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
-
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
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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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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.