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This Crockpot zuppa toscana is a rich and creamy, filling soup that’s absolutely bursting with flavor. It’s dairy-free, Whole30, and paleo, too, with bacon, sausage, potatoes, kale, and rich coconut milk or cream. The slow cooker version of my popular Healthy Zuppa Toscana recipe!
Generously sponsored by Kroger Co. but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Soup is the Perfect Fall Meal
As the weather starts to get cooler, we all turn to hearty and rich meals and that’s where this healthy zuppa toscana recipe comes in. It’s so full of amazing flavors, it really is like a big hug!
I always reach for my slow cooker this time of year, it’s so convenient to just dump all of the ingredients in there, let it do its thing, and serve up a hearty and warming family meal.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This Whole30 soup is rich and creamy like traditional Zuppa Toscana but totally dairy free and paleo.
- The combination of coconut milk, kale, potatoes, Italian sausage, and bacon make this healthy zuppa toscana super filling.
- It’s slow-cooked in the crockpot so it’s an easy hands-off meal that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- It’s full of natural and healthy ingredients for a great family meal.
Which Sausage is best to use?
I used Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausages for this crockpot meal – they were super flavourful and I love that they only use natural and high ingredients. They are perfect if you are following Whole30 and the flavor combination works so well with the other ingredients in this zuppa toscana recipe.
I got these Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausages at my local Kroger. Be sure to click here to add them to your cart!
Variations
- If you avoid potatoes, try cauliflower florets in place of the diced potatoes. You can even try celery root!
- If you’re allergic to coconut or are worried it might have a “coconutty” flavor, swap the coconut milk out for cashew cream. Combine 1 cup raw cashews with 3/4 cup water in a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
Can You Make This Ahead of Time?
The joy of making this soup in the crockpot is that you can easily fit it into your dinner plans! It takes 3 hours to cook on high, or 6 hours on low, so if more convenient you can set it to go earlier in the day. If you don’t want to serve the soup straight away, you can keep it warm in the slow cooker.
This crockpot zuppa toscana is also perfect for meal prep. Store the cooked soup in an airtight container in the fridge and it will be good for 3-5 days, and it also freezes really well.
Chef’s Tips
- Don’t overcook the soup after you’ve added the kale. You want it bright green and just wilted.
- Make a big batch of this on Sunday and eat it all week. Comfiest meal prep ever!
- Leave out the extra 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes in the soup if you’re sensitive to heat.
Be Sure to Check Out These Other Crockpot Recipes!
- Crockpot Carnitas (Paleo, Whole30)
- Slow Cooker Meatloaf
- Crockpot Bone Broth
- Whole30 Crockpot Vegan Mashed Potato
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Crockpot Chicken Wings
- Dreamy Crockpot Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
Crockpot Zuppa Toscana
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Crockpot (or similar slow cooker)
Ingredients
- 6 slices Whole30-compliant bacon cut into about ½" pieces
- 1 pound Aidells Chicken-Apple Sausage
- 1 medium white or yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced, approximately 2 tablespoons
- 4 medium yellow potatoes about 1 pound 3 ounces, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ of one bunch kale thick stems removed at the bottom, and leaves chopped; approximately 4 cups
- 2 13.5-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk 27 ounces total, see Notes
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet and remove when crisp. Reserve the grease.
- Return skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon bacon grease. Cook the Aidell's Chicken-Apple Sausage slices in bacon grease until browned on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes, adding 1 tablespoon more of bacon grease if necessary.
- Place the potatoes in the Crockpot or slow cooker. Add the cooked onion-garlic mixture and sausage. Pour the chicken broth over and stir in crushed red pepper, lots of salt and Italian seasoning.
- Cover and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender – approximately 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
- Stir the coconut milk into the soup. Stir in kale to combine. Cover and cook on high until the kale is wilted but still bright green, about 15 minutes more.
- Stir in bacon, season with pepper, and serve.
- Coconut Milk: Use coconut cream for a creamier, richer soup.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Suggestions for making this in the instant pot? My crockpot broke. 😭
We don’t have an Instant Pot version of this recipe – YET – but we do have a stovetop version! Get it here: https://40aprons.com/whole30-zuppa-toscana/
This was so delicious and easy! We had almost no leftovers because it was so yummy!
So glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing, Margaux!
Sooooo so goood.
We’re so glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing, Rachel! 😊
So is the cooked sausage in the crockpot the whole time while the potatoes are cooking or do you just add the sausage at the end?
You add the sausage in step 4, with the potatoes and garlic-onion mixture.
hi! awkward question…
could i make the bacon & onion/garlic mixture the night before & refrigerate it & add it to the crockpot & proceed onward the next morning?
thank you so much!!!
No such thing as an awkward question! I’m sure you could, although we’ve never tested that out. The bacon grease will definitely harden, but should be fine when added back to the crockpot.
To avoid a strong coconut flavor, could I use only one can of coconut cream and a cup of oat or cashew milk? Would recommend one over the other for this soup?
We didn’t test this recipe with oat or cashew milk so we can’t say for sure how it would turn out, but that should be fine. I would probably try oat milk since that should be creamier. Let us know how it goes! For what it’s worth, though, we don’t find this soup has a strong coconut flavor using the 2 cans.
Ingredients call for chicken stock, but recipe refers to it as broth. Which is preferred? If I’ve already purchased stock, can I water it down to substitute?
Oops, sorry about that, Vanessa! Use stock rather than broth. We’ll fix that typo now – thanks for bringing it to our attention!