchi Soup recipeGrouse and Wild Rice Soup recipeSnow Goose SoupDeer Bacon and Lentil SoupCzech Garlic SoupCONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYIf you make this Homemade Zuppa Toscana Soup, I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Zuppa Toscana Soup with Italian Venison Sausage recipe? Be sure to leave a rating 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Italian Venison Sausage
- 2 pounds ground venison (deer, elk, antelope, moose, caribou)
- 3 pounds ground pork
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons basil pesto
- 2 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian Venison Sausage
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 5 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bundle of fresh kale (about 4 to 6 cups), chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Italian Venison Sausage
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly with your hands.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Soup
- In a 6-quart pot, over medium-high heat, add Italian venison sausage, breaking it up with your spatula and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add onion and sauté for 4 min, then add minced garlic and sauté 1 min.
- Add chicken broth, water, potatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in kale, and heavy cream and bring to a boil again.
- Remove from heat and serve.
