This healthier twist on classic Zuppa Toscana is insanely delicious, creamy, savory and so cozy during the cold months! It’s packed with all the goodies, is totally dairy-free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant, and even has a low carb keto option.
Zuppa Toscana contains basically every single ingredient I CRAVE so it’s about time I have a recipe for it here! But seriously, this soup is BOMB in all ways.
Even the traditional version is pretty paleo friendly – sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale, broth, and cream. So, aside from switching out the dairy, there’s not a whole lot to change, which is amazing.
Of course to keep it clean (and Whole30 compliant, if needed) you’ll want to choose ingredients that are as unprocessed as possible and without nitrates or sugar added. But, I’ll get to that in a minute! Let’s first dive face first into this soup – it’s too good to wait.
What You’ll Need to Make Paleo Zuppa Toscana
- The ingredients are simple and delicious here. If you’re a fan of sausage, bacon and potatoes, this is truly the soup of your dreams! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bacon (uncured and sugar-free, for Whole30)
- Italian Sausage (homemade or clean store bought)
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Onion
- Garlic
- Potatoes (Mushrooms or Cauliflower for Keto)
- Broth
- Coconut Milk
- Kale
- Sea salt and black pepper
How Can I Make This Zuppa Toscana Keto Friendly?
Yes – absolutely! To keep this soup very low carb and keto, you can swap out the potatoes for mushrooms, cauliflower florets, or another veggie you like that’s low in carbs.
You can also swap out the potatoes for another starchy veggie if white potatoes aren’t your thing. Sweet potatoes, white or Japanese sweet potatoes, carrots, or butternut squash would all work well.
If you are on a keto diet but not Whole30, you might also want to make my low carb biscuits to enjoy with your zuppa Toscana!
A Few FAQs:
I Don’t Like Coconut – Will I Taste the Coconut Milk in the Zuppa Toscana?
I’m not a fan of coconut flavor and I don’t taste it at all in the soup since there are so many other flavors going on. If you’re really sensitive, you can add 1/2 cup of coconut cream and 1/2 cup additional bone broth to cut back on coconut flavor.
Are White Potatoes Paleo?
White potatoes are one of those foods that the Paleo community has been divided on in the past. They are, however, completely Whole30 compliant.
I feel it’s a personal thing – and that goes for so many foods, not just potatoes. I’ve never specifically avoided white potatoes (especially being a runner) but I probably only eat them about once per week. For more info on how potatoes can fit into a paleo diet, read here.
Where Can I Find Whole30 Compliant Bacon and Sausage?
It’s easier now than ever to find compliant bacon and sausage in your local stores. Whole Foods has a couple of brands of compliant bacon (Applegate and Pederson Farms) and Jones Dairy Farm carries both compliant bacon and sausage that you can find in many grocery stores. For online ordering, there are many options such as US Wellness Meats.
I often find that local stores make Italian sausage on premise that is typically compliant since it’s minimally processed. You can always ask what they add if they don’t list ingredients. If finding sausage is a problem, it’s easy to make your own! You can use my recipe here.
How To Save Leftover Zuppa Toscana
This soup tastes even better the next day in my opinion, since the potato starch makes it even creamier and thicker and the flavors have a chance to blend.
You can store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze the soup in a freezer safe container for up to about one month. The coconut milk might separate a little bit, but you’ll be able to whisk it back easily.
I hope you’re ready for a seriously delicious zuppa Toscana that everyone will want on repeat in your house! Grab your stock pot, it’s time to make soup – let’s go!
Zuppa Toscana {Paleo, Whole30, Keto Option}
Zuppa Toscana {Paleo, Whole30, Keto Option}
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon cut into 1” pieces
- 1 lb Sweet or spicy Italian sausage meat homemade* or store bought
- Crushed red pepper to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large Russet potatoes about 1.5 lbs, peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes*
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 6 cups chicken stock or bone broth
- 4 cups kale chopped
- 1 cup coconut milk full fat
- Sea Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Heat a large stock pot (cast iron is ideal) over medium high heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook, stirring occasionally to evenly brown, until crisp - about 5-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
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Lower the heat to medium and save the bacon fat in the pot. Add the sausage to the pot and sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if desired. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a spoon, until browed - about 5-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage to a plate to drain. Save the fat in the pot.
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With the heat still over medium, add the onions to the pot and cook until translucent, then add the garlic, stir, and cook another 45 seconds. Add the potatoes to the pot, sprinkle the potatoes, onions, and garlic with sea salt and pepper and stir to coat.
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Add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook until potatoes are fork tender - about 10 minutes. If using mushrooms or cauliflower**, move on to the next step after the broth boils.
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Add the coconut milk to the pot and the sausage, stir cook about 5 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in the kale and cooked bacon, cooking just another minute or so until the kale is wilted and vibrant green. Season the soup with sea salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
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Remove from heat and serve - the soup will thicken as it cools. This soup stores well covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or, you can freeze it for up to one month. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*You can use my recipe for homemade Whole30 sausage patties, if desired
**If you don’t eat potatoes, feel free to sub sweet potatoes here or another root veggie. Or, for a low carb (Keto) option, sub in white mushrooms or cauliflower florets. If using mushrooms or cauliflower, cook time will be reduced in Step #4.
***The recipe for the low barb biscuits pictured can be found here.
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo + Soup Recipes? Try One of These!
Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Low Carb Biscuits
Stuffed Pepper Soup in the Instant Pot
Chicken and “Rice” Soup in the Instant Pot
Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon
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Hi I love your dessert recipes they always taste amazing!
However, I’m vegetarian so I can never really use your savory meal recipes. Would it be possible for you to release some recipes that are vegetarian friendly?
Thank you so much for making healthy desserts so delicious and fun!
This recipe is sooo delicious. I wasn’t able to find a Whole30 compliant ground Italian sausage, so I chopped up Aidell’s sweet Italian sausage. Added quite a bit of that cracked red pepper for a nice kick. The only thing I’d love to know is how many cups are in a serving…I guesstimated 2(?). Thanks, Michele!
Such yummy flavor!! I’ve been doing the Whole30 for almost 30 days now, your recipes are all I make! What is the serving size on this recipe?
So good!
Can this be adapted to instant pot?
These bowls sound SO cozy, Michele!! Perfect for fall or winter 🙂 Cannot wait to make these!
What do the cook times convert to for the Instant Pot?
Hi! I know I didn’t write this post but yes if you just sauté the bacon, sausage and veggies first could be an insta pot recipe! I would probably add more broth though.
This was delicious. My husband and I both enjoyed it very much!
I’ve been waiting FOREVER for you to make this – I made it as soon as it was posted!! I’ve tried several other paleo versions, but this was my favorite by far!
This recipe was seriously amazing. I used ground turkey and your recipe for sausage, yellow potatoes instead of russet and spinach instead of Kale because of what I had on hand. Absolutely delicious!!
Made this tonight and everyone, including picky little boys, loved it! Thank you!!
Your website has definitely become my FAVORITE resource for Whole30 and Paleo recipes. Seriously… You’re amazing. Do you know what else is amazing? THIS RECIPE! I used sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes and ground turkey instead of pork, seasoning the meat myself. So. Freaking. Good. This is definitely a recipe worth keeping. THANK YOU!
Can this be made in a crock pot?
Confused on the nutrition. 439 kcal? What is calories per serving?
I made this tonight for dinner and it was so good. I only made two changes, I left out the kale ( so my husband would eat it) and added diced carrots. This is the first recipe I have made of yours but look forward to making many more!
Creamy delicious soup and easy to make. A new favorite. I doubled the recipe and glad I did.
Really comforting soup full of flavor! Loved it!
This is a keeper! Made it for our church soupfest and it was a hit!
I made this twice in one week after coming across if on Instagram! So DELISH and EASY! I highly recommend this soup (I made the russet potato version).
So delicious!! Very easy to make, and the kids LOVED IT!
Surprisingly good! I only say that because it’s such a simple ingredient list. Turned out delicious. The only thing I would say is I feel like I need more broth. It might be because my potato size or something else but it’s a definitely make again recipe. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
so easy, filling, and delicious! This will be a heavy rotation in our house. So many flavors!
First meal i tried to make from Michele and it did not disappoint. It was delicious! I was a little hesitant about the coconut milk but you couldn’t even taste it.
I can’t lie and say that this is my first recipe from this website. Haven’t found a recipe my wife and I haven’t loved! Thank you for sharing all these with us. As expected this was a great find!
This is my go to Zuppa Toscana recipe. Seriously delicious!
Thank you for the recipe!!! This is my son’s new favorite. He ate four bowls!!?
Hi! Love your recipes!! Could I use beef bone broth instead of chicken broth with this? I am making beef bone broth this week. I have frozen homemade turkey broth already but may conflict with the flavors? Thank you!
So good and so easy! Loved every bite !!!!!!
This is a new favorite. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
Fabulous, just fabulous!
Love this! My husband did as well! Thank you for this great recipe. Ive seen the cashew sauce used in place of cheese but this is the first time Ive tried. Yummy!
My earlier comment was meant for the Burrito Casserole. Lol. Sorry!
Made this for the first time tonight for dinner and it was a hit with the whole family! This was very good and I will be making it again. Thank you for always creating wonderful recipes the whole family can enjoy!
The most delicious soup that I have made for a long Time !!!!
This was sooooo good! My whole family loved it. Super easy to prep and make. I am not even someone who usually likes soups! This was great. Thank you!!!!
Absolutely delicious! My 18 year old son said it was much better than Olive Garden’s soup. He said it had a lot of depth. Thank you!
Made this last night. It is soooo good! My kids were skeptical about the kale, but when they tasted the soup it was so good they forgot about it :-). I double the recipe, I only used one can of Coconut Milk, just for a little lighter taste, for me it was perfect! thank you for this recipe, it is delicious!
This soup is the BEST!!! I’ve made it for my family twice in 3 weeks! So yummy…all of it is gone, no leftovers!
Good schtuff… The bacon I bought was a little too fatty so I had to drain some of the drippings BEFORE I cooked the onion and garlic. Other than that will be making it again. Tis the season for hearty soups.
Wow! I followed the recipe exactly as written and it was AMAZING!! I’ll be making it again and again.
So good! My husband loves it as well. Easy to make and very satisfying. I made it with the low carb biscuits and was very happy ❤️
I see the nutrition facts but what is a serving size?
This Zuppa recipe was delicious 😋. My whole family ate it happily.
Everyone loved this recipe! I added more sausage than it called for. It was so yummy and came together easily.
This recipe is SO GOOD. It’s one that I’ve marked as a “tried and true.” My husband is a big eater, so he usually scoffs at soup, but he LOVES this one. We use sweet potatoes and it’s delicious!
This soup was DELICIOUS and satisfying, and the entire family wholeheartedly suggested adding this one to the recipe box! We live in Germany, and I haven’t been able to find American-style bacon that is Whole30 compliant, so I used regular bacon (we’re not currently following the Whole30 plan, but have in the past). I made my own italian pork sausage, and just omitted the sugar from the recipe. I plan to try it in the future using half pork and half turkey breast to cut down on some of the fat. I had a lot of fat left in the pan when the onions were done, which I removed before adding the potatoes.
How much is 1 serving?
Love this recipe and so does my 7yo. I didn’t have bacon this time and it still tasted amazing 🙂 we also used spinach instead of kale, because my son will eat that better, and it’s delicious!
We made this tonight using cauliflower instead of potatoes and it was FABULOUS! My husband asked to put this on our monthly rotation. So delicious!
Sooo good, and just the right amount of spice!
Amazing! The whole family loved it!
This soup was delicious! It is now one of our favorites!
This was out of control delicious!! I think it’s actually better with the coconut cream.
This was delicious! I omitted the potatos and used cauliflower. Also added a handful of green beans. I used regular bacon and minimally processed precooked sausage. The biscuits were equally good- I did use real butter. Super easy! The soup is very liquidy but still great.
Love this recipe, but for the nutrition info, what is a serving size? How many servings does one batch typically yield?
I just wanted to say thank you for this amazing recipe! I was just expressing to my boyfriend tonight after dinner, that I love that I’m finally at a place in life that I can finally make the meals that I love most. This is one of those recipes for me. I don’t have to feel like I need to go out to have a meal that I love and look forward to, because I can make it myself. I truly appreciate this recipe, and I appreciate you for thinking of it ^_^ thank you so much <3
Perfect soup for a rainy day! Tastes even better as left overs. This has been added into the regular rotation at my house.
Absolutely awesomely delicious. I made this vegan and subbed out vegan sausage but kept everything else the same and wow. Probably the best soup I’ve ever made. Loved it. I added some Yukon gold potatoes in too for depth but a stellar soup recipe!
This is a favorite in our house. The flavors are amazing!!
Can you substitute coconut milk for something else? Everything looks good but can’t have coconut.
I’m scared that if I put this coconut milk in my family won’t eat it!
Thanks to reading the comments I went ahead and added the coconut milk. Everyone ate it even the teenagers. Nobody noticed the coconut. I will definitely make the soup again. Even when I’m not on whole 30.
Yesterday I received an email showing all of these wonderful soup recipes that you had on your site. I printed off at least five this one being one of them. I knew I had everything on hand except the kale, so on my way home this was an easy in and out of the grocery store. I had multiple recipes on my island when I was making this and unfortunately I looked at one of your other recipes and I put in 3 pounds of potatoes instead of two large potatoes.I also added the coconut milk right after I put in the chicken broth. Again was looking at one of your other recipes. Even though I made these two errors this soup was absolutely fantastic. With the extra starch from the potatoes there wasn’t as much sauce, however it was creamy thick it’s stuck to your bones Cold rainy pacific northwest evening. This was so delicious I had two bowls. This will definitely go into my rotation for the fall and winter months. I wish I could submit a picture because it looks absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful recipes with us and helping us on our journey of eating healthy.
Made this for dinner tonight. So delicious. You never disappoint, Michele!
This soup is great. Very favorable taste- to-effort ratio. I’m actually glad my GF is out of town so I got to eat all of it myself. Oh yeah, I doubled the recipe too. Guys at work are always jealous of what I bring for lunch. Most of the time it’s a recipe from here. Keep up the great work.
Just made this tonight. I have made the full dairy version before in the past so I wasn’t sure how my family would react to this version. They loved it!!! My husband said he thought it was better than the other recipe. I am so happy about this!! So yummy!!
Great sturdy soup. It’s not difficult to make just takes a little prep work. I loved the richness and there is no taste of the coconut milk for those who are concerned. Wonderful Whole30 soup.
So very delicious!! This was a hit with my two boys and my husband! I made my own Italian chicken sausage. It was a perfect way to use some kale from my garden! This will be in the meal rotation on the regular! Thank you so much for sharing!
Very Very Good! My husband and I really enjoyed this and will be making this again…soon.
This recipe is unbelievably good; it makes my heart and soul happy. And so easy to make! Might be one of my favorites ever.
This is my go-to recipe for when I get kale and cauliflower in my CSA box. It’s so delicious and simple.
This soup is very good and tastes just like Olive Garden’s soup. I use cashew butter instead of coconut and it’s great.
Excellent dish!! The listed prep and cook time estimates are laughable however. It always takes us about 2hr to make, start to finish. Worth it though
Absolutely love this recipe, made a batch last night and it was so delicious! I did use 1 lb ground turkey and added my own homemade Spicy Italian Seasoning for the meat and added turkey bacon. Yum!!!
Would I be able to substitute chicken stock or chicken broth if I don’t have bone broth?
This soup is delicious. There’s a similar dish served in Olive Garden which I’ve always ordered. No more. I make this at home (even when it’s hot outside) my family loves this soup that much.
This is one of my favorite recipes to use kale. I make this at least six times a year and it never disappoints!
Tasty, easy, and healthy. Can’t wait to make it again! We used Napa cabbage in replacement of kale and it was divine!
Delicious!!! I made exactly as is except added a zucchini and yellow squash to pack it with more veggies. But it doesn’t need anything extra. Flavor is superb!
Delicious!!
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for months and finally tried it and should have trusted you and all these positive reviews sooner…. It’s GOOD! It’s hearty with so much flavor. Totally can’t taste the coconut milk although I added more broth because I like lots of liquid in my soup… without added broth it would have been less soup like for me. Def a keeper – husband loved it too!
This recipe was SO good. A friend recommended it and I made it, not thinking that it would be that flavorful. But it is incredibly flavorful and delicious! Thanks you for creating it
Delicious! I used hot Italian sausage. It’s so good!!!
This recipe doesn’t see all that different from the original. What makes it Paleo?
I made this soup using spicy Italian sausage (we like our foods spicy) and it was delicious! I also used a mix of baby greens like kale, spinach, and arugula in place of the kale since we usually have that mix on hand. My husband raved about how he loved the soup. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
This was easy and delicious!
What’s the conversion to the Instant Pot, please?? Thanks!
Delicious! My family loved. Easy to make. Definitely will make again!
Excellent soup! Even my husband liked it and he isn’t a fan of meat. Just one caution: I didn’t add the pepper flakes and I’m glad. My Italian sausage was plenty spicy for our taste.
I make this with turkey bacon and sweet Italian chicken sausage. One of our favorites, it’s soooo delicious!
This recipe is amazing! I didn’t even add in extra spices and I’m a spice gal. Thank you so much for this genius!
Great Soup. My husband wanted something with Italian sausage and saw this recipe lying on the counter. I had everything handy to make this and he loved it. Had the leftovers today.
We love this soup! My husband hates it when I make soup for a meal because soup doesn’t fill him up. Finally a soup he likes a feels satisfied! Our local grocery store makes their own Italian sausage which makes this extra yummy!
This soup recipe is amazing. My husband loves it and asks for it on repeat! Thank you for the deliciousness!!!
Absolutely delicious! We made this today as fall turns quickly to winter. We are don’t eat potatoes so we tossed in carrots and parsnips instead of potatoes. Worked well!
So delicious!
Absolutely Delicious.
How can you call this recipe nut tree when you use Coconut Milk?
Amazing soup! This is so easy to make, freezes well and the flavor is simply awesome! I’ve never put tge bacon in mine and I really don’t think we’re missing it. This has been my go to soup recipe for 2 years now!
We really think this is delicious and have made it twice already during our January 2024 Whole30. Followed the recipe exactly. I would say though, if this soup is your entire meal — this is more like 4 servings rather than 8. Thanks, really yummy!
My favorite Paleo recipe!
What a great soup! And it was better the next day. Friends and family loved it even with the kale in it.
Delicious soup! I added parsnips instead of potatoes because I’m AIP and some extra coconut cream for creaminess…first time making zuppa toscana and this one’s a winner! Will absolutely make again!
Thanks for this amazing recipe! I found this recipe and I’ve been making it for a couple of years back when my diet required a paleo lifestyle but haven’t gone back to the traditional recipe with heavy cream since. It’s great as it’s written but I’ve made a few alterations to suit my taste. Changes I’ve made: gold potatoes. I use spicy Italian sausage to add more heat and save the crushed pepper for the veggies. Triple the garlic. Separate the kale ribs from the leaf and chop those up small and cook them with the potatoes and onions to add extra crunch but also some bulk. Additionally, I add a half red bell pepper small dice to the potatoes and onions and kale ribs. Lots of extra spices like an “Italian” blend, turmeric, bay leaf BUT these are added while the veggies are sweating in order to really get them flavoring the food. I add the broth a little at a time and mix the veggies and let the starches really thicken and then add the rest of the broth. I also usually double the coconut milk and/or use coconut cream. The soup is more fragrant than if used dairy heavy cream but I wouldn’t say it’s coconut at all. I have tried sweet potatoes instead of gold potatoes but the flavor isn’t right. I have also added carrots but not only was the texture off but it was too sweet. It refrigerates, freezes and reheats way better than if using dairy.
P.S. You really don’t need to add very much salt at all as the bacon and sausage have a lot of salt that comes through.
“Save the fat in the pot” do you mean use it?
It was delicious and satisfying thank you for sharing!
This was amazing! Better than Olive Gardens! Highly recommend this!
I am not even paleo anymore, but I love this recipe. Every time I open a can of coconut milk and have half a can left, I plan to make this soup. Lots of veggies, and creamy goodness.
Finally, another W30 soup that is actually filling! Thanks!
We have been making this soup for years using your recipe and it is the best. We eat it often in the fall and winter, make it for guests and everyone raves about how delicious it is.
I was skeptical (as I am with all recipes I find on the internet), but I was pleasantly surprised! I made this as instructed (aside from adding a whole can of coconut milk because I was moving too fast) and it was amazing!!! I used Italian sausage and added the red pepper flakes; the little bit of heat was so tasty. Next time I make it and the kids aren’t eating it I’ll definitely use spicy sausage.
My husband and I ate in silence–not because we had nothing to say, but because we enjoyed it so much and savored every bite. Only breaking the silence to repeat over and over, “This is so good!” Thank you for another wonderful, and healthy, recipe. I subbed mushrooms instead of potatoes for Keto, and added cornbread for my husband to soak up the broth.
Yummm this was so delicious!!!
A new favorite for the dinner rotation! I saw this while browsing and then we had leftover kale I remembered! We changed out the bacon for mushrooms and loved it. [I’m sure we’ll do the bacon sometime soon, but it’s a trigger for my GERD/LPR.] Thank you!
I’m really greatful that your site includes nut-free recipes for my family.
Back when I first did paleo, I wondered why I had a low grade irritated tummy for months… It turned out it was almond flour in all things baked paleo! Then my DH had to give up all nuts. So, thank you again!
Hello! I would love to make this as a freezer meal in preparation for postpartum. What would be the best way to freeze and reheat?
Deeeelish!! This recipe has been in my regular rotation for 5+ years now