The Olive Garden Secret Menu Soup You’re Going To Want To Try Soon. (It’s Creamy And Hearty)

There are some Olive Garden dishes besides pasta that are worth a shake when you go to the Italian-inspired chain, but perhaps the most obvious of those are the ample supplies of salad and soups on offer. The salad speaks for itself at this point. However, more attention ought to be paid to the soups, which are made fresh every day (just one of Olive Garden’s many secrets). They’re all worth tasting in their own right, but what you’ve really got to try is a combination of two of these hearty options.

While zuppa Toscana might be the best soup that you can order at Olive Garden, try giving half a bowl of it plus half a bowl of minestrone a whirl. Zuppa Toscana is a simple yet decadent dish made with a cream base, thinly sliced potatoes, fresh kale, and spicy Italian sausage. Minestrone is an Italian restaurant classic perfumed with a comforting, savory flavor from its tomato base and hearty mix of vegetables, beans, and pasta. And as it turns out, they make excellent companions in the same bowl, transforming into a creamy, tomatoey, packed-to-the-gills off-menu gem. So, while this isn’t an Italian wedding per se (that would be another soup), these two Olive Garden menu items really are the perfect marriage, especially as the weather cools.

Your mileage (and customizability) may vary

Asking for a bowl of soup that’s half minestrone and half zuppa Toscana when you go to Olive Garden should be a pretty straightforward process, even if there might not be an option to input that on the restaurant’s point-of-sale system. While these two soups are staples on the regular Olive Garden menu, this doesn’t guarantee that a particular Olive Garden location will fulfill your custom request. There’s always the chance that the kitchen may be out of one of the soups or simply refuse to do this, whether due to policy or personal proclivities.

So, just be aware that such an eventuality might come up. Worst case scenario, you can always order both separately and enjoy a double portion (with the potential for leftovers). You can even order soup by the gallon at Olive Garden if you wish, meaning a bucket of deliciously creamy, tomateoy, sausage-and-potato-packed “minestrone Toscana” could be yours for the feasting.