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This Healthy Zuppa Toscana recipe is rich and creamy, spicy and packed with all those classic comforting flavors while still being dairy free, gluten free, grain free and Whole30 compliant! It’s a hearty, cozy one-pot meal perfect for the cold, wintry months packed with kale, bacon, potatoes and Italian sausage, made creamy with coconut milk.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why You’ll Love This Healthier Zuppa Toscana Recipe
- This rich, hearty take on classic Zuppa Toscana has all the creamy, slightly spicy flavors of the one served at your favorite Italian food chain… but lighter! Using coconut milk instead of cream, Whole30 compliant bacon and a homemade Italian sausage blend makes it perfect for your paleo or dairy free diet. Because healthy eating is harder during the colder months, am I right?
- It’s super filling. With potatoes, kale, sausage and bacon it’s a complete one pot meal that won’t leave you hungry, even served for dinner.
- Believe it or not, even with the homemade Italian sausage mix this is a dinnertime soup recipe that’s still ready in just 50 minutes making it easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner. Just remember to make enough so there are leftovers for the next day!
If you’re looking for real-deal Zuppa Toscana made with heavy cream, I’ve got you covered!
What I Learned Testing This Recipe
- Don’t overcook the kale. I’ve found adding it right at the end just to wilt in the soup is the best way to preserve it’s vibrant green color. If you cook it for too long in the soup it will turn brown which is okay for leftovers the next day, but not what you want bringing a big pot of soup to the table for your family!
- Use store-bought sausage if you can find a healthy brand. Sometimes in Whole Foods I’ve found packs of Italian sausage that are Whole30 compliant or at least preservative free. If you can buy something like this of course skip making the homemade version. Or, for a still healthy (but not quite as healthy as written) soup just use regular Italian sausage as a shortcut.
- If you don’t get enough fat out of the pork and bacon, add a splash of oil. Obviously in an ideal world I don’t want to add any additional cooking fat to the pot but if it is the difference between skipping the oil and getting burnt onions, a light, neutral cooking oil like avocado oil is the best choice. Some healthier bacon brands are great, but some release a lot of water rather than fat, and if you’re using lean pork you also might not get enough fat for the rest of the cooking.
Ingredients
Whole30 compliant bacon – I find that Whole Foods usually has a good selection. Obviously, if you don’t need this soup to be strictly Whole30 compliant you can use regular bacon, but try to choose one without nitrates and with as few additives as possible in order to keep the soup as healthy as possible!
Crushed red pepper flakes – To add warmth and spiciness to both the soup and the homemade Italian sausage. If your family is particularly sensitive to heat, leave the 1/2 teaspoon out of the soup, and use it just in the sausage mix.
Yellow potatoes – Diced into bite-sized pieces. Do try to find yellow ones like Yukon Golds, as they hold their shape nicely in the soup and white ones like Russets are more likely to dissolve into it! If you want to avoid potatoes, cauliflower florets are a good swap — I use them in my Keto Zuppa Toscana. You could also try celery root.
White, brown or yellow onion – It doesn’t matter which!
Garlic – As this is a soup where the vegetables really stand out fresh is much better than dried here, but you could use the pre-minced stuff from a jar if you don’t need it to be preservative-free for Whole30.
Chicken stock – This will give the richest flavor, but you could use vegetable stock in a pinch.
Kale – Stems removed and leaves chopped.
Coconut milk – Choose an unsweetened (obviously!), full-fat variety. 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.
Ground pork – For the homemade Italian sausage. Use ground chicken in place of the pork, if you prefer or don’t eat pork (and use turkey bacon also if avoiding pork!)
Red wine vinegar – This brings essential acidity to the sausage mix to balance out all the dried herbs and spices.
Fresh chopped parsley – This adds some freshness to the mix, again balancing out all of the dried herbs and spices.
Dried herbs and spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, paprika, ground fennel seed, dried oregano and dried thyme are the perfect combination to mimic the taste of store-bought Italian sausage.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
I love that this dairy free Zuppa Toscana is a complete one-pot meal, but if you’re desperate for something on the side a couple of slices of my paleo bread for dunking would be nice, as would some sort of salad (soup and salad is a classic combo for a reason!)
Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low. I don’t love it frozen — the potatoes go mealy and the kale dark brown and chewy.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s close, and in a few ways I like it better. The original leans on heavy cream; this one uses full-fat coconut milk, which gives you the same silky body without the dairy. The bacon fat is doing a lot of the heavy lifting flavor-wise.
If you’re not doing Whole30 or dairy free, absolutely — swap in an equal amount of heavy cream and stir it in at the same point. Just don’t let it boil hard after it goes in.
No. Between the sausage, the bacon, the garlic, and the red pepper flakes, the coconut reads as creaminess, not flavor. Use unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, not cream of coconut, and the recipe will turn out fine!
Yellow potatoes, like Yukon Golds. They hold their shape in the broth instead of dissolving, and they’re creamier than russets. Leave the skins on for extra nutrition, texture and flavor!
Yes! Brown the sausage and bacon on the stove first, then add everything except the coconut milk and kale to the Crockpot and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours. Stir in the coconut milk and kale in the last 15 minutes!
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Healthy Zuppa Toscana (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
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.
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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!