Bringing back another childhood staple, a Whole30 Zuppa Toscana copycat rendition of Olive Garden’s delicious soup. The only thing that I am missing is the endless breadsticks and salad!
Growing up in Celina, Texas, my friends and I would always drive up to Frisco (the closest city to us) so that we could dine at Olive Garden together and carb load on *all the yummy things*. In fact, when I ran Cross Country back in the day, Olive Garden was our day before meal of choice when we went to big meets out of town. Our Coach would take us to Olive Garden so we could feast before we’d run our little hearts out the next day. We loved it.
Being the soup lover that I am, I loved getting the Zuppa Toscana as my appetizer, even as a child. I loved it’s rich, creamy broth with the chunky potato and sausage filling. It’s one of those soups that really, in fact, is a true full meal.
Here in this Whole30 Zuppa Toscana recipe, I’ve recreated one of my childhood favorites while also keeping it Dairy-Free and Gluten-free. It’s still simple to make and just as satisfying as my teen years. The flavor from the ground sausage really does all the talking along with the rich and creamy texture of the soup (by thickening it with Arrowroot flour + using dairy-free creamer!)
I think this is going to be a total crowd-pleaser and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as me and my family!
For other soups and stews, check out this recipe round-up.
Whole30 Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients
- 2 strips bacon, diced medium
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage (if you buy it in the links, you can remove from casing) (chicken or turkey sausage is okay to use, also!)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp arrowroot flour
- 32 oz. carton of chicken broth
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups peeled russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 cups chopped lacinato kale, ripped from stem (or one bunch)
- 1 cup Nut Pods Original Dairy-Free Creamer
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (or the juice of 1 lemon)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is just crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. While reserving the bacon fat in the the pot.
- Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper and sausage into the pot. Cook, breaking up meat with back of spoon, until cooked through, or no longer pink. About 4-5 minutes.
- Add arrowroot into the sausage mixture and stir until well incorporated into the meat mixture. While stirring, slowly pour in chicken broth. Bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer, add the italian seasoning, chopped kale and potatoes. Cook, covered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- When the potatoes are tender, remove the lid from the pot and stir in the creamer, nutritional yeast, and lemon. Cook for 5 more minutes, simmering uncovered, just to mend the flavors and the cream.
- Serve in bowls topped with the cooked bacon bits. Enjoy!
123 Comments
JM
March 13, 2023 at 6:15 pmDo you think coconut milk would work in place of the nut pods creamer? Thanks!
Alex
March 16, 2023 at 2:03 pmYes! It does!
Bill
March 13, 2023 at 4:47 pmCan you swap Spinach for Kale? I don’t normally have Kale in the house but always have spinach
Heather
January 1, 2023 at 6:06 pmThis is probably my absolute favorite recipe of yours. I have made it over a dozen times and my family loves it. Since we don’t eat bacon often, I usually omit it, but I don’t feel like I’m losing out on any flavor because all the other ingredients pack so much flavor. It’s a great winter soup, but I even love eating it in the summer.
Alex
January 1, 2023 at 11:08 pmSo glad you love it!
RBB
January 24, 2023 at 3:11 pmCould you use pancetta (to avoid having to dice;)
Alex
January 24, 2023 at 4:34 pmYes, that would definitely work. Pancetta can sometimes be saltier so just keep note to taste and add salt as needed.
Jennifer Baker
February 2, 2023 at 7:15 pmCan the creamer be replaced w heavy whipping cream? If so, how much?
Alex
February 6, 2023 at 4:41 pmThe same amount! it works great with heavy cream!
Mallaree Niner
August 28, 2022 at 10:02 pmThis is my all time favorite soup. It hits the spot every single time. This is a recipe I recommend to friends all the time.
Amy
February 16, 2022 at 7:21 pmAlex, I love this soup! I know the recipe states it is for 4 people, but can you tell me what a serving size would be? Cups or Grams.
Thanks.
Kayla
February 10, 2022 at 1:11 amWow. Second time making this and I cannot believe how much my husband and I love this. The entire time we’re eating it all we talk about is how much we love it, lol! Thank you for this incredible recipe!!
Kale Substitute
February 1, 2022 at 12:26 pmCan you use baby kale instead?
Alex
February 1, 2022 at 6:10 pmsure!! will be just fine here.
Michelle w
January 18, 2022 at 3:45 pmHi! Is there a dairy free substitute you recommend if I can’t get nut pods creamer? Thanks!
Shea
February 18, 2022 at 3:02 amThis was amazing!!! I ended up using double the amount of broth that was called for here though. But wow, what an excellent remake on a classic. This was my first time trying one of your recipes… now I can’t wait to try many more!
Erica
June 4, 2022 at 2:41 amI think it would be just as good without the creamer! to be honest, I may leave it out next time anyway. Yumyum
M
January 17, 2022 at 11:53 pmThank you for this recipe!! I have horrible morning sickness & this is the first thing I’ve been able to cook and eat in a month. Hit the spot! Really appreciate your work!
Lois
January 20, 2022 at 12:28 amGreat recipe. Kids loved it and so did I.
Tara Holy
January 10, 2022 at 5:37 pmWOW! Another absolute winner. This soup is incredibly easy, healthy, and delicious! Everyone in my family absolutely devoured it! MY husband even said: I feel like we could eat this entire pot! I came back today to remake a double batch and had to leave a comment! Love both of your books and make your recipes RELIGIOUSLY in our home! THANK YOU!
Randi
January 11, 2022 at 8:32 pmIs there a substitute for nutritional yeast if I don’t have it on hand?
Alex
January 12, 2022 at 9:00 pm1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese works! or you can just omit (it’s still great without either).
Alan
January 9, 2022 at 2:58 amI just made this and it’s absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to cook my way through your new book. Congratulations on your success.
Ginger
January 7, 2022 at 2:07 amMaking this in my instant pot tonight on the soup/broth feature: high pressure for 15 minutes… we shall see how it turns out 🙂
ricki
January 4, 2022 at 8:04 pmWould whole milk work as a sub for the creamer?
Alex
January 5, 2022 at 2:53 amyes, Heavy whipping cream is the best sub!
Kelly
January 4, 2022 at 6:17 pmThis soup is so filling and delicious, but it’s not heavy so you’re full but not weighed down after eating. Will definitely be making this regularly!
Amanda
January 4, 2022 at 2:14 pmJust made this from your new cookbook (The Comfortable Kitchen)! I can’t believe I missed it on the blog, but so glad it was included in the book and I found it there. Excited to try other new cookbook recipes! I love your last book!
Maegan
December 30, 2021 at 11:29 pmThis soup is absolutely FANTASTIC! I saw your segment on GMA and literally went out and bought the ingredients the next day! My husband loved it too! I have seen some vegan recipes for zuppa toscana with mushrooms or vegan sausage. what would you recommend?
Alex
December 31, 2021 at 5:24 pmThank you so much, Maegan!!! yay! I am not the best vegan chef (to be very honest) haha, and I haven’t ever tried a vegan sausage before– but if you have one that you’ve tried and love the flavor i’m sure it’d be delightful! Mushrooms would be good– but you’d really need to spice them up with chili flakes, fennel seed, extra garlic powder/onion powder, and maybe some paprika to give it some extra flavor. A lot of the flavor from the soup comes from the seasonings in the ground sausage! 🙂 so just keep that in mind.
Natalie Scott
December 15, 2021 at 4:54 pmCould I use fresh baby spinach instead of kale?
Alex
December 15, 2021 at 8:49 pmyes! You would just stir it in right before serving as it isn’t as sturdy as kale 🙂
Kyla
November 15, 2021 at 11:44 pmThis soup is so good, totally hits the spot on a cold day. I could eat this all winter long, thank you for this recipe!
Kristen
November 10, 2021 at 12:17 amThis soup is like a warm hug. It never fails!! I usually make it non-whole 30 since I don’t follow a specific diet. I did try to lighten it up a little the last time I made it and used turkey bacon & hot chicken Italian sausage (removed from the casing). It was just as good as the original! My boyfriend loves it and I tell everyone about this soup. Definitely one of my favorite recipes ever!!
Kelsey
November 3, 2021 at 12:53 amAlex this soup was AMAZING! So incredibly flavorful and filling – we loved it so much! Even my husband who “hates soup” said it was incredible and he wants me to make it again. Thank you for this recipe!!
Delaney
January 18, 2022 at 3:36 amWow I’m not sure how it took me until buying Alex’s new book to try this. Seriously one of the best soups I’ve had – lots of flavor, comes together very easily, quickly, and looks and tastes impressive! I subbed full-fat coconut milk in for the nutpods as my grocery store was out and it was still super creamy and delicious!
Riley
October 28, 2021 at 11:26 pmAmazing! I’ve been meaning to make it for years and I don’t think I’ll ever stop now! the lemon juice at the end lightens it up and makes it taste so delicious and fresh!
Ceci Miller
October 28, 2021 at 9:04 pmAbsolutely love this soup. I did notice that after adding the arrowroot starch it was nice and thick, but I forgot to take it off the stove (it was on super low) the broth seemed to break a little and was not as thick. Any recommendations?
Can’t wait for your next cookbook!
Alex
October 29, 2021 at 10:59 amHi! yes, arrowroot is one of those ingredients that the more you cook it, the less thickening power it has– if that happens again– you could always add another dose of a ‘slurry’ 1/4 cup broth with 2 tsp arrowroot or so, to thicken it back up!
Lesley
October 25, 2021 at 10:45 pmThis is so dang good! Only thing at the end when I added the nutritional yeast, nut pod creamer and lemon juice it initially was silky/creamy looking then it broke/separated. Still tasted delicious but just didn’t look right. Not sure what I did wrong.
Anne B
January 9, 2022 at 3:09 pmThis happened to me too! Absolutely delicious soup!! My husband and I ate it anyway. Such a fab new cookbook!! The problem is that the nutpods separated/curdled when I put them in. I was sooo disappointed! Next time I will use Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk instead. Maybe Alex can weigh in on what may have happened with the nutpods. (They we’re cold, so perhaps tempering first?)
Alex
January 10, 2022 at 1:14 amyes leaving them out at room temperature while you’re making the soup tends to help!! I usually get the nutpods that isn’t in the fridge section that I keep in my pantry– so that must be it!
Anne B
January 11, 2022 at 7:29 pmThanks so much! I’ll try again with the pantry version of nut pods. If it happens again, I’ll give the coconut milk a go! Btw, your Lemon avocado oil cake is to die for!!! Yummmm!! Xx
Marie Lussier
October 23, 2021 at 7:29 pmWhat can I use as a substitute for the Nutritional Yeast? My son got me hooked on your website a couple of years ago.
Alex
October 24, 2021 at 1:20 pmHi! you can sub in 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese!
Felice
October 21, 2021 at 10:59 amWhat can you substitute potatoes with if you want to cut carbs?
Alex
October 21, 2021 at 11:38 amYou could do some cauliflower florets!
Paula
October 20, 2021 at 8:44 pmCan I use parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and cornstarch to replace the nutritional yeast, nut pod creamer, and arrowroot flower if I’m not worried about whole 30?
Alex
October 21, 2021 at 11:38 amyes!! all of the above works! 🙂
Holly
October 14, 2021 at 3:15 amThis was OFF THE CHARTS, CRAZY GOOD!! I’m not a huge fan of Italian sausage and the ingredients are pretty simple and basic so I was a little skeptical…but boy was this a treat for my taste buds and my hungry, pregnant belly! So flavorful, so satisfying, and something you feel GREAT about eating! I ate THREE BOWLS!!
Chelsea L Blair
October 8, 2021 at 7:32 pmI could live off of this soup morning, day and night! Absolutely delicious!
Cathy
October 3, 2021 at 5:46 pmHoly cow! I have made several different whole30 Zuppa recipes and they’ve been meh. I made this one today because I was seriously craving it and I was NOT disappointed. So damn good!! Thank you!
Molly
December 13, 2021 at 6:58 pmCould I use the barista blend oat milk creamer from Califa?
Alex
December 14, 2021 at 12:44 pmI personally find that the oat milk sweetens it a bit– but the texture of it does work if you find it neutral in flavor!
Sydney
August 24, 2021 at 5:45 pmIs there any replacement for arrowroot flour? I have all other alternate flour types – just not this one – and my store doesn’t carry arrowroot.
Alex
August 25, 2021 at 1:31 pmDo you have tapioca?
Renata Rampersad
October 21, 2021 at 2:38 amAlternative to nutritional yeast?
Gabrielle Selby
December 12, 2021 at 1:58 pmThis is the best soup EVER. I have made this so many times and it’s amazing. Alex, I have guests visiting soon and would love to make this but I may need to double it. Would I double all ingredients or would you recommend just adding extra broth?
Lena .
May 4, 2021 at 12:19 amMy whole family enjoys this recipe… even our 3 kids under 6 years old.
Amanda Blank
January 10, 2022 at 12:39 amLovedddd this recipe! When I’m doing a whole30 Im always looking for filling meals with tons of flavor and this is the perfect thing! Made a big batch so I can freeze the leftovers for later 😋
Erika
April 9, 2021 at 11:07 pmLoveeee this soup! Seriously SO delicious! I’m wanting to make this and freeze it for a friend who’s having a baby. How would you recommend freezing it? Or would you suggest not freezing it? Thank you 🤗
Alex
April 11, 2021 at 10:41 pmYou can definitely freeze it! it’s not my favorite to freeze since it has the coconut milk and it separates, but honestly– it’s still works great
Brandi
January 6, 2022 at 3:32 pmIf you replace the coconut milk with the heavy whipping cream, will it make it better to freeze and not separate? So excited to try this soup!
Alex
January 6, 2022 at 7:08 pmyes!! It freezes pretty well either way, honestly!
Alyssa D
March 9, 2021 at 7:49 pmThis is easily my most favorite soup! Such an easy recipe with so many complex flavors. I’ve probably made it 6x by now and it’ll be a staple for winters to come!
Greta David
March 7, 2021 at 6:39 pm10/10 amazing Whole30 soup!
Alex
March 7, 2021 at 7:25 pmThank you, Greta!!
Handey
March 1, 2021 at 7:30 pmAbsolutely the BEST soup! There is nothing I change about the recipe except occasionally I buy the mild sausage. It’s so so SO good!
BaLeigh
February 25, 2021 at 3:45 pmHi! Can’t wait to make this. I’m allergic to yeast. I know it offers that creamy/cheesy flavor. Any substitute suggestions or just leave it out?
Alex
February 26, 2021 at 4:17 pmYou can totally omit! or add in 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.
Kelly
February 13, 2021 at 12:18 amCold weather in the south means switching up dinner plans and making this instead tonight. First time. Sprinkled with red pepper flakes. Perfection.
Kelli
February 13, 2021 at 12:00 amMaking this for the 2nd time tonight and probably at least once a month for the rest of eternity! SO. GOOD. For all the people like me who read comments to see if a recipe is worth it, yes…yes it is.
Kayla Sherwood
February 1, 2021 at 5:30 pmCan you do this in a crock pot all day on low? and then add kale towards the end like last hour?
Alex
February 2, 2021 at 2:39 pmThe only issue with doing it in the Crockpot is that the arrowroot won’t thicken as well… so i recommend making a slurry at the end of the day with about 1/2 cup of broth and the arrowroot. and waiting to add the kale and the DF creamer at the end as well!
Katy
February 1, 2021 at 4:10 amWe have soup every Monday through out the winter and more Mondays than not, this is the soup that someone requests. It’s so great- and, I discovered last time I made it that it’s just as delicious without the bacon (didn’t realize we were out until it was too late!)
Kristin
January 31, 2021 at 11:59 pmHOLY MOLY! I love everything you make but this might take the absolute cake. My husband and I both LOVED this when I made it for the first time last week and now I’m making it again and practically drooling waiting for it to be ready to eat. There is a very good chance we will cook this weekly for the rest of winter 🙂
Margriet
January 31, 2021 at 2:56 amOhmygoodness- I don’t ever leave feedback on recipes… that being said, my whole family loved, loved, LOVED this recipe. They requested that I put it in the regular rotation of meals. Winner winner Zuppa Toscana dinner!
Lauren
January 24, 2021 at 9:24 pmI love this soup!! Are you able to tell us approx calories per serving? Thank you!
Julie Angelina Smith
January 15, 2021 at 3:56 amMy Mom and I are doing Jan Whole30 and are absolutely using your plans you share. Fortunately for us, we became a fan of your dishes before we started Whole30 and we’d even cooking new Alex dishes each weekend together. I really think the fact that we were already making your recipes before most of the time saved us from any of the Whole30 headaches- it has been and easy and delicious journey for us.
My Mum’s made this about 4 times now. And me, once. We don’t all have the same threshold for spicy food, so my Mum experimented with 100% spicy sausage, then 25/75, only to keep 50 spicy/ 50 non spicy. It was delicious each time!
I made it with 25%spicy sausage and 75%ground turkey. Good’- and my children 1 and 3 ate some too.
I like that once we made about 3 of your recipes we had a good stock of the ingredients to try other dishes.
Kelly
January 12, 2021 at 11:37 pmAll of your recipes are good, but this one is OUTSTANDING. Minimal effort, high payoff. Required very little chopping and dirtied only a few dishes. This will be in regular rotation at the Smith house.
Monique
January 12, 2021 at 8:14 pmThis soup is SO. GOOD. Made it for my roommates and they LOVED it!!! We can’t stop eating it lol it’s the perfect comfort food! And we had leftovers for days – the flavors just meld even better the next day! Thank you so much, Alex!!!
Lauren
January 10, 2021 at 11:03 pm10/10 again.. over and over! While I don’t have the waiter at my table asking “would you like cheese on that?”, this is way better than the restaurant version. It’s light yet creamy, the potatoes are cooked perfectly, the amount of lemon.. it’s all perfection. We ate it next day for lunch and it was even better. Will make this recipe for years and years to come.
Erika
January 10, 2021 at 9:33 amWhat can I sub the hot Italian sausage for if I can’t find one that’s compatible?
Sonja
January 7, 2021 at 2:30 amI made this! It’s delicious! A friend sent the recipe. Where is the cookbook for these recipes? Making it this weekend for friends!
Alex
January 7, 2021 at 2:13 pmHi Sonja, So glad you loved the recipe. This particular recipe is just here on my blog; but I do have a cookbook with more delicious recipes inside as well!
https://thedefineddish.com/thedefineddishcookbook/
Jamie Martin
January 2, 2022 at 1:55 pmIn her new book:
https://thedefineddish.com/the-comfortable-kitchen/
Courtney Hesterly
January 7, 2021 at 1:13 amThe perfect comfort food!
Kiah
January 6, 2021 at 12:32 pmThis is delicious. I didn’t add any creamer, or nutritional yeast and used regular flour (as I’m not on whole 30). But it is so yum!
Delicious flavor.
Lisa
January 5, 2021 at 7:27 pmSoooo good! Mine probably isn’t properly Whole 30 because I had to work with what I had or could find so my creamer was non-dairy, but just coffee mate regular and I had to use corn starch for arrowroot powder, but taste wise, I don’t think it changed it and it was amazing!!! (I also prefer sweet sausage but that’s just my super sensitivity to spice)
Hannah
January 5, 2021 at 4:23 amI’ve made this so many times that I owe it a review at this point! Probably my favorite soup ever. It is so soooo delicious, easy, and fast enough for a weeknight. I don’t follow Whole30 so I use heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and cornstarch and it is just perfection.
Laura
January 5, 2021 at 12:22 amI love Zuppa Toscana and have tried many different recipes! This is my favorite by far! You never fail, Alex! 👏
Rachel
January 4, 2021 at 8:46 pmHi there—just wondering if you think frozen kale would work? There seems to be a run on fresh kale right now at my grocery store. New year, new me, maybe? 😂 Love this recipe SO much.
Alex
January 5, 2021 at 2:41 amAbsolutely!
Ana
January 3, 2021 at 9:22 pmCould you make this in an instant pot?
Alex
January 4, 2021 at 1:51 pmI am sure you can! I haven’t done it yet so im not positive on timing. You’ll still want to brown the sausage on saute function, then add the broth/potatoes and cook on Manual high preessure for 10-15 mins or so. Then stir in nutpods at the end.
Hannah
January 3, 2021 at 12:56 amThis was SO good! I didn’t have nut pods on hand so I used a mixture of 75% coconut milk and 25% almond milk. The flavor and texture were still amazing! Dreaming about leftovers tomorrow. I have not been disappointed by a recipe of yours yet! Thank you for making Whole30 so delicious!
Alex
January 3, 2021 at 2:12 pmThank you!!
Lauren
November 16, 2022 at 7:35 pmCan I make this ahead a day and store in my fridge? Any tips?
Alex
November 23, 2022 at 4:25 pmyes! this recipe just keeps getting tastier by the day if you store in fridge.
Christine McMillan
January 3, 2021 at 12:18 amWhich Nut Pods original did you use? We bought Almond and Coconut Original , and Original Oat?
Alex
January 3, 2021 at 2:20 pmTo keep it Whole30– I use thee Almond/Coconut original.
Lindsey
December 30, 2020 at 5:58 pmWhere do you get whole 30 compliant Italian sausage and bacon?
Alex
December 30, 2020 at 8:58 pmWholefoods for both! their counter has compliant sausage. And both Pederson Farms and Applegate have a “no sugar” bacon.
Janet Wilson
December 17, 2020 at 2:18 amJust made his for the first time and it is delicious! Well done once again, Alex. Your recipes never disappoint.
Alex
December 17, 2020 at 1:10 pmThank you, Janet!
Hillary
December 4, 2020 at 3:33 amMade a mistake. Used Silk Heavy Whipping Cream and now my soup smells like an Italian Sugar Cookie. There’s no sugar in it, it just imparted a very sweet coconut smell. Beware!
Heather
December 3, 2020 at 1:09 amLove this soup! It was super easy to make and filling. I’m definitely going to add it to the meal rotation.
Laura
November 29, 2020 at 12:12 amThis recipe is the best. I’ve made it at least 10 times during quarantine! It never fails.
Alex
November 29, 2020 at 1:34 pmIt’s the perfect comfort food.
Tiffany
November 2, 2021 at 3:25 pmI can’t find the nut pods original anywhere. Can I sub soy Milk and olive oil? Or what is a better substitute? Thank you so much!
Alex
November 3, 2021 at 1:10 pmOlive oil is fine to use for sure. I am not sure about Soy Milk. I’d recommend using whole milk, coconut milk, or even heavy creamer here.
Christine
November 28, 2021 at 12:58 amHey Alex! Is the soup freezer friendly?
Alex
November 29, 2021 at 1:22 pmyes!!! it’s great in the freezer!
Meghan
November 24, 2020 at 3:09 amTo make it not whole 30 – just sub heavy cream and parm for the nutpods and nutritional yeast?
Alex
November 24, 2020 at 1:14 pmyep!! you got it! 🙂
Brianna
November 14, 2020 at 3:59 pmLove this soup so much! Can it be made ahead of time and frozen though? Trying to do some meal prep.
Alex
November 30, 2020 at 4:23 pmSince it has milk/coconut milk in it, it’s not ideal for freezing; however, I find it still tastes pretty dang good.
Mollie
November 9, 2020 at 2:04 pmThis is a repeat recipe for me…so good!!!
Alex
November 9, 2020 at 2:19 pmIt is for us, too!! glad you love it!!
Valerie
October 27, 2020 at 5:50 pmCan you sub a different non dairy creamer? Coconut or almond without altering taste
Alex
October 27, 2020 at 7:08 pmBoth of those would alter the taste a bit. I love the nutpods because it’s the most neutral in flavor. You can certainly use either of those and they still work, but the coconut will add a coconut flavor and the almond just doesn’t have much texture to it.
Rachel
February 4, 2023 at 11:26 pmThe BEST soup!!! Such great flavor, I will always use this recipe going forward! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Lynda A
March 24, 2021 at 4:30 amThird time making this! Soooo good!