This creamy and hearty Whole30 Zuppa Toscana soup is a copycat version of the popular Olive Garden soup that your whole family will love!
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What is Zuppa Toscana?
Truth be told, the popular Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana is not a traditional Italian soup. The restaurant chain’s beloved Tuscan soup recipe features a heavy cream-infused broth studded with Italian sausage, red pepper flakes, diced white onion, bacon, russet potatoes, and kale.
Recipe Note
Although Zuppa Toscana is delicious, it didn’t originate in Italy. In fact, I think the only way you’ll sample this soup in Tuscany is if an Olive Garden outpost opens up.
Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
After numerous requests from readers, I finally tackled the task of creating a healthier version of this restaurant classic. My Zuppa Toscana recipe is simple, comforting, gluten free, dairy-free, coconut milk-free—and most importantly, DELICIOUS. If you want to make a keto and low carb version, feel free to substitute cauliflower florets for the potatoes and decrease the cooking time accordingly so the florets don’t become too mushy.
Ingredients
- Raw cashews: In place of heavy cream or half and half, I soak raw cashews in boiling water before blending them to make a dairy-free cream. If you have a nut allergy, you can substitute a can of coconut milk but the soup will take on a more coconut-forward flavor.
- Whole30-compatible bacon: Everyone loves crispy bacon bits on top of soup, amirite? Be sure to choose a sugar-free brand if you’re doing a Whole30.
- Bulk Italian sausage: Make sure to buy a Whole30-compatible bulk sausage or make my Italian sausage recipe.
- Onion
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Garlic
- Yellow potatoes: I prefer using yellow Yukon Gold potatoes in place of russet potatoes because they hold their shape better and won’t disintegrate in the soup.
- Chicken broth
- Tuscan kale, stems removed: My favorite type of kale to use in this recipe is Tuscan kale, also known as cavolo nero, lacinato, or black kale. If you don’t want to use kale, you can substitute baby spinach, but make sure to decrease the cooking time.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon juice: a splash of fresh lemon juice at the end will add brightness and acidity to cut through the richness. No lemon juice? Sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar will work as well.
How to make Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
Blend the cashew cream
Place the cashews in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water for at least 15 minutes.
Drain and rinse the cashews. Place the drained cashews in a high-powered blender, along with 1 cup of water. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.
You’ll end up with 1¾ cups cashew cream. Set aside or keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Fry the bacon bits
Toss the sliced bacon into a large saucepan and cook over medium heat. Slowly render the bacon until the grease is released and the bits get crunchy (about 10 to 15 minutes). Transfer the crunchy bacon bits to a paper towel lined platter and set aside.
Make Zuppa Toscana
Add the Italian sausage to the bacon grease and cook, breaking it up, until it is no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to another plate.
Remove all the oil except for 2 tablespoons. Toss in the chopped onion, along with a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the potatoes and pour in the chicken broth. Increase the heat to high to bring the broth to a boil.
Add the kale to the soup and decrease the heat to maintain a simmer.
Continue simmering the soup until the potatoes are fork-tender and the kale is softened, about 10 minutes.
When the vegetables are ready, return the cooked pork sausage to the Dutch oven.
Pour the cashew cream into the soup and stir well to combine.
Taste for seasoning and some freshly cracked black pepper and add more salt if needed. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, if needed.
Ladle into bowls and top with crispy bacon bits.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can cook the bacon bits on the sauté function and set aside. Toss in the bulk sausage and onions and cook until the sausage is no longer pink. Stir in the garlic, potatoes, broth, and kale and cook under high pressure for 3 minutes. Release the pressure manually and stir in the cashew cream before seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Top with the reserved bacon bits and enjoy!
The leftover soup can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up 4 days or stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Zuppa Toscana (Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 bacon slices cut crosswise into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 yukon gold potatoes cut into small cubes (about ½ pound)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale stemmed and finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Make Cashew Cream
- Place the cashews in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water for at least 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the cashews. Place the drained cashews in a high-powered blender, along with 1 cup of water. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. You’ll end up with 1¾ cups cashew cream. Set aside or keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make Zuppa Toscana
- Toss the sliced bacon into a large saucepan and cook over medium heat. Slowly render the bacon until the grease is released and the bits get crunchy (about 10 to 15 minutes). Transfer the crunchy bacon bits to a paper towel lined platter and set aside.
- Add the Italian sausage to the bacon grease and cook, breaking it up, until it is no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to another plate.
- Remove all the oil except for 2 tablespoons. Toss in the chopped onion, along with a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the potatoes and pour in the chicken broth. Increase the heat to high to bring the broth to a boil.
- Add the kale to the soup and decrease the heat to maintain a simmer. Continue simmering the soup until the potatoes are fork-tender and the kale is softened, about 10 minutes.
- When the vegetables are ready, return the cooked pork sausage to the pot.
- Pour the cashew cream into the soup and stir well to combine.
- Taste for seasoning and some freshly cracked black pepper and add more salt if needed. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and top with crispy bacon bits. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing! This was always my soup of choice when eating at the Olive Garden. I’ve made it many times at home in the past using either heavy cream or coconut milk when doing a whole30. This was better than either of those. The cashew cream was perfect in this soup. Thank you so much for the recipe! It’s definitely a keeper.
Yum!!! I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. I’ve never made cashew cream before, it was so easy. I just prepped all the other ingredients while the cashews were soaking. It was so delicious to have such a creamy soup without the taste of coconut overpowering the other ingredients. The only note I made for next time was to cover the plates of the sausage and bacon so I wouldn’t nibble so much. 🙂
This soup is tremendous and the recipe is flawless! I made the sausage first then went onto the soup, and used the insta pot cooking method for the soup. Absolutely delicious. I was a complete skeptic about the cashew cream, thinking it would be particulate. Nope! It was so smooth! The “broth” was just like a chowder. The Kale was juicy and had the right bite. If you can, please advise how you might add cherry tomatoes into the steps in case one wanted to include for color? Thank you!
Soup turned out super yum, more creamy than I expected so I would use less cashew cream next time. Mmmmm! Another Michelle Tam score! Thank you!!!
This soup if FANTASTIC! Just made it for the second time tonight and it is delicious! Thank you for a recipe I’ll enjoy over and over. Followed the recipe exactly and it is perfect.
Delicious soup. After experimentation, I prefer half hot, half mild Italian sausage. The last time I made it, I added some carrots from a friend’s garden with some extra broth. I didn’t bother to make the cashew cream and it was still delicious.
This is genius! so creamy and delicious. It’s a whole new world that I’ve been searching for! I’ve never had anything that has came so close to real cream. Thank you!
This is one of our favorite soups, and I have tried various different recipes to try and duplicate it and more healthy way. What would you suggest instead of potatoes that could work well – I know some people use cauliflower but my family are not the biggest fans if it’s recognizable. I wondered about turnips? It’s hard to get the same texture with something that isn’t potato because it’s so starchy.
This is so good! My daughter said it’s the best soup she’s ever had. Great, quick meal, will definitely be making this a lot this fall/winter.