This Zuppa Toscana is a heartwarming one-pot soup that’s perfect for a chilly day. It’s a hearty combination of mild sausage, bacon, and a creamy, rich broth. That’s why this Italian soup is one of the most popular Olive Garden Soup. Enjoy a keto soup loaded with fresh kale, crumbly Italian Sausage, cauliflower to replace potatoes, and a silky broth.
If you’re anything like me and can’t get enough soup, then it’s time to make a low carb Zuppa Toscana at home.
I definitely can call this Zuppa Toscana a crowd-pleaser because everyone in my family craves it often. It’s filling, utterly creamy, packed with tons of flavors, and tastes tons better than the restaurant’s.
Usually, Olive Garden’s soup is made with potatoes, but to keep the carbs low, we’ll substitute them with cauliflower. It’s the ultimate comfort food that’s the perfect treat for a cold evening.
If you loved my Creamy White Chicken Chili or made my Garlic Shredded Chicken Soup, I bet you will love this one too. One-pot meals are my favorites, packed with tons of flavor from cooking all the ingredients in the same pan.
This recipe makes enough for your entire family, about 8 servings of hearty low carb Zuppa Toscana. Enjoy it together with friends and family or during weeknights.
What is Zuppa Toscana?
Zuppa Toscana is this classic creamy Italian soup that’s made with potatoes, sausage, bacon, and kale. Since potatoes are high in carbs, they are not keto-friendly, making this soup high in carbs.
This keto copycat Zuppa usually uses kale, but if you can’t find it, baby spinach is a great alternative. I think that’s what makes our Zuppa Toscana different. Spinach has a lighter taste, it’s lower in carbs than kale, and cooks almost instantly.
Watch this quick step-by-step video to see exactly how easy it is to make homemade Zuppa Toscana.
Zuppa Toscana Soup Ingredients
It always surprises me that the recipes with just a few ingredients are the most delicious and packed with tons of flavor:
- Italian Mild Sausage – has tons of delicious seasonings, and you can choose it from mild to hot depending on the desired level of spicy. I remove the casing, and with a wooden spoon, I crumble the sausage.
- Bacon – cooked to perfection to add texture and an insanely delightful taste.
- Cauliflower or Radishes– to replace the potatoes in the Original Zuppa Toscana. If you don’t care about carbs and want to go all-in, just use potatoes!
- Spinach or Kale – to make this soup healthy.
- Heavy Cream to add that creamy and velvety texture.
How to Make Zuppa Toscana?
It’s so easy to make this one-pot keto Zuppa Toscana. Here’s how to make this creamy soup:
Cook the Sausage
In a large pot, brown the bacon, then cook Italian Sausage until no longer pink, and then drain the excess fat.
Add diced onion and minced garlic over the meat and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant and soft. To the same pot, add the cauliflower, chicken broth, and seasonings.
Simmer
Bring to a boil and simmer at a lower temperature for about 15 minutes. Cook until the cauliflower is soft.
Alternatively, if you’re not a cauliflower fan, use radishes.
Add heavy cream, chopped spinach, or kale to the pot, stir well, and remove from the heat. I used spinach that wilts in seconds, but if you are using kale, let the soup boil for a few more minutes.
How to Thicken this Soup?
Classic Zuppa Toscana has a thick chicken broth base, but if you want to thicken it, there are a few low carb options to try. My favorite is Xanthan Gum, but it’s important to start with a small amount such as 1/4 tsp, then increase slightly until desired consistency. Remember that adding too much xanthan gum can make this soup unpleasant and slimy.
How Many Carbs In Zuppa Toscana?
The original soup recipe contains 15g total carbs, 13g net carbs, 15g fat, 7g protein, and 220 calories per serving.
Our keto Zuppa Toscana has only 4 grams of net carbs, which is so much lower than the original version.
How To Serve?
- Bread: Serve the soup with a slice of crusty bread on the side. The bread can be used to soak up the broth and make the meal more filling.
- Parmesan Cheese: Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese to bring this healthy soup to the next level.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top of the soup for some added heat.
- Cheese crips of flaxseed crackers
How to Store Zuppa Toscana
- To store in the refrigerator: Chill the soup before refrigerating it in an airtight container. Store this soup in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze – usually, soups with cream can’t be frozen, so if you want to freeze Zuppa Toscana, don’t add whipping cream and kale. When ready to enjoy, defrost the soup, then bring it to a boil, and add cream and kale or spinach.
Other Delicious Soup Recipes
- Low Carb Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
- Easy Cabbage Soup – Weight Loss Cabbage Soup
- Healthy Chicken Detox Soup
- Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Soup – Easy Low Carb Keto Meal
- Easy Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Best Creamy Asparagus Soup
- Simple Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
One Pot Zuppa Toscana
Description
Ingredients
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 4 cups cauliflower fresh or frozen
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers optional
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown sausage, and bacon. Once the meat is no longer pink, add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes.
- Drain the excess fat and add in the cauliflower, chicken broth, crushed red pepper flakes and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Reduce the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Add the fresh kale or baby spinach, stir, and remove from heat.
- Serve hot in big bowls topped with parmesan or extra crispy bacon bits and store the leftovers (in any) for up to 4 days.
Video
How do we calculate the nutrition info?
These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.
Ioana , this soup is amazing! I’ll be making this many more times . Who needs Olive Garden when you can make this wonderful soup at home . The family were all very impressed and I’m sure they’ll be asking for it again soon . Of course I’m all for that . Now to pick another one of your recipes to make next.
I make mine vegetarian.. I use vegetable stock, plant based Italian sausage,cauliflower, some potatoes and I use coconut milk
Ummmm….looking at the directions and I noticed that the sausage has been left out. It’s in the ingredients but not directions
I know the at to do with it, being an old cook but I just thought you might want to correct that for new cooks ♥️
Thank you, I updated the recipe. There’s also a step-by-step video showing exactly how to make this delicious Keto Zuppa Toscana.
Absolutely amazing, highly recommend this recipe. I added mushrooms to this recipe and it’s amazing ( I love mushrooms), even my picky husband approved of this soup.
This Zuppa is wonderful. Didn’t deviate at all, just the right amount of seasoning for us. Thanks for all your hard work.
This soup is amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe! The only thing I changed was mixing spicy and mild Italian sausage. Definitely bookmarking!
This was amazing!! I am not a fan of cauliflower but used it anyway … and it turned out sooo delicious, just like at OG. Will be on the rotation going forward! Thank you!!
This soup is delicious! My entire family loved it and I will definitely be making again! Thank you Iona. Looking forward to trying some more of your recipes
This is one of my favorite soups to make but I always used potatoes. What a fantastic idea to use cauliflower! I used chicken sausage and it’s delicious
Amazing! Thank you!
Delicious! I actually think this recipe is even better than Olive Garden. My only tip is, fry the bacon separately before adding to the soup so it’s not chewy…unless you like chewy bacon
Absolutely delicious!! Easy to make! It has so much flavor! It’s great!
Absolutely delicious, my go to recipe for cold winter days! Definitely one of my favorites!
This soup was delicious! I’m a big fan of soup especially with the winter weather in Indiana. My SO swears he won’t eat cauliflower but I sneak it in stuff all the time, just as I did this. He said “wow, this is really good..like REALLY GOOD!” Then said “this is better than the restaurant!” I agree…and may never tell him what’s in it
That’s fantastic to hear! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the soup, and it’s so awesome that you were able to sneak in some cauliflower without your SO even realizing it. It’s always a great feeling when a homemade dish can beat a restaurant’s version, right? Your secret is safe with us! Thanks for sharing your feedback, and here’s to more delicious homemade meals, especially during this chilly Indiana winter!
Crock pot? Would you do low 6-7hrs add heavy cream and kale at end?
After browning the sausage, onion, bacon, and garlic, transfer them to your crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Pour in the heavy cream and add the kale, then cover and cook for a few more minutes.
One of my favorites, this is so.delicious, I add mushrooms and broccoli to it too and top with fresh grated Parmesan!
That sounds absolutely delicious! Adding mushrooms and broccoli is such a fantastic twist to Zuppa Toscana, and topping it with fresh grated Parmesan must bring it all together perfectly. It’s great to hear it’s one of your favorites. Your custom touches definitely take it to the next level of yum!