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!
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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!
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
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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
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.
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.
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).
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!
Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
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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
Notes
- 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
Video
Equipment
- Large Pot or Dutch Oven
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This soup was delicious! I ended up using the whole can of coconut cream, a bag of frozen kale, and closer to 3-4 Tbsps. of tapioca flour. It made the soup a lot creamier, and green (thanks to the kale!), but it was so comforting and delicious. I will definitely be making this soup again.
Yum! Thanks Julia!
The soup was delicious and I really love how you put the ingredient amount by each step!!!
Thanks so much for sharing, Sarah!
One of the tastiest soup i ever had. And so easy! And 3 days later, the leftovers in the fridge tasted even better.
Thank you!!
Every WMM recipe is my favorite but this one is truly near the top! My husband and I LOVE this soup! We personally prefer it with the cauliflower over potatoes. Make this soup today!!
This turned out very very sweet😬 I did one cup of coconut cream. Am I missing something? Is it supposed to be so sweet?
Hey there! Make sure you use unsweetened coconut milk. That’s probably your problem!