This Whole30 healthy zuppa toscana is rich and creamy, spicy, and absolutely bursting with flavor. You’ll love this filling, Whole30 soup anytime, but especially during cold, wintry months. Dairy free, gluten free, grain free, and sugar free, this is one of the best Whole30 soups out there and my favorite healthy soup!
We started a recent Whole30 with this soup, and I have to say: we did it right. I even posted a snap (?) on Instagram, lamenting how oh. so. hard. it is to do a Whole30, with lots of crying emojis… I’m subtle.
In previous rounds, I tired quickly of large slabs of animal protein, so I knew I had to shake things up a bit this round. And leading a group Whole30 and Facebook support group (join us!) means coming up with new and delish recipes to keep things interesting.
Et voilà, my friends, the Whole30 zuppa toscana. Who isn’t a fan of the creamy, spicy soup at your favorite Italian-food chain, laden with potatoes and kale and bacon and Italian sausage and ohhhh boy. Especially during the winter, my cravings for creamy, filling soups multiply like four-hundredfold, so we find ourselves in a tricky spot.
A spot where you’re 100% committed to doing a strict Whole30, but you really, really want zuppa toscana.
Why this Whole30 healthy zuppa toscana recipe is so good:
- This Whole30 soup is rich and creamy like traditional zuppa toscana but totally dairy free.
- It starts with an easy but delicious Italian sausage recipe, made from scratch! But don’t be nervous – it’s super quick and couldn’t be simpler.
- The combination of coconut milk, kale, potatoes, Italian sausage, and bacon make this healthy zuppa toscana super filling and a one-pot meal.
This Whole30 zuppa toscana is based off a regular zuppa toscana recipe, subbing simple ingredients for the dairy, grains, and sugar. I recommend making your own Italian sausage, which is insanely easy, but you could use compliant storebought Italian sausage, too, of course. Make sure you use compliant bacon if you’re on a Whole30, as well. It can be tricky to find bacon that doesn’t have sugar in it, but Whole Foods has a few brands of that, as well.
I have a tendency to be super hungry on the Whole30, like eat. all. the. things., but this soup kept me super full all night. I might have had to bite my knuckles to get past my craving for Glutino pretzels on tap, shoveled into my face during our nightly screenings of Boardwalk Empire, but it wasn’t from hunger, that’s for us.
That, my friends, is a habit that, I have to say, I kind of still miss. Baby steps, fam. Baby steps.
Variations
- If you avoid potatoes, try cauliflower florets in place of the diced potatoes. You can even try celery root!
- Try ground chicken in place of the pork, if you prefer or don’t eat pork.
- 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.
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 Whole30 healthy zuppa toscana 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.
How to make this Whole30 healthy zuppa toscana:
Make your Italian sausage: combine all ingredients and mix well with your hands. Alternately, simply pour all ingredients into a large pot and mix with a spoon while browning. Brown the sausage in a large heavy-bottomed pot, preferably a Dutch oven, breaking up with a spoon or spatula. Remove from pot, drain, and set aside.
Fry bacon until crisp and remove with a slotted spoon. Don’t get rid of bacon grease! Stir in the onions and garlic and cook until soft and translucent.
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil about 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender. Reduce the heat to medium and add coconut milk and sausage; stir until smooth. Add in kale and bacon and cook until kale is bright green and just wilted.
Serve!
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Whole30 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup
- Cheesy Vegan Broccoli Soup (Whole30)
- Bruschetta Chicken (Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb)
Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review below! 👇 And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
A rich, creamy, filling zuppa toscana that's healthy and Whole30. With tender potatoes, kale, easy homemade Italian sausage, and bacon, this Whole30 soup recipe is loaded with flavor and the perfect one-pot meal.
Ingredients
- 4 slices Whole30-compliant bacon , cut into about 1/2" pieces
- 1 pound Italian sausage , made from below recipe or storebought
- 1/2 teaspoons 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
- 1/2 bunch kale , stems removed and leaves chopped, 4 cups
- 1 can coconut milk
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Homemade Whole30 Italian Sausage
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed optional
- pinch dried oregano
- pinch dried thyme
Instructions
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If making Italian sausage: combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Alternately, combine all ingredients in saucepan and stir well when browning.
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In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed medium pot over medium heat, add Italian sausage and sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes over. Use a spoon to break up the pieces. When browned and cooked through, drain and set aside.
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Cook the bacon pieces in the same Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the crisp bacon and set aside - don't get rid of the bacon fat! Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the onions and garlic, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 10-20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the coconut milk and the cooked sausage; heat through. Add the bacon and the kale into the soup just before serving and cook 'til the kale is bright green and softened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Video
This recipe was originally published January 2017 but was updated with step-by-step photos, video, and tips August 2018.
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Hi Cheryl! It’s Angela DeGLoma Felde… we started whole 30 on 1/1 and I’ve been following your guide and recipes… so yummy! But I’m also off social medi for the month…. so can’t do the accountability group. Question… the potatoes look chopped in the pics… to you cut into chunks before boiling, after boiling, or do they just fall appart on their own? Thanks!!!
Oops! Good question and nice catch. You dice them into bite-sized pieces before adding to the pot! I’ll update the recipe now 🙂
We had this tonight… AHMAZING! My hubby said best soup he has ever had! Thank you! When so you out the bacon pieces in? I just threw them in with the broth and cocunut milk ?
?⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh I’m so glad you liked it! I actually put the bacon back in with the kale, but it would work whenever. I need to update that on the recipe, too 😉 Another good catch. Thanks for trying it, Angela!
Hi Cheryl! I’m getting ready to start Whole 30 tomorrow and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I’ve featured your recipe on my latest blog post:
15 Quick & Easy Whole30 Dinners
http://www.happilyeverhauser.com/2017/03/03/15-quick-easy-whole30-dinners/
Thanks Nova! I bet you’ll love this, too 🙂
This was such a treat during my Whole30, thank you!
Just some notes- some Whole Foods sell Italian sausage in bulk out of their meat case, mine didn’t so I got the prepackaged tube of it, which was compliant. It was 14 oz. instead of the 16 the recipe calls for, but worked out fine. Seemed less fatty than Italian sausage I’ve used before so I had to put some olive oil in the pan to get it going.
Also I’d suggest salt and peppering at the onion and garlic stage, but be careful, the meat components of the dish will add their own salt, so don’t overdo it.
Thanks again!
I’m so glad you liked it! Excellent suggestions for using store-bought Italian sausage. Thank you KP!
Thank you for including the recipe for homemade Italian sausage! But that’s a ton of seasoning for just 1 lb of meat. Do you really use all of that? Of do you mix the seasoning and add a few tsp???
Hi Christa! It’s great as written, but if you prefer a milder sausage, you could reduce the seasoning to suit your taste. 🙂
Hi, I thought you are not suppose to eat potatoes while on Paleo except for the sweet potatoes…..?
Hi Polina! First off, the Whole30 used to not allow white potatoes, but they changed their rules (https://whole30.com/2014/07/new-whole30/). When it comes to a regular paleo diet, I see it go both ways all the time. Most of the paleo bloggers I really love use white potatoes, and I’ve read research that white potatoes are actually pretty nutritious. That being said, it’s totally up to you! Would I eat white potatoes every single meal, every day? No way! But I include them as part of my paleo diet. 🙂
What type of coconut milk do you suggest?
Thank you I cannot wait to make this!
Hi Jess! Any canned, full-fat coconut milk will work, but I love this brand in particular: http://amzn.to/2tY1Jwi
My friend and I are trying some dairy free recipes, and this recipe looks like a good way to start, however, she is allergic to pork products. Can the sausage recipe be substituted for turkey instead? Any feedback would be much appreciated.
Hey Kate! You could definitely substitute ground turkey for the ground pork in this recipe 🙂
We made this and absolutely loved it – even my 4 year old ate it with no complaints! Do you think this can be frozen and saved for a quick meal in a pinch?
Hi Mindy! I’m so glad to hear you liked the recipe 🙂 I LOVE when I find an unexpected hit with my toddler (but let’s face it… that’s not too often, ha!). What I would do for freezing is leave out the coconut milk in the recipe and freeze that, then stir in fresh coconut milk when you’re ready to serve! That will prevent the coconut milk from breaking 🙂 Please let me know if you try it!
I made the whole recipe and froze the leftovers. Still delicious!!
Hi Cheryl,
My husband is allergic to coconut. Is there an alternative or is this yummy looking soup all for me lol?
Absolutely! Try blending together 3/4 cup raw cashews with 1 cup of water in a high-speed blender and using this as the coconut milk replacement. It will be very creamy and rich! Let me know how you like it 🙂
Strained or nut particles too? I I wonder if an extra potato mashed would do it? We don’t love coconut…
Loved this! I made a couple of modifications to it that you might consider: more kale, adding more broth, and using coconut cream instead.
Those are GREAT changes! I’ll try them soon 🙂 More kale and coconut cream are ALWAYS good ideas!
This recipe was absolutely DELICIOUS！Definitely will make again, only next time I will make sure that my can of coconut milk is the right size, I think I probably added twice as much as I should’ve but it was still good!
Ha! I’ll be honest…. I don’t think there’s ever such a thing as too much coconut milk 😉 So glad you liked it!
Do you whip the coconut milk before you add it or just dump the whole can in as is?
I typically just dump it all in. Since you’re heating it, the little clumps will break up with just a bit of stirring.
Can I sub bone broth for chicken stock in this recipe?
Absolutely! That’d be a great choice 🙂
I’ll ask this question, but my mom is currently making it, so you probably won’t respond in time. What size/type of onion?
I love Zappa toscana at the Olive Garden, and my mom is on this strange diet that i consider worse than Paleo, but if I find if i don’t pay attention to the ingredients, I like the food she’s making. 😂
Ha! Thank you so much for this clarification. Really, the recipe is quite forgiving, but a medium white or yellow onion is perfect. I’ll make that change in the recipe – I hope you liked it!
This was so yummy!! I typically don’t enjoy eating sausages, and I couldn’t find whole30 compliant Italian sausages at Sprouts, so ended up making them from scratch with your recipe. Best decision ever, because I fell MADLY in love with the sausages. The soup was soooooo good! This is a definite keeper. I’m already thinking about making this soup for the upcoming holidays! Thank you so much !
Ha! I’m glad I converted you 🙂 And I’m so glad you liked this recipe! It’d be perfect for the holidays
Can this be frozen? Thanks!!
It can be! Just make sure you don’t overcook the potatoes when cooking the first time, or else they’ll get a bit mushy when reheating 🙂
I am allergic to coconut. I saw the comment about cashew milk. However. I am allergic to nuts as well. I am not paleo. But I can’t eat gluten, dairy, coconut, or tree nuts. And I am looking for a substitute for the milk in this recipe. It is one of my favorite soups. And I am realizing many paleo recipes just fit my parameters for eating without getting dick.
Sorry. I meant sick.
OK, so I had to think about this for a while, but what I would most likely do is substitute a cauliflower cream sauce. Steam 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower and blend it together with a bit of salt and 1/2 cup of chicken broth until very smooth. That should give you the creaminess without affecting any allergies. Let me know how it goes!
This was delicious! I used chicken Italian sausage, instead of pork but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. VERY GOOD!!
I’m so glad you liked it!!
This soup was amazing l, it tasted super close to the real thing without all the bad stuff! I will make it again, PERFECT for the cold weather 😚😍
I’m soooo glad you loved it!
Loved the taste of this and love mild Italian sausage which I never tried before. Now i eat it in scrambled eggs. The first time I skipped the kale and it was so good. The second time I added frozen spinach, but it kind of turned the whole soup green. Was still really good though. I will definitely be making this more.
Ha! That’s pretty funny 🙂 I’m glad you like the sausage recipe and that you liked it even when it was green!! <3
Just wanted to let you know that my family loves this soup. I make it probably once a month, and have for a long time now. It’s so easy to make and the flavors are spot on. Thank you for this recipe!
I am so, SO happy to hear that. Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
So incredibly delicious! Thank you 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it!
Loved this soup!!! My husband and son also loved it😁 I made it with non whole 30 bacon the first time and tonight am making without bacon at all but I really want to do it with whole 30 bacon where do I find it? Please help!!!
Most health food stores, like Whole Foods or Sprouts, carry Paleo bacon. Look for Pederson’s, but there are other brands too. They all usually have a Paleo or whole30 logo on the front!
I made this soup yesterday and it is DELISH! 😋 will definitely be making it again and again…do you by handed know the nutritional value? Calories, fat, carbs per serving?
So glad you liked it! I’ve updated with the nutritional info 🙂
I’ve been making this soup for my family often & we all love it! However, I just looked at your nutrition facts… can that be correct!? 749 cals per serving? That’s more than the actual Olive Garden soup. Seems like a lot to me, so I just thought I’d double check with you!
Hi! Glad you like the soup so much 🙂 These calorie calculators leave something to be desired for sure. The label is based off 4 servings in a batch, and if you’re eating as much as they serve at Olive Garden, you would get more servings out of a recipe. However, a can of coconut milk has about 700 calories (healthy fats!). The calculator might also be including the full fat from the bacon, which you don’t use all of, of course. You might want to try plugging the ingredients into a calculator and seeing how it looks for you! 🙂
I’ve made this recipe multiple times, but I just made it in my instant pot tonight and it was amazing! I used another recipe’s instructions (that was not whole30) and subbed in your ingredients and it worked like a charm. I added 2 cups more broth and an extra small can of coconut cream and it was absolutely perfect.
The directions I used said to saute the onions in the instant pot and then add your italian sauage and garlic. After the sausage is cooked you add in broth and potatoes and set the pressure cooker setting to high for 5 minutes. Once it’s finished pressure cooking, you let it sit and slow release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release. Lastly, you add in your bacon, kale, and coconut milk/cream and you’re done!
I’m so glad you like the recipe! I have the Instant Pot version in my cookbook The Paleo Instant Pot 🙂 Your directions sound very similar!
Any suggestions for doubling the recipe?
I’d honestly just truly double all of the ingredients. That should work just fine! 🙂
I am currently eating dairy free while nursing my baby, and I have to say that I love this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing it! I want to make this for a potluck, and was wondering if you had suggestions for doing it in a crockpot?
Sure! I would brown the sausage like normal and then add all the ingredients except for the kale and cook on high for maybe 2-3 hours, low for 5. I’d add the kale in last and cook until bright green.
Made this last night and it was AMAZING!!!! So easy and a piece of cake to make. I finished my 1st whole 30 In Jan and this recipe is making it easier to keep going. Thank you!!
Soooo happy you liked it!!
Hi, I cannot wait to try this! I do have a quick question. Does the coconut milk give it a hint of coconut flavor? My husband does not care for coconut at all so I’m wondering if I should use unsweetened almond milk or something? Thank you!
It personally does not taste coconutty to me at all, but if he’s very, very sensitive to it, you might replace the coconut milk with cashew cream. Blend 3/4 cup raw cashews with 1 cup water in a high-speed blender until very, very smooth. Stir in like you would the coconut cream!
Made this today and it’s delicious!! I used store bought compliant sausage. The soup is so tasty and really feels like a complete meal with all of the ingredients! I plan to have it for lunch the next 5 days. Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it, Jackie!
Question on your Zuppa Toscana…it says it serves 4…do you know how many ounces each serving is or total ounces made for the recipe? I’d like to make a 6-8qt crockpot full to bring to an event but wasn’t sure how many times to multiply the recipe. Thanks so much!!
I would say each bowl is about 14-16 ounces? I honestly don’t know exactly but that seems like a solid guess at serving ounces.
Not that you need any more comments but man…another home run!!! We can’t get enough of this. This will be a staple in our house now. Loving your recipes and website. My new favourite! Thank you!
I am so glad you like my recipes, Jane! And so happy you like the zuppa toscana too 🙂