Honestly, I don't know if I've actually ever ordered Zuppa Toscana when I've visited Olive Garden. I always start with the Chicken Gnocchi soup and never look back. In which case, I should definitely not be making soup comparisons.
Evaluated on its own merits, this soup is really good. The flavors are much different than many other soups I've made, and I really enjoyed the change of pace. The others at my table were less enthusiastic, but they both get a pass. The little one because she was sick and nothing tasted exactly as it should, and the hubby because he was harried and hurried.
As I often do, I swapped out an ingredient here or there for various reasons. First, I used regular Italian sausage rather than the hot variety. I've finally learned my lesson and quit trying to make us a spicy food family. For the sake of calories, I used fat free half and half. I know it's not even close to heavy cream, but I'm on a mission here. Finally, because I was feeling a little on the lazy side, and used the excuse that I needed to use up items in the freezer, I used frozen Southern hash browns instead of dicing my own potatoes. Even with the changes, I still found the soup to be plenty rich, satisfying, and homemade tasting.
Want a taste of Italy without a travel budget? This may just be the ticket.
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