This Whole30 Zuppa Toscana is rich and creamy, with just the right amount of heat, and bursting with cozy flavors. It features Italian sausage and potatoes in a creamy broth. This Olive Garden inspired recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and the best whole30 soup you can make!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love this Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
- Ingredients You Need
- How to Make Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
- Recipe Variations
- Quick Tips and FAQs
- More Soup Recipes
- Whole30 Zuppa Toscana Recipe
When fall and winter hit, I’m so ready for all the soups. Not only are they great for throwing in the crock pot or on the stove, but making a batch of soup make your house smell amazing and warm your soul. They’re great for leftovers or freezing too!
I grew up with endless breadsticks, salad, and soup at Olive Garden. We’d head to the local chain after basketball games to eat as much as possible. The creamy soup always hit the spot, so I was determined to come up with a healthy homemade version of the original recipe.
This is it, you guys! The rich and creamy broth with tender potatoes and sneaky kale stands up to the bold and spicy flavors of Italian sausage. You are going to obsess over this easy recipe!
Why You’ll Love this Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
- Hearty soup recipe
- Just like original Zuppa Toscana (some say it’s better than Olive Garden’s!)
- Made with real, healthy ingredients
- Rich and creamy texture, without heavy cream
- Perfect for meal prep — it tastes just as good the next day.
- The whole family will love it (toddler-approved!)
- You only need one pot.
- Easy to make low carb
Featured Review
“One of our favorite go-to recipes!!! We don’t really eat soup in our household, but this has become one of our weekly meals. Super easy, quick, and so yummy! Plus, you feel 100% full afterwards.” – Taylor
See More Comments
Try another whole30 soup recipe: no bean chili or creamy chicken tortilla soup.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients for this zuppa toscana recipe. Jump to recipe for exact measurements.
- Italian sausage: check the ingredients for added sugars and preservatives to keep this whole30 compliant. See the ingredient notes in the recipe card for homemade Italian sausage.
- Chicken broth: I like reduced sodium. Bone broth is a great option too.
- Onion: fresh diced onion builds the base flavor.
- Italian seasoning: a bit of this adds all the Italian flavors you need for a traditional zuppa toscana.
- Garlic: nothing beats the smell of fresh garlic and onion cooking together.
- Russet potatoes: You could swap this for sweet potatoes, red potatoes or frozen cauliflower florets for low carb.
- Kale: Chop it or just tear it into small pieces. You can also use frozen kale.
- Unsweetened coconut cream: this is a great substitute for heavy cream to mak it reach and creamy. I’ve also made this with cashew cream and it’s delicious. Make sure to use unsweetened coconut milk (you can’t taste the coconut flavor).
- Tapioca starch: this is an optional ingredient that helps thicken the soup. Arrowroot flour works as well.
Need another whole30 recipe? Try crispy garlic chicken bites, Instant Pot carnitas, or baked chicken nuggets next.
How to Make Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
These are the step-by-step instructions for this healthy zuppa toscana recipe. Jump to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
- Cook sausage and onion: Cook the onion in olive oil over medium heat, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the Italian sausage and cook to break it up until no pink remains.
- Simmer the potatoes: Add the chicken broth, diced potatoes (or cauliflower), salt and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the cream and kale: Stir in the chopped kale and coconut cream until the cream is combined and the kale is wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Thicken it (optional): Mix the starch with water then mix it into the soup and cook over medium-high heat until the soup thickens. This really gives it the thick and creamy texture like Olive Garden.
Recipe Variations
- Add more veggies: sauté celery and chopped carrots with the onion.
- Ground turkey: use ground turkey instead of Italian sausage if you can’t find one that is whole30 approved.
- Add some crispy bacon: crisp it in the pan first then cook the sausage and rest of the ingredients right in the bacon grease. Make sure you use whole30 compliant bacon.
Quick Tips and FAQs
Can I make it with cauliflower
I love the hearty potatoes in this soup, but you can swap it for frozen cauliflower florets to make a low carb zuppa toscana. They release more moisture into the soup, so it may be thinner. Add more tapioca flour to taste. They also won’t take as long to cook as the potatoes.
Can I make it in the slow cooker?
To make slow cooker zuppa toscana, follow steps 1 and 2 then transfer sausage, onion and garlic to a slow cooker. Add the stock, spices and potatoes to the crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-7 hours. Add cream and kale and mix well for 3 minutes before serving.
Check for Whole30 compliant sausage and bacon
Sausage and bacon at the store often contain added sugars. Buy a nitrate free bacon and make your own homemade Italian sausage with ground pork and a handful of spices (see recipe notes).
Adjust the heat to your liking
Leave out the red pepper flakes and use a mild Italian sausage if you’re sensitive to heat. You can let your friends and family add it into individual bowls if they prefer spicy whole30 zuppa toscana.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Soup Recipes
- Creamy chicken and rice soup [whole30]
- Creamy chicken florentine soup
- 5 Ingredient butternut squash soup
- Beanless chili
- Creamy chicken gnocchi soup
Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }
Whole30 Zuppa Toscana is a classic Italian soup made with sausage and potatoes in a creamy broth. This healthy version is gluten-free, dairy-free and full of flavor. This Olive Garden inspired recipe is a perfect weeknight recipe.
Course DinnerCuisine ItalianDiet Gluten FreeKeyword chicken dinner, dairy free, healthy, soup, toscana, whole30, zuppa
Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 25 minutes minutesTotal Time 35 minutes minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 466kcal
Equipment
- Large Pot or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb hot or regular Italian sausage store bought or homemade (Note 1)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or bone broth
- 4 medium russet potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes (Note 1 Low Carb)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cups kale stemmed and chopped
- 1 cup full fat unsweetened coconut cream or cashew cream
- 1 Tablespoon tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat until it’s hot and rippling. Cook the onion to soften for 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.1 Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the Italian sausage and Italian seasoning and cook to break it up until no pink remains. 1 lb hot or regular Italian sausage, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Pour the chicken broth into the soup then add the potatoes, salt, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth, 4 medium russet potatoes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Stir in the chopped kale and coconut cream. Combine the tapioca flour in a small bowl with a splash of water and stir it to dissolve and create a slurry. Turn the heat up to medium-high and stir in the slurry. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes while the soup heats and thickens slightly and the kale wilts. 4 cups kale, 1 cup full fat unsweetened coconut cream, 1 Tablespoon tapioca flour
- Taste and add additional salt and red pepper flakes to taste
Video
Notes
Note 1. Low Carb. Swap the potatoes for 1 head of cauliflower for low carb option).
Note 2. Homemade Whole30 Italian Sausage. Mix together:
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp EACH: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, smoked paprika.
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon EACH: ground fennel seed, oregano, and thyme
Where to find coconut cream: it will be in the international section of the grocery store. It’s the thick cream part on top of full fat canned coconut milk.
Slow cooker: follow steps 1 and 2 then transfer sausage, onion and garlic to a slow cooker. Add the stock, spices and potatoes to the crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-7 hours. Add cream and kale and mix well for 3 minutes before serving to allow kale to wilt.
Instant pot: select saute mode and cook sausage, onions and garlic according to steps 1 and 2. Add the broth, potatoes and spices and set to pressure cook/manual on high for 8 minutes. When it’s done, return to saute mode and add coconut cream and kale and cook until wilted, 2-3 minutes.
Storage: allow the soup to cool completely then transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 52.6g | Protein: 18.3g | Fat: 20.8g | Saturated Fat: 8.9g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 1076mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 19.3g
The post Whole30 Zuppa Toscana appeared first on What Molly Made.
