Julie Clark
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Paleo Zuppa Toscana
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Paleo Zuppa Toscana is a rich soup filled with potatoes, kale, Italian sausage and bacon. It’s easy to make this creamy dairy free soup in the slow cooker.
This creamy potato sausage soup is our grain free, gluten free, sugar free and dairy free version of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana soup. That creamy low carb soup is Matt’s favorite and it is so easy to make at home. It fits Keto, Whole30 and Paleo eating plans.
Zuppa Toscana literally means “soup in the style of Tuscany”. This creamy Whole30 zuppa toscana soup is full of potatoes, Italian sausage, kale, onions, and most importantly, bacon.
Bacon makes everything better.
Zuppa Toscana with Coconut Milk
This is a dairy free zuppa toscana soup that uses coconut cream to make it creamy.
The coconut cream should be added at the very end of cooking. Refrigerate the can of coconut cream and use only the solid white cream from the cans. Save the clear milky liquid for a smoothie or another recipe. Add the cream in, stir it into the soup a bit so it melts in and voila…you’ve got creamy soup!
Zuppa Toscana Ingredients
There are only 8 ingredients in this Paleo zuppa toscana:
- Bacon & Italian Sausage. These should both be cooked before they go in the slow cooker. I used our own Italian sausage blend with one pound of ground turkey.
- Onion & Garlic. To season the soup.
- Chicken Stock. Or chicken broth if you prefer.
- Potatoes. Russet potatoes or yukon gold potatoes.
- Kale. If you don’t like kale, try spinach.
- Coconut cream. This is my go to for making soups creamy. I use it in our chicken potato soup and creamy turmeric soup.
How to Make Paleo Zuppa Toscana in 4 Steps
- Place half of the cooked and crumbled bacon into the slow cooker. Reserve the other half as a topping for the soup.
- Add the Italian sausage, chicken stock, garlic, onion and potatoes to the slow cooker. Cover and simmer on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours until the potatoes are tender.
- With 30 minutes left, add the kale to the slow cooker. Cover and allow the kale to cook for 30 minutes.
- Five minutes before serving, open the can of refrigerated coconut cream and add just the solid white cream to the slow cooker. Reserve the clear coconut milk for another use. Let the cream heat through the soup for about 5 minutes.
Prep Ahead
Looking for easy morning prep? Brown the sausage and bacon in advance (or the night before) so it is all ready for the slow cooker.
I’ve also made this as a freezer meal, adding the bacon, sausage, chicken stock and onion to a bag. Then defrost and you’re half way to making this soup anytime you need it.
Recipe Variations
- Need a soup that is low carb? Switch out the potatoes for cauliflower florets.
- This is a spicy soup, but add more heat by adding red pepper flakes or black pepper.
- Have fresh herbs? Garnish the soup with thyme, basil or oregano.
- Switch out the coconut cream for cashew cream. Or if you’re not dairy free you can use heavy cream, half and half or whole milk.
- Add more veggies: carrots, zucchini or celery all add bulk to the soup without changing the flavor profile.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This soup is so good served the next day. The flavors are enhanced as the soup sits.
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Paleo Zuppa Toscana
Paleo Zuppa Toscana is a rich soup filled with potatoes, kale, Italian sausage and bacon. It's easy to make this creamy dairy free soup in the slow cooker.
Servings 8 servings
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 2 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 lb Italian sausage browned and drained
- 4 cups chicken stock 32 ounces
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 large Russet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 cups kale diced
- 1 can full fat unsweetened coconut cream refrigerated
Instructions
- Place half of the cooked and crumbled bacon into the slow cooker. Reserve the other half as a topping for the soup.
- Add the Italian sausage, chicken stock, garlic, onion and potatoes to the slow cooker. Cover and simmer on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours until the potatoes are tender.
- With 30 minutes left, add the kale to the slow cooker. Cover and allow the kale to cook for 30 minutes.
- Five minutes before serving, open the can of refrigerated coconut cream and add just the solid white cream to the slow cooker. Reserve the clear coconut milk for another use. Let the cream heat through the soup for about 5 minutes.
- Serve with crumbled bacon on top.
Video
Notes
- You can lower the calories in this recipe by using lean turkey sausage and not adding as much bacon.
- Make this soup on the stovetop in a large dutch oven. Simmer over medium heat.
Nutrition
Calories: 747kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 974mg | Potassium: 1151mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 551IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 4mg
This is fab
What size can of coconut milk should be used?
This is just about the most perfect recipe for this dish. Been using it since posted and haven’t felt the need to make any adjustments. Grown ups and kids alike in our house love it!
I made this last night and the flavor was delicious! Great for a cold winter night!
I have had this at Olive Garden. The only thing I didn’t like was the kale. Can I use spinach? I don’t like the taste or texture of kale.
Could I use almond milk instead of coconut milk, I don’t have any on hand!
Can low fat milk be substituted for the coconut milk?
This looks delicious and I cant wait to make it! Do you also have an Insta Pot recipe?
The recipe does not specify unsweetened coconut milk. It specifies using “full fat” coconut milk! Is this a typo or are you suggesting that by specifying full fat coconut milk that your readers will take that to mean unsweetened full fat coconut milk?
The devil is in the details, don’t you know?
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Absolutely delicious! One of the best things I’ve ever made!
Its funny. I’ve never been a huge soup eater. But I wanted to try something that I could freeze and reheat for days when I’m not feeling good or don’t want to cook. I stumbled across a recipe and then looked up the Paleo version which is how I found this. The verdict is in. It’s better than anything I could have bought premade. Flavorful, warm, hearty and comforting. It’s perfect. Thank you.
This Zuppa Toscana recipe is incredibly flavorful! When looking for new recipes, I look for ones that are 1) not complicated, 2) require ingredients that I have on hand or are easy to find at the local grocery store and do not drain our budget, and 3) prep does not require the use of every dish I own. This recipe involves easy prep, minimal cleanup, and a delicious meal that was ready in under an hour! The butcher recommended mild Italian sausage, which was flavorful and allowed for me to determine the level of spiciness by adding perfect amount of… Read more »
Doesn’t the coconut milk make the soup sweet?