This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Bringing back another childhood staple, try my Whole30 Zuppa Toscana, a 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. In fact, when I ran cross country back in the day, Olive Garden was our restaurant 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 can be full meal.
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 it was during my teen years. The flavor from the ground sausage really does all the talking along with the rich and creamy texture of the soup, which is thickened with arrowroot flour and dairy-free creamer!
ingredients:
- Bacon
- Hot Italian Sausage
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Arrowroot Flour
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- Italian Seasoning
- Lacinato Kale
- Russet Potatoes
- Dairy-Free Creamer
- Nutritional Yeast
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
step-by-step:
step one: cook the bacon
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is just crispy, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Reserve the bacon fat in the the pot.
step two: cook the sausage
Add the sausage, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat with back of spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.
step three: build the soup
Add the arrowroot flour and stir until well incorporated. Stirring constantly, slowly pour in chicken broth, then bring the soup to a boil.
step four: add the kale and potatoes
Reduce heat to simmer. Add the Italian seasoning, chopped kale, and potatoes. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
step five: finish the soup
When the potatoes are tender, uncover and stir in the creamer, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Cook for 5 minutes, simmering uncovered, just to let the flavors meld.
step six: garnish and serve
Garnish with the cooked bacon bits, serve, and enjoy!
recipe faqs:
Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to airtight containers or freezer bags, leaving some space for expansion. Label and date the containers before placing them in the freezer.
To thaw, move the container to the refrigerator and let it defrost overnight; for for a quicker option, use the microwave’s defrost setting. Further reheat the soup or stew in a pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it reaches a simmer, or microwave it in intervals, stirring in between, until heated through.
You can add 1 to 2 cups more broth to rehydrate the soup, as needed, and get it to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Yes! If you haven’t eliminated dairy from your diet, you could make this with half-and-half or heavy cream.
The hot Italian sausage gives the soup a little bit of a kick, but it’s not too spicy. You could always use mild Italian sausage instead if you’re worried about the heat.
I think this Whole30 Zuppa Toscana is going to be a total crowd-pleaser and I hope y’all enjoy it as much as me and my family do!
looking for more soups recipes? try these!
Chickpea and Farro Soup with Escarole
Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 2 strips bacon, diced medium
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (from about 1 small onion)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chopped lacinato kale, stemmed (from about 1 bunch)
- 2 cups peeled and cubed russet potatoes
- 1 cup dairy-free creamer
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is just crispy, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Reserve the bacon fat in the the pot.
- Add the sausage, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat with back of spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the arrowroot flour and stir until well incorporated. Stirring constantly, slowly pour in chicken broth, then bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer. Add the Italian seasoning, chopped kale, and potatoes. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- When the potatoes are tender, uncover and stir in the creamer, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Cook for 5 minutes, simmering uncovered, just to let the flavors meld.
- Garnish with the cooked bacon bits, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a great recipe– will definitely be making it again! I trust your recipes and it’s great to know they are gluten and dairy free, with no compromising on flavor. I doubled the recipe using hot Italian sausage from Kroger. Next time I would do half mild sausage and half hot sausage to cut back on the spice. I also give myself a gold star for buying kale on purpose!
I love this recipe and make it all the time. It is delicious and easy to make. It’s my go-to comfort food. Is the nutrition information for the entire pot or per serving?
Hi Erica- I just adjusted, because it really has 6-8 servings… and it is per serving!
We have a nut allergy in our house. What is a good non-dairy, non-treenut/peanut sub for the creamer? Thanks!
I love using this coconut milk! https://amzn.to/3Wj70eh
Made it for the first time this season and it’s even better than I remember! I love this soup and it is always on repeat through the colder months!
Hi,
Would unsweetened almond milk work instead of the Nut pods creamer? If so, should I make any changes if I can sub it?
This recipe is such a staple in our house. One time I replaced the potato with roasted cauliflower and my kids request it that way every time now.
Great swap! Thanks for commenting!
Hi
If I am not interested in making this gluten or dairy free, can I replace the arrowroot and dairy-free creamer with standard cream? Also, what is the role of the yeast, and what can I replace it with? I don’t want to buy a 17$ bag of yeast for this one recipe.
Thank you.
Hi! If you do not want this to be gluten or dairy-free, you can use cornstarch or all purpose flour in place of the arrowroot then heavy whipping cream in place of the dairy-free creamer. Nutritional yeast helps to give a cheesy flavor to the soup when making this dairy-free. If using dairy, you can substitute with parmesan instead.
Hi Alex! I am about to start Whole 30, and have been looking through your recipes! I do not eat pork, would this soup taste ok with ground turkey instead of sausage? Thank you!
Hi Sophie- It will still be good with ground turkey; however, the italian sausage seasonings really add to the flavor of this dish! i would grab the italian sausage links that are made with chicken or turkey and slice open the links to remove the meat inside and brown that up! It will just make the dish perfect!
Sofie, if it helps, I love this with ground chicken! I found a recipe online to make your own Italian sausage, and just added those spices to the chicken. Fennel seeds are key and make this taste great with the swap!
Absolutely obsessed with this soup!! So flavorful and satisfying. I use extra lemon in mine 🙂 I always make a double batch and freeze half.
All sick in my house and decided we needed a change from chicken soup.. this has been a favorite a favorite of mine since you published it and it hit the spot!!