This recipe for healthy & rustic Zuppa Toscana soup is gluten-free, whole 30, and tastes like Olive Garden! Made with healthy ingredients like kale, creamy coconut milk, and homemade Italian sausage.
Back in my corporate days, my co-workers and I would go to Olive Garden for their unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks at lunch.
While I was a huge fan of their Italian dressing and breadsticks, the highlight for me was the Zuppa Toscana.
It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten there, but with this copycat Zuppa Toscana recipe – that also happens to be Whole30 – I’m getting one of my favorite soups anytime I want!
What is Zuppa Toscana?
If you’ve never had Zuppa Toscana before, it’s essentially a sausage and potato soup. My homemade version is:
- Indulgent, yet healthy
- Satisfying and filling (without weighing you down)
- Delicious creamy, but not oily
- One-pot
- Delicious as leftovers
- Quick and easy to make!
- Freezer-friendly
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Whole30
Plus, my recipe has the perfect amount of heat. You can make it spicier if you want, or tone it down if you have sensitive palates in the house.
Zuppa Toscana Recipe Ingredients
For a soup recipe, I think the ingredient list for my Zuppa Toscana soup is pretty short.
- Italian sausage
- Potatoes. Yellow potatoes preferred.
- Fresh Onion + garlic
- Chicken Stock (here’s how to make it homemade)
- Coconut milk
- Kale (has great health benefits!)
- Sale & Pepper
If you have bacon, that’s a great addition. However, I’ve made this Zuppa Toscana recipe without actual bacon and used bacon grease for cooking and I think it’s just as good!
Does Zuppa Toscana have gluten?
No! This Zuppa Toscana is naturally gluten-free.
Does Zuppa Toscana have dairy?
No! Many versions of Zuppa Toscana contain dairy, but my recipe calls for coconut milk for the rich, creaminess you love in this soup.
How to Make Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
This soup comes together so fast, no wonder it’s one of my favorites!
- Cook the Italian sausage, add the stock, onions, potatoes, and garlic and bring to a simmer.
- When the potatoes are done, add the kale and coconut milk.
- Cook until the kale is soft and bright green and serve warm!
How long does Zuppa Toscana last in the fridge?
Zuppa Toscana will last about 2-3 days in the fridge as leftovers. If you don’t finish the soup in time (which I doubt will happen), you can store Zuppa Toscana in the freezer for 3-6 months.
What to serve with Zuppa Toscana soup?
Some of my other favorite easy soup recipes
- Minestrone Soup
- White Bean Kale & Sausage Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Pork and Potato Soup
- Northern Beans and Ham Soup
- Homemade Tortilla Soup
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This healthy & rustic Zuppa Toscana soup recipe is whole 30 friendly, gluten-free, and tastes like Olive Garden! Made with healthy ingredients like kale, creamy coconut milk, and homemade Italian sausage.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup & Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian Sausage (store-bought, or recipe below)
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ lbs yellow potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Sausage recipe
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed (optional)
- pinch dried oregano
- pinch dried thyme
Instructions
- Prepare sausage by combining the ground pork, spices, and vinegar in a dutch oven until the pork is cooked through, approximately 15 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, and chicken stock to the cooked sausage and bring it to a boil.
- Add the potatoes and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10-20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the coconut milk and kale and stir well. Cook until the kale is soft and bright green.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm!
Loved!!!!!! This recipe was soooo delicious! I put in frozen kale as well as frozen spinach because thats what I had but it was fantastic!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Diana!
We’re so glad you loved it, and we appreciate you sharing with us. 🙂
I tried this recently and promptly forgot a review until the recipe showed up in the instant pot email.
There are those of us (me) who eschews all high carb foods – looking at you, potatoes. And there are those (hubby) who despises coconut. So much so that some coconut containing body butter found its way into the trash where I rescued it. Anyway.
I used a giant head of cauliflower instead of the taters and heavy cream and my fav butcher box Italian sausage. I was plum out of kale (hate the stuff LOL) so I used chopped frozen chard.
Fabulous. The seasonings completely cover the cauliflower taste.
Off topic – last time we tried to go to the local Olive Garden there was a huge line. And in that line were what appeared to be a rounded up gang of street people who reeked of cigarettes and booze, and were very dirty. Whatever this meant it was not a group whose strong aroma was about to spoil my dinner. Plus they had the nerve to ask for money – only a couple of them. Turns out there was a very generous person who felt like being a benefactor for a single meal of all you can eat soup and breadsticks. My husband rather irreverently commented they could have used a complementary car wash. This was pre lock down and restricted eating which we are still enduring. So we won’t be going there in the future either!
Bring on the Zappa!
Zuppa Toscana is a household favorite for us. If you are doing Keto or watching carbs, you can swap the potatoes for frozen or fresh cauliflower and it’s just as good! We made this last week and not a single drop was left. My husband even said it was better than Olive Garden’s! And we don’t eat pork for health reasons, so I just use Italian turkey sausage instead.
Wow! Thank you for the raving review, Myra!