Zuppa Toscana Recipe (Rich and Creamy), Creamy, Spicy, and Flavorful

This Zuppa Toscana is thick and creamy, spicy, and flavorful to the max. This delicious Whole30 soup is perfect for any season, but especially the colder months.

This is one of the finest Whole30 soups out there and my favorite healthy soup! It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, and sugar-free!

Is It Possible to Make This Iconic Soup at Home?

This soup kicked off our recent Whole30, and I must say, we did it perfectly. I even put a photo (?) on Instagram expressing how incredibly difficult it is to undertake a Whole30, complete with sobbing emojis… I’m undetectable.

I had become tired of enormous slabs of animal protein in prior rounds, so I knew I needed to change things up this round.

And, as the leader of a Whole30 and Facebook support group (join us! ), coming up with new and delicious meals to keep things interesting is essential.

And there you have it, my friends: the Whole30 Zuppa Toscana. Who doesn’t love their favorite Italian restaurant’s creamy, spicy soup, packed with potatoes, kale, bacon, Italian sausage, and “oh boy”?

My appetites for creamy, substantial soups increase four-fold throughout the winter, so we’re in a pickle.

A place when you’re dead set on sticking to the Whole30, but you really, really want Zuppa Toscana.

Why This Healthy Soup Recipe Will Be a Hit:

• This dairy-free Whole30 soup is thick and creamy like traditional Zuppa Toscana.
• It all starts with a simple but delectable homemade Italian sausage recipe! But don’t be concerned; it’s a quick and painless process.
• This healthful Zuppa Toscana is very satisfying and a one-pot supper thanks to the mix of coconut milk, kale, potatoes, Italian sausage, and bacon.

This Whole30 Zuppa Toscana is based on a traditional Zuppa Toscana dish, but instead of dairy, wheat, and sugar, it uses simple ingredients.

I recommend preparing your own Italian sausage because it is so simple, but you could also use compliant storebought Italian sausage.

If you’re doing the Whole30, make sure to use compliant bacon. It can be difficult to find sugar-free bacon, but Whole Foods carries several brands.

On the Whole30, I usually get really hungry and want to eat everything, but this soup kept me satisfied all night.

It wasn’t from hunger that I had to bite my knuckles to get past my yearning for Glutino pretzels on tap, shoved into my face during our nightly screenings of Boardwalk Empire, rather it was from boredom.

That, my friends, is a habit that, to be honest, I still miss. Family, take it slow. Small steps.

Variations

• If you don’t want to eat potatoes, use cauliflower florets instead. Even celery root can be used!
• If you prefer or don’t like pork, try using ground chicken instead.
• Replace the coconut milk with cashew cream if you’re allergic to coconut or concerned about a “coconutty” flavor. In a high-powered blender, combine 1 cup raw cashews with 3/4 cup water and mix until fully smooth.

Chef’s Advice

• After you’ve added the kale, don’t overcook the soup. It should be brilliant green and slightly wilted.
  On Sunday, make a large batch of this Whole30-friendly Zuppa Toscana and enjoy it throughout the week. The most comfortable meal prep ever!
• If you’re sensitive to heat, leave out the extra 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes in the soup.
• To make Italian sausage, add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Alternatively, simply combine all ingredients in a large pot and stir occasionally while browning. In a big heavy-bottomed pot, preferably a Dutch oven, brown the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula. Drain and set aside after removing from the pot.
• Combine the ingredients for the sausage and brown them in a pot.
• Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon when it has crisped up. Don’t throw away the bacon grease! Cook until the onions and garlic are tender and transparent.
• Crisp the bacon in a skillet.
• Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until fork-tender. Reduce to medium heat and mix in the coconut milk and sausage until smooth. Cook until the kale is bright green and just wilted, then add the bacon.
• Combine kale, sausage, bacon, and coconut milk in a bowl.
• Serve!

Zuppa Toscana Whole30

A healthy Whole30 Zuppa Toscana that’s rich, creamy, and delicious. This Whole30 soup recipe is rich with flavor and the perfect one-pot meal, thanks to tender potatoes, greens, quick homemade Italian sausage, and bacon.

Ingredients

• 4 slices Whole30-compliant bacon cut into about 1/2″ pieces
• 1 pound Italian sausage made from the below recipe or storebought
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 medium yellow potatoes about 1 pound 3 ounces, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium white or yellow onion diced
• 2 tablespoons garlic minced, about 4 cloves
• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ bunch kale stems removed and leaves chopped, 4 cups
• 1 can of coconut milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Homemade Whole30 Italian Sausage

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 spoon fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• pinch dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 spoon dried basil
• pinch dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes¼ teaspoon ground fennel seed optional

Instructions For Zuppa Toscana Recipe

1. If making Italian sausage, mix all ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Alternatively, put all ingredients in a pot and brown while stirring constantly.
2. Sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes over Italian sausage in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed cooking saucepan over medium heat. Break up the chunks using a spoon. Drain and set aside when browned and cooked through.
3. 5-10 minutes over medium heat, cook the bacon slices in the same Dutch oven until crisp. Remove the crisp bacon and set it aside; keep the bacon fat! Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender and transparent, about 5 minutes.
4. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in the Dutch oven with the onions and garlic over high heat. Boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10-20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the coconut milk and cooked sausage, stirring to combine. Just before serving, add the bacon and kale to the soup and heat until the kale is brilliant green and softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

This recipe serves around 6 people. Your desired portion sizes will determine the number of servings.

The nutritional values provided are for one serving using the ingredients specified and are approximate. The exact macros will vary depending on the brands and types of ingredients utilized.

Prepare the recipe as directed to get the weight of one serving. Weigh the final recipe, then divide the weight (excluding the weight of the container in which the food is stored) by 6. The weight of one serving will be the result.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 394kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 765mg, Potassium: 1235mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 4775IU, Vitamin C: 74.2mg, Calcium: 138mg, Iron: 7.1mg, Net Carbs: 30g