Better Than Zuppa (Not Really) Toscana Soup Recipe - Glen And Friends Cooking

Better Than Zuppa (Not Really) Toscana Soup Recipe - Glen And Friends Cooking
Today Glen cooks one of those recipes that borrows a place name - Toscana - but doesn't really have anything to do with the cuisine of Tuscany or Tuscan recipes. Zuppa Toscana is pretty much a creation of Olive Garden at their corporate kitchens or marketing department in Orlando Florida. This copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana borrows from the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana recipe and mashes it up with slightly more authentic Tuscan soup. As far as sausage and potato soup recipes go - this one is great, even if it isn't an exact copycat zuppa toscana recipe.
Here is an authentic Tuscan soup or authentic zuppa Toscana: • 🔵 How To Make Fagioli ...
Ingredients
8 strips bacon, chopped
4-5 Italian sausages, casings removed
1 onion, sliced
1 celery rib, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
15 mL (1 Tbsp) Italian seasoning
1 pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can white beans
Handful cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 medium yellow flesh potato, cubed
1.5L (6 cups) chicken broth
250 mL (1 cup) heavy cream 35%
Handful chopped spinach or kale
Method:
In a large dutch oven or soup pot, brown the bacon, and then add the Italian sausage.
Break up the sausage and cook until mostly done, then add the onion, celery, and carrots.
Cook until onion is translucent.
Stir in; minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes.
Stir in beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and broth.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low, cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
Stir in cream, and spinach just before serving.
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[@danielmiddleton8173]

I Iove the dig at food network and how it's gotten away from actual cooking shows and is now more realitycentric show based! That's why I came to the tube and found your channel.

[@alexhurst3986]

I love the jab at Food Network. I stopped watching them years ago when they stopped cooking. And that thinly veiled reference to an eatery is golden.

[@Richard-HiFiMan]

“Group of olive farmers from Orlando.” 😂 You we’re doing so well with the schtick, and only said the name of the restaurant once (7:05).

[@corkscrewfoley]

It took me a few mentions for it to kick in.

[@stephaniesosna8213]

Absolutely love your comment about foodnetwork, "back when foodnetwork had cooking shows" 😂😂

[@CST-ft9dv]

Whoa, I remember when Food Network did cooking shows. Thats been a while.

[@rbtmdl]

I made the "olive farmer" recipe with kale and it was good, but the next time I didn't have kale, but had collards growing in my garden. so i used the collards. I liked the collards much better.

[@marilyn1228]

Collards are highly under-appreciated.

[@SaverGC3]

Collards over Kale every time for me! 👍

[@tomadkins2866]

When the olive farmers first introduced that soup in the 1990s, a friend and I dissected it on a saucer to try and make it at home. (Our dates thought we were insane, lol.) We asked the waitress if she could find out what greens were used. She came back and told us, much to our surprise, that it was collard greens.

[@jeffweber8244]

Thanks Glen. I've lived my entire life among those Tuscan olive groves in the U.S. and I can certify that your recipe is 100% authentic.

[@waugsqueke]

When I lived US my go-to lunch was from those olive farmers, their zuppa toscana and their lovely cold salad and sticks of bread. And a beer. I miss that lunch.

[@lenalyles2712]

Visited Italy a couple of times while stationed in Germany. Soup was great and very different from region to region. It was what they had is what went in it and called by the same name.

[@yvonnetomenga5726]

@Glenn and Friends • I just watched the video linked in the description to the original Tuscan soup recipe. Today's update with the bacon, sausage, cream, and tomato seems much heartier. Today's recipe is a meal in itself. The original is more like a soup course or side dish. Glad to see that many of the people who commented on that video, came from this one. Hope the views go up so KZbin will rank the original higher and recommend it to more people.

[@WildInNewEngland]

My wife really loves the Zuppa (Not Really) Toscana at the Olive farmers joint, with a salad. Next week I am for sure going to make your recipe for her I think she is going to love it. 👍

[@didisinclair3605]

So happy. I became mildly obsessed with Glen's green Fontignac enameled dutch oven. I searched on eBay, and found one (the green ones are hard to come by!) albeit only 5 quarts. It sits in pride of place on my stove!

[@roberthunter5059]

I rarely eat at the olive farm, but when I do, I eat this soup.

[@kdevon4736]

Every olive farmer's Tuscan soup I've had, didn't have tomatoes or beans. Yours sounds delicious!

[@lesliemoiseauthor]

"I'm putting this in because I like it, and I'm cooking for myself." 💞💞💞 (Whispers) Hello, Julie.

[@kdude230]

This has become a staple in our rotation. We love it.

[@sealfan1000]

I love this soup, Glen! Thank you!

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

'Triggers Purists' eh? I'm in!

[@Sicorius]

Yum... I am so making this. Thank you for the video. Happy Friday.

[@SeventhSwell]

Looks good! I'm going to have to try this one once the weather gets cooler.

[@feahternl2702]

Non-american here. Is he talking about olive garden? Soup recipe looks great! Can't wait to try it!

[@pamharris7596]

Yep...I'm such a soup lover and that's my favorite one, sometimes I'll go to Olive Garden and just have that and breadsticks.

[@christinasteyer8980]

I have been looking for a soup recipe and this looks prefect! Thanks for sharing. Love your show.

[@ianjoe6699]

I'm definitely making this recipe!

[@tinascott]

I like mirepoix in soups too.

[@Walt1119]

Looks really good Glen! I’m a soup lover, will try this, thanks so much for sharing with us! W

[@JustinLCecil]

Fantastic!

[@maimunsbc]

Thanks, made this for late lunch/early dinner today. I family loved it!😋

[@ashleebenest1404]

Looks good Glen, I love a hearty soup! Yummy 😋

[@Spiralem]

The color of the soup remind me of those Thai Tom Yam with Coconut Milk.

[@Ottawa411]

Just in time. I need a new soup recipe. Thanks Glen.

[@desiswag907]

Great soup 😊

[@LeesaDeAndrea]

I've never had Olive Garden's Tuscan soup. But your recipe looks really hearty & delicious.

[@barbb]

I love this "og" soup. I will be making that from your recipe and will go watch the other video. Thank you

[@XXusernameunknownXX]

i love this soup. i used to make it all the time. i think i'll try this one out.

[@amyeagleton697]

Looks good!

[@michl6688]

This looks great! Right as back-to-school season approaches and all I want to make are soups & stews. I’ve made it with a bit of Boursin broken in; adds a nice richness.

[@hattree]

I love the euphemism for The Olive Garden...they used to run these ads about a cooking school in Tuscany they sent their chefs to. LOL.

[@charleslayton9463]

Looks really good! Here in Iowa, those olive farmers make their "Zuppa Toscana" much more simply: just the broth with dairy, kale, some sausage, potato. What you made looks more like a cross between the zuppa toscana and the bean soup (gosh, what's its name?==pasta e fagiole, I think.) I've never eaten in "the garden" closer to where you live. Now, you've made me hungry!!

[@mrsfolkartist76]

Real Pasta Fazool has beans in it and no meat I think. I like Olive Garden's and use a copycat recipe.

[@elaine8477]

Can smell this thru the computer. It smells amazing!

[@pinsentweebly]

Glad to see some savoury recipes as of late!

[@DconBlueZ]

Thanks for the vid! A few years ago I came up with my own version of the OG Zuppa Tuscana using a store-bought dried 15-bean medley (discard the manufacturer's seasoning packet). I don't use carrots, and of course mine takes 90 minutes, but otherwise it's a dead ringer for yours. We've been making it about once a month for at least 4-5 years. I'll try adding carrots next time, thanks for the idea!

[@littleprepper887]

❤️ watched both videos. I think my family will prefer this version. Mama and I would love both. thank you 😊

[@syndic3d]

Glen, I used to enjoy watching Canadian Living Cooks with Emily Richards in it on Food Network (when real cooking shows mattered).

[@dawng.8836]

I'm now going to call them the Olive Farmers. Soup looks yummy.

[@chuckspeer2163]

Thanks you just popped up, I will check some other recipes , thanks

[@lisaboban]

Oh that looks wonderful!!! I'll bet I could get my husband to eat this if I left out the spinach!

[@TK-xy3fm]

I made this last night. I only added another potato and extra can of beans to stretch it. It was a huge hit . Definitely a keeper

[@donnacameron4515]

I just made this soup, smells soooo good. It’s simmering on the stove. I couldn’t find the receipe from 2015. I’m on a mission.😀😀

[@rlwalker2]

Looks fairly easy; looks delicious. I'm in.

[@daleharsh6424]

I made this soup... it was indeed super. :) I used garbanzo beans and plain white potatoes.

[@markfleser]

I love adding fennel and/or fennel seeds to my Zuppa. I also sub beans for some or all the potatoes.

[@carldalwood9251]

If you like any veg after a frost, kale, parsnip etc. and there's no frost forecast, just pop them into the freezer for a while. It's not quite as good, but it's much better than not doing it!

[@jeffymooch]

When it comes to kale in this type of soup, I don’t mind if it’s bitter. I’ll usually use sweet or Vidalia onions and let their sweetness and the fat in the soup cut the bitterness. I love Glen’s idea of cook for you and love what you make. It took me a long time to come to terms with that idea.

[@EmilyGOODEN0UGH]

I suggest putting the greens in the bowl and serving the soup over them. Better leftovers that way. I've made my own super simplified cheap version of this for decades... 1/4 pound breakfast sausage (southern sage patty type), an onion, lots of sliced potatoes, water or broth, served over a bowl of spinach and a ton of parmesan added.

[@ellawalsh9571]

I watched this before going out grocery shopping, so made a list of what I still needed. Made a low-carb version by eliminating beans and potatoes (used 1 carrot and 1/2 an onion) and added 2 diced green zucchini instead. Also adding cream to the bowl instead as a previous commenter had suggested - cools bowl of soup down just enough.

[@srice6231]

I was thinking those beaten biscuits would be good with that soup and then Julie said that.😁 This soup looks delicious and easy!

[@wmschooley1234]

Glen:While in some homes there might be actual recipes for soup, in other homes soup is also known as leftovers thinned with water and sometime milk or cream and heated on the stove A/K/A "clean out the refrigerator" soup. It’s almost never made exactly the same way twice. Only thing is, I don’t add leftover fish or seafood into mix. Tried that only once and got a rousing NO from the wife and son. Respectfully, W.S.

[@lesanelms7939]

That's too bad, a nice leftover piece of bass in a bowl of chunky potato soup is delicious.

[@duckpond7856]

Looks delicious. I never use kale either. However, I'll have to wait until the 100 degree weather passes before I try making it.

[@skip123davis]

looks good! i've never had this at the olive farmer place, but, maybe i'll try it now. i just thought it was bean soup - maybe it is there. there's one nearby, and i've thought about doing their lunch deal with soup and "salad."

[@corystewart6190]

Gonna try this. I usually make a version closer to the olive farmers.

[@WaltzingAustralia]

It amuses me to think of this as an American version of something Italian when so many of the ingredients (tomatoes, potatoes, beans) are from the Americas. I'd say that, rather than being fake Italian, it's authentic how the world works -- take what's good and put it together. But always enjoy seeing what you are cooking.

[@SumCanadianGuy]

We have never had tomato or beans in our recipe that we make. Bacon and garlic sausage often substitute the potatoes for cauliflower and our green is always spinach

[@mrsfolkartist76]

I add carrots and celery to mine too, but no beans. I know I would like the added tomatoes. I never add bacon, you don't need it with that flavorful sausage in it. I would use evaporated milk- one 12 oz can and 1/4 cup of water if I have no whipping cream, I might even stir in a few heaping TB of flour for a thickener to the milk. I add more garlic and use kale.

[@luabuzaid]

looks good..i'd use turkey sausage as I don't eat pork...and definitely add some parmesan :)

[@jimv1983]

It's interesting that he said that Olive Garden uses tomatoes in their "Tuscan" recipes. The Zuppa Tuscana soup doesn't have tomatoes. Glen's soup also isn't the same color as the Olive Garden version. His was yellow. Olive Garden's is white. That being said, that soup looks DELICIOUS!!! 🤤🤤

[@travisadams4470]

I'm not triggered. I love soups and stews!

[@firefoxmoz]

“Back when the Food Network had cooking shows” shots fired

[@joshadsett4835]

That was quick.

[@MrMdutro]

Either the recipe has changed in the many years since you’ve been to Olive Garden, or the Canadian zuppa is different because that bears almost no resemblance to the stuff at the American ones.

[@gr8bragu368]

Oh yeah ...

[@wheeliprince12]

Yeah and they have a lot more restaurants closer I’m in Melbourne Florida and they have one

[@dougpearce8019]

☆☆☆☆☆ Better than the Florida Olive Growers soup! That made me laugh.

[@joantrotter3005]

Any suggestions for celery replacement? My tongue itches just thinking about it! The last similar soup I made with sweet potato instead of carrots. And I like both kale and spinach, so that isn't a problem. Broccoli worked too. I would add a pinch of baking powder before adding the cream though because of the tomatoes, but after they made the carrots taste good. Hopefully that made sense! Glen, is your jaw feeling better at all?

[@Jeffffrey0902]

Are you allergic to fennel or celeriac, too? I think they're quite similar to celery flavour-wise. Actually all three are from the same family.

[@joantrotter3005]

@@Jeffffrey0902 , I think fennel is ok? Definitely can't eat the other or bok choy. Lettuce and papaya are also a problem. Corn and shrimp are my big ones though.

[@Jeffffrey0902]

@@joantrotter3005 What a shame! I love all the foods you mention.

[@JeanneLugertLadyTatsLace]

@@joantrotter3005 tomatoes and strawberries for me, as well as kiwi and melons. food allergies can be a bummer.

[@yvonnetomenga5726]

@Glenn and Friends • Several things. I'm glad you mentioned the beaten biscuits. I always think of biscuits more as a topping for chicken. This seems to have a relatively short cooking time for the flavors to meld together. Is this one of the soups that is better the next day or is that not possible due to the cream & tomatoes? Bad Glenn & Jules! We all saw you eat your desert first! Put those maple syrup bacon brownies away! (😉🤣) Now off to see the "real" Tuscan soup video. 👋

[@lesanelms7939]

You don't have to cream the whole pot. If you cream your bowl of 'blister your mouth' hot soup, it is then more close to eating temperature and the rest is safe for reheat. I always cream the bowl instead of the pot for this soup because the man of the house doesn't like the cream. Works out in my favor as I can then eat it sooner without burning myself.

[@Krow884]

Onions, celery and carrots...always!

[@quiltbugj]

My favorite Italian soup is Ribolita (not sure I spelled that correctly.)

[@markiangooley]

Bizarrely, there are olive groves in north peninsular Florida. I think they’re more for producing ornamental olive trees than for olives or oil…

[@joxterthemighty]

What kind off potato? I assume russet but I think a Yukon gold wold be awesome in this dish

[@burningdiamond]

Is that the same pot for both soups?

[@scottmiller1956]

I can never understand all hatred...there are as many variations of this soup as there are kitchens around the world. People just need to calm down.

[@kellyms7230]

What can you substitute the beans with? (allergy)

[@twixxbar07]

Potatoes, or just leave them out entirely. This is a type of soup that's very forgiving for different ingredients.

[@tammycampbell112]

Could you add a Parmesan rind?

[@NORFOLKIAN]

FYI… That group of “olive farmers” may be from Florida but the OG culinary school is in Italy.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Yeah - but not really. They may learn about Italian cooking, but all of the dishes are heavily changed to reflect American taste and ease of marketing. I worked several jobs in their test kitchens over the years, I saw what went on and how dishes were modified to fit consumers tastes in middle America.

[@judithgreenwood6247]

I am speechless in Italy. As you say, make what you like. I surely do. I do feel compelled to say that we cannot buy chicken stock here. There’s brodo di carne of beef, pork, and chicken, or brodo di verdure, just vegetables. I make and use chicken stock, but not in Italian dishes. Buon appetito.

[@williamhart4896]

Nice recipe sad that your jaw is still unhappy from the extraction of the broken tooth been there and done that makes for a unhappy couple of weeks hopefully it's feeling better soon.

[@sjagoeffy]

I wonder why Julie brought 3 bowls. Did you guys have a visitor and did she forget we aren’t really there, but still brought one for us.

[@hecklepig]

LOL I wrote an entire cookbook of soup recipes that will trigger purists because it was written for when you can't get the ingredients. Mostly that's because you just can't find half the authentic soup ingredients at your local stores in the U.S. or here in New Zealand. I thought that the most important thing was that it tasted great versus outright authenticity.

[@robinbaich169]

The Food Network doesn't have cooking shows anymore? Is it all Chopped and Iron Chef?

[@marybretired]

Without a link how do you find a recipe “on our channel” from 2015? Everything I see is recent.

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

There are links - both on screen and in the description box. You can also go to the chanel page, click the 'Videos' tab and sort by date. Or from the channel page you can use the 'search' tab beside 'About' that only searches our channel.

[@bcd4562]

Maple bacon brownies?

[@paulleblanc8834]

Your written recipe says 3L or 6 cups broth, 3L is closer to 12 cups. Based on the video, I'm guessing the 6 cup amount is correct, can you confirm?

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Thanks - it's a typo on screen, but I've changed the recipe in the description box.

[@yvonnetomenga5726]

@Glenn and Friends • I don't mean to be a pest by making multiple comments* but this is a different topic. Have you thought of adding more tags to your videos to make them easier to find when we're looking for a recipe, e.g., #soup, #TuscanSoup, #brownies, #BeatenBiscuits, #WhiteLady, etc.? *The KZbin algorithm uses comments as well as likes and watch time to rank videos higher. That's why even if I don't have anything original to say, I try to comment on your videos (and those of other KZbinrs I like.)

[@johnmirbach2338]

😎👌👍✌🖖🤓

[@EazyRemedies]

How about a vegetarian version, Mate?

[@e2go]

"Olive Grove"😂🤣

[@sr2291]

Purists would totally hate me because I adapt every recipe to my own personal liking.

[@gattamom]

Are you talkimg about Olive Garden?

[@jamesdickey5407]

My son works there, I have a friend who makes the azuppa better than that restaurant.

[@nowjustanother]

The olive farmers use Swiss chard in their not really Tuscan soup.

[@lizsteilkie]

Being gluten free the olive people are not an.option, in fact eating out isn't one either...ironically enough Acme foods Signature products has an excellent gluten free pasta made in Italy...hmmm.