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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!
Can You Really Make This Iconic Soup at Home?
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 You’ll Love This Recipe
- 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 on 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.
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 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.
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)
- Whole30 Lasagna Soup
- Bruschetta Chicken (Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb)
- Slow Cooker Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Whole30 Creamy Garlic Chicken (Dairy Free, Paleo)
- 15-Minute Hearty Chickpea Soup
Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 4 slices Whole30-compliant bacon sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound Italian sausage made from below recipe or storebought
- ½ 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
- ½ bunch kale stems removed and leaves chopped, 4 cups
- 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened, full-fat 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
- ¼ teaspoon ground fennel seed optional
- pinch dried oregano
- pinch dried thyme
Instructions
- If making Italian sausage: combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Alternately, combine all ingredients in the saucepan and stir well when browning.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Video
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.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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This recipe was originally published in January 2017 but was updated with step-by-step photos, video, and tips August 2018.
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I have made this recipe countless times over the years, with the first time being at the start of the pandemic while trying to eat a bit healthier. It has quickly become one of my favorite go-to dishes. I do modify it quite a bit, as follows:
– I more than double the amount of red pepper flakes. It is such a lovely, subtle heat that is my favorite part of the dish
– I substitute cauliflower for potatoes to make it lower-carb, but I’m sure the potatoes taste better lol
– I do a whole head of tuscan kale – it becomes like a spicy brothy salad, feels like you’re really getting your grains!
– I add 2 additional cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water since I’m adding so much more kale
Overall, the real winner in this dish is the coconut milk instead of cream. It makes the dish so light yet still hearty. I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoy and you were able to find what works best for you, Clareen! Thanks so much for the review!
Easy and delicious!
That’s the goal! So glad you enjoyed, Pat! Thanks so much for the review!
Literally the best soup I have ever had! I had to substitute ground Turkey for ground pork and spinach for kale, but still so good! I would recommend this for anyone with functioning taste buds.
We love to hear it! Thanks so much for the review, Moriah! Glad you were able to work around substitutions!
Ohhhhh my goodness. I’ve been waiting to make this soup because I’m moving cities/apartments. The second I unpacked my Dutch oven I hit the grocery store to get the ingredients. WOW!!!!! So so so much flavor and so hearty my boyfriend is not going to believe it’s whole 30! Thank you thank you thank you I will be making this again soon.
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed, DeeDee! Thanks so much for the review!
Great recipe! Shared with many friends after serving for social gatherings!
I make mine in a crockpot and add the bacon/kale towards the end/before serving. Also put a bit of chopped red pepper for color.
Freeze leftovers; hubby loves 💕
So glad it’s such a hit with everyone! Adding in the chopped red pepper sounds super yummy! Thanks so much for the review, Cat!
This is my go to Zuppa Toscana recipe!
LOVE, love to hear that! Thank you so much, Amber!
This sausage is out of this world. I made it with ground chicken and let it set raw in spices overnight. Omitted the thyme. Soup is delish.
Thank you so much, Jessi! I’m so happy you enjoyed it so much!
Sorry but I took it off the Whole30 paleo part. I added zucchini, carrots, Swiss chard and gnocchi instead of potatoes. I also used Chinese chili garlic sauce instead if red pepper flakes. Fabulous!!!
So glad you were able to make it work for you, Lois, and that you enjoyed it so much! Thank you for sharing!
I was never a sausage, kale, cauliflower fan but this has changed my mind! So delicious, rich and hearty. 1 small cup and I am full and satisfied. I did add an additional 2 cups baby spinach at the end and I used 2c chicken bone broth, 2c regular chicken broth. And split the potato with cauliflower. I have already received special requests to make it again.
Thank you so much for sharing your review, Jennifer! I’m so happy we could sway you over to the kale & cauliflower side 😉
I LOVE this recipe. Also, my toddler attacks it! What’s not to celebrate? 😂 I do add some additional veggies (squash, zucchini, cauliflower florets) because honestly my two year old will only eat those things in this broth. I also add about half a lemons worth of zest just for a bit of a kick. It’s a huge hit in our house and it’s on our regular rotation!
What a great way to get your little one eating such a variety of veggies! I love that, and I love that this zuppa works so well for you and your family. Thank you so much for sharing, Melanie!