Imitation can be the sincerest type of flattery, but it may also save you a lot of money while eating out. Here are a handful of the most often copied soup recipes from favorite eateries across the country.

1. Restaurant-style Zuppa Toscana

Creamy sausage plus potato soup. This recipe is quite close to the one offered at a popular restaurant.

Prep Time:                          15 mins

Cook Time:                         50 mins

Total Time:                         1 hr 5 mins

Servings:                            6

Ingredients

• 1-quart water
• 6 slices bacon
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
• ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 (16-ounce) package of smoked sausage
• 2 cups kale – washed, dried, and shredded

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Place the sausage links on a sheet pan & bake for a total of 25 minutes or until cooked. Cut links in half in the middle then slice at an angle into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook bacon & onion in a large skillet over a medium-low flame until the onion is almost clear. Remove the bacon and crumble. Set aside.

Cook garlic and onion together for around 1 minute. Simmer for 15 minutes with the water, chicken stock base, and potatoes.

Combine crumbled bacon, sausage, greens, and cream. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

 380                    Calories 

25g                    Fat 

21g                   Carbs 

17g                   Protein

2. My Amazing Tomato Basil Soup (Like Applebee’s)

If you enjoy McDonald’s tomato-basil soup, this is very similar. That’s quite a compliment from the hubs! Serve with seasoned baked fries and panini-style cheddar sandwiches on Gouda on thick bread with a crust.

Prep Time:                       10 mins

Cook Time:                      20 mins

Total Time:                      30 mins

Servings:                         2

Ingredients

• 5 1/4 ounces water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup bottled marinara sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, or to taste
• 1 (10.5 ounces) can of condensed tomato soup
• 6 Italian-style seasoned croutons, or as needed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, or more to taste

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic until soft and aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the condensed soup & marinara. Fill the soup can partly with water, swirl, and then slowly pour into the soup.
2. Add the oregano and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the burner to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the flavors mix. Stir in the basil.
3. Ladle into dishes and garnish with croutons and Parmesan.

I usually add a pinch of sugar to tomato-based sauces, but I’m not sure this needed it.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

 394                    Calories

 25g                    Fat 

36g                     Carbs

 6g                      Protein

3. Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This orange chicken orzo soup delivers warmth to a dish. It’s very tasty, with succulent chicken in a lemony broth, orzo pasta, onion, carrot, celery, for instance, and baby spinach. This soup dish has rapidly become a family favorite.

Prep Time:                  20 mins

Cook Time:                   30 mins

Total Time:                    50 mins

Servings:                      12

Yield:                            6 quarts

This comforting lemon chicken orzo soup recipe will brighten up even the gloomiest winter day. 

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Ingredients

For this lemon chicken rice soup recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Orzo: Boil and drain 8 ounces of orzo pasta. 
• Oil: Cook the vegetables in a teaspoon of olive oil.  
• Broth: Use store-bought chicken broth or make your own at home. 
• Parmesan: Parmesan cheese is optional, but it’s a great finishing touch. 
• Vegetables: This veggie-packed soup features onion, carrots, celery, and baby spinach. 
• Seasonings: Season the soup with fresh garlic, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt and pepper, and a bay leaf. 
• Lemon: You’ll need fresh lemon juice, the zest of a lemon, and lemon slices for garnish. 
• Chicken: This soup is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken. 

How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

The full, step-by-step recipe is provided below, but here’s a quick overview of what to expect when making lemon chicken orzo soup:

1. Boil, drain, and rinse the orzo. 
2. Cook until spinach wilts into broth and the orzo is tender.
3. Stir in the orzo, lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken. 
4. Cook the veggies, then stir in the garlic. Add the seasonings. 
5. Cook until chicken and orzo are heated through, then stir in the spinach.
6. Add the broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the veggies are tender.

What to Serve With Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This lemon chicken rice soup goes great with French bread. A delicious side salad would be just as good.

How to Store Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Keep any leftover lemon chicken orzo soups in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Ingredients

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 lemon, sliced for garnish (Optional)
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Optional)
• 3 medium carrots, chopped, or more to taste
• 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) package of baby spinach leaves
• 3 (32 ounces) cartons of fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Heat a big saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in the orzo and bring to a boil. Cook pasta, uncovered, until partially cooked but not quite mushy, about 5 minutes; rinse it off with cold water until thoroughly cooled.
2. Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a big pot over a medium-high flame. Cook and stir in the carrots, celery, & onion for approximately 5 minutes, or until the veggies soften and the onion becomes translucent. Cook and whisk in the garlic for approximately 1 minute, or until fragrant. Season with thyme, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper; simmer for another 30 seconds before adding chicken broth to the pot.
3. Bring the broth to a boil. Partially cover the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
4. Incorporate orzo, lemon juice, & lemon zest into the soup; add chicken. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until the chicken and orzo are well heated. Cook until the baby spinach has wilted into the broth and the orzo is cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into dishes and top with lemon wedges and Parmesan cheese.

4. Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This is a favorite for cool-weather sports nights as everyone eats at different times. After adding the chicken and gnocchi, place it in a slow cooker on a low setting to ensure it is done when you are. Serve with pesto breadsticks.

Prep Time:                30 mins

Cook Time:               30 mins

Total Time:               1 hr

Servings:                  6

Yield:                        6 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pint fat-free half-and-half
• 2 cups torn fresh spinach
• ½ teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat
• 1 (16 ounces) package of small gnocchi
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. Melt the butter and olive oil in a big soup pot over medium heat. Cook and stir zucchini, and celery, for instance, onion, red pepper, carrots, and garlic in heated butter and oil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Stir flour into the mixture to coat the veggies; cook for another 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the chicken broth and veggies until the flour paste has combined with the broth and the soup is rich and smooth about 5 minutes. Pour in both types of half-and-half and bring to a simmer. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the mixture is slightly thicker. Gently fold the chicken, gnocchi, and spinach into the soup. Season with salt water, black pepper, thyme, and nutmeg. If necessary, add more chicken broth to get the appropriate thickness.

Rotisserie chicken gives the best flavor, but any cooked chicken will do. You can leave some of the veggies out to make it more of a comfort food and then put them in a side salad instead.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

 446                            Calories

 25g                            Fat 

35g                            Carbs

 21g                           Protein

5. MeMe’s Pasta Fagioli

MeMe’s fagioli recipe calls for white cannellini beans, ditalini pasta with vegetables, lean beef, and herbs cooked in vegetable juice and chicken stock. It is similar to Italian chili, such as Olive Garden’s Macaroni Fagioli, and tastes even better the second day.

Prep Time:                          15 mins

Cook Time:                         45 mins

Total Time:                          1 hr

Servings:                             8

Ingredients

• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ½ cups ditalini pasta
• 1 thin slice of onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 (14 ounces) can chicken broth
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (15 ounces) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (32 ounces) bottle of tomato-vegetable juice cocktail (such as V8®)

Directions

1. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the meat in the large skillet until it is browned and crumbly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate lined with paper towels to drain; discard any oil.
2. In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, celery, & carrot until softened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Sauté garlic until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Bring the vegetable mixture to a boil while stirring in the vegetable juice drinks, chicken broth, parsley, basil, oregano, & black pepper. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan of water with minimal salt to a boil. Cook the ditalini pasta in hot water for 8 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft but firm to the biting. Drain and set aside.
4. Stir in the beef and cannellini beans; cook and stir for 10 minutes, or until the soup is thoroughly heated.
5. Spoon roughly 1/3 cup pasta onto each serving bowl, then pour soup over it.

Keep pasta separate from soup for leftovers and combine when reheating.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

299             Calories 

10g             Fat 

33g             Carbs 

18g             Protein

Copycat Soups