Allergy Free Food Knock Offs Main Course

Zuppa Toscana

November 29, 2012

It’s soup season (and Christmas, of course) Meep! Anyone else excited? I mean… not that I’m writing an extra long list to Husby err, Santa or anything.

Soup. Yes, you’re right I have problems with staying focused on one thing longer than 2bites of my cookie (it’s chocolate chip, in case you’re wondering). Cookies coupled with the mistletoe are BOUND to keep me off topic.

Soup.

While you may not have the unlimited salad or breadsticks to go with it, you can feel good about saving money by making it yourself. It tastes almost identical to Olive Garden’s (not kidding).

Oh and in case you DO want the salad… Sam’s Club now carries Olive Garden’s signature salad dressing (nation wide).

*this recipe is endorsed by Husby.
(every now and again he REALLY likes a recipe and makes sure I tell you HE REALLY likes it… in case it wasn’t clear). ha!

Olive Garden (knock-off) Zuppa Toscana Recipe (PDF version)

 

  • Morgen November 29, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it! Would love to hear about your favorites on your Christmas list!:)

  • Ainsley November 29, 2012 at 2:27 pm

    I’ve made a recipe incredibly similar (spinach instead of kale, I don’t even see any other differences) and LOVE LOVE it. So much like Olive Garden’s soup, and it makes for a healthy lunch or dinner with turkey or chicken sausage. Now I know what I’m making this weekend!

    • missy November 29, 2012 at 6:51 pm

      Most recipes I’ve seen that are “copy-cat” don’t use chicken stock as the base. It’s water based. Bacon is also an addition as well as the chicken sausage (variation). Hope you enjoy it! xo

  • Angela November 29, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    I’m a newbie to the blogisphere, and I absolutely look forward to checking your page every day. 🙂
    Thanks for posting this! I can’t wait to take a swing at it.

  • Lindsey Westfield November 29, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    yummmmmm! thanks for providing the recipe my (now) weekend meal! muah!

  • Mandy @ Eat Pray Grow November 29, 2012 at 4:01 pm

    That actually looks BETTER than Olive Garden’s – I doubt they use those organic ingredients, and man – it makes a difference! Thanks for sharing, I’ll have to try!

  • Tricia November 29, 2012 at 4:03 pm

    I’ll have to give this a try. I pinned something just like it a few weeks ago but wondered if it was really that good. I always seem to doubt they will really do the real thing justice. Guess I’ll have to give it a try!

    • missy November 29, 2012 at 6:52 pm

      Can’t wait to hear how you like it! 🙂

  • jaclyn @ www.lilmsadventures.blogspot.com November 29, 2012 at 4:08 pm

    Do you think I could substitute 2% milk instead of the cream or whole milk? I feel silly buying cream or whole milk just for soup?

    The recipe looks yummy 🙂 I do want to try it soon. Thanks for sharing

    • missy November 29, 2012 at 6:52 pm

      Most definitely. But hey, if you have extra cream you can make my super simple blueberry biscuits to go with it! Mmm!

  • Debbie November 29, 2012 at 4:10 pm

    I have made this recipe before and it is awe
    some…Even better than olive garden because it isn’t full of MSG…

  • Kristina November 29, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    This looks so yummy!! Just pinned, will have to make.

    I had a salad with the Olive Garden dressing at someone’s house and was wondering where they got the exact dressing from. Mystery solved!

    Kristina

    Kristina does the Internets

  • Beth November 29, 2012 at 4:20 pm

    Yummo! It’s only 8am here but I’m ready for dinner already after seeing this! Thanks for the idea 🙂

  • katie b. November 29, 2012 at 4:43 pm

    sweet! this is my fav soup from olive garden. My bod can’t tolerate cream so well so I may just try making it with out! Thanks!!

    you had to be there

  • Nadia November 29, 2012 at 4:47 pm

    This really is just like Olive Gardens! And super easy to make! We love it in our house!

  • Marisa M. November 29, 2012 at 6:05 pm

    I have made this recipe a number of times and LOVE IT! It’s an absolute favorite around our home!

  • Kelli Whigham November 30, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    Just FYI Sams not only carries the salad dressing but the croutons as well!

  • Andree Close December 1, 2012 at 11:37 pm

    Yum! So making this!

  • Lindsey Westfield December 18, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    Made this last night for 5 of us.. it was AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!!

  • Lauren December 28, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    Do you think this would be good in a crock pot? I am thinking about making it to bring on a ski trip this weekend.

  • Kayla January 7, 2013 at 1:54 am

    I just made this tonight and it’s yummy! I used sweet Italian chicken sausage and spinach instead of kale. My husband liked it so much he got seconds! 🙂

  • Sam Luger January 9, 2013 at 3:05 pm

    Made this last night and it was fantastic! I used the bacon, red potatoes cubed ( it’s what I had) and whole milk. Otherwise, it was your recipe as posted. Even my 8 year old daughter Liv loved it!

  • Kristin January 24, 2013 at 3:47 am

    Thanks for the inspiration! Made this tonight and it was delicious 🙂