With a rich, savory broth and plenty of chunky goodness, this Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup is a ketoized copycat version of the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup. This keto soup recipe is a hot hug bowl-style! Read on and I, Chef Jenn, will tell you all my secrets for making this soup fabulous from start to finish!
I could eat this soup every day for days. It’s so rich, chunky, and loaded with flavor, and it makes an equally tasty lunch or dinner. Ready to make it? Let’s get started!
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What You Need to Make Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup
- A big soup pot that you can also sautee in
- Bacon
- Hot Italian sausage
- Garlic – fresh is best!
- Onion
- Kale
- Turnip
- Chicken bone broth or low-sodium chicken broth
- Water
- Heavy whipping cream
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
How to prepare kale
If you can find baby kale, then these extra steps aren’t necessary. But, baby kale is often more expensive. You can get a bundle of kale from your store’s produce section for just a couple of dollars, but it needs a bit of work before you add it to your soup.
- Make sure you thoroughly wash the kale. Those curly leaves can hide dirt and even bugs. A good wash under running water should do the trick.
- Lay each kale leaf out on a cutting board and fold it in half, longwise, at the stem.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the woody stem away from the kale leaf and discard it.
- Roughly chop the kale and it’s ready to go!
How Do Make This Keto Zuppa Toscana Recipe
- In a large pot, fry chopped bacon. Set it aside but leave behind the bacon fat.
- Sautee the onion and Italian sausage in the bacon fat. Add the garlic to cook during the last minute or so.
- Add the chicken broth and water to the pot with the sausage and onion. Then add the chopped kale. Simmer for about 20 minutes with a lid on the pot.
- Add the diced or sliced turnip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until the turnip is tender. Add the bacon back to the pot or save it for a garnish.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and bring the soup back to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips to Make This Keto Sausage Soup Recipe
- Unless you’re using baby kale, it’ll need time to simmer to get tender. Don’t rush it or it’ll be tough and fibrous.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for even more heat.
- If you like the bacon crispy, save it as a garnish.
- Parmesan cheese adds a lovely touch when sprinkled on top before serving.
- Check the sausage! Make sure you’re using sausage with no starchy fillers.
What To Serve With This Keto Zuppa Toscana Recipe
This is a hearty and low carb soup so you don’t really need much else. I do like to nibble on a crispy chaffle (instead of bread) or one of these keto scones with my soup from time to time, or just dig into a bowl of your favorite keto veggies. There’s enough protein and fat in this soup.
Is This Keto Soup Recipe Freezer Friendly?
Yes, heck yes! In fact, I’ve got some frozen right now as I type this.
It freezes beautifully. Just pop it in your favorite freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to three months.
My favorite way to freeze saucy and soupy recipes is by using Souper Cubes! These amazing freezer-safe cubes are perfect for freezing portions of all my favorite soups, stews, and other saucy meals. I freeze them then pop them out and put the rectangular frozen blocks into a zipper-top freezer bag. It makes storing them SOOOO much easier!
Where can you find these Soup Cubes? You can order them from Souper Cubes – how cool is this?
To reheat it, thaw it in the fridge overnight or in the microwave. Then heat it in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.
That’s it!
Yes, at least this ketoized version is. The original version has potatoes in it which are very high in carbs. In this version, I’ve swapped the potatoes for mild turnips so there’s still plenty of delicious chunks. Plus, this soup rings in at about 9 net carbs per serving, making it a great keto choice.
Kale is an excellent keto vegetable choice. Not only is it low in carbs but it is high in fiber. Experts agree that kale is one of the most nutritionally dense veggies on the planet, and with just 6 net carbs per 1 cup serving, it’s a terrific choice.
From start to finish, this easy keto soup recipe should take you about 45 minutes.
Like this keto soup recipe? also Try:
Step by step process
Ingredients to make keto Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe. Prepped ingredients to make keto Zuppa Toscana Soup. Brown bacon then the sausage. Add the onions and garlic. Add the kale, broth and water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add cream and heat through. Top with bacon and serve!
Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1 pound hot italian sausage casings removed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups kale stem removed and roughly chopped
- 1 turnip peeled and sliced or diced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Fry the chopped bacon until crisp. Set it aside leaving the bacon fat in the pan.
- Fry the sausage after the casings have been removed. Chop them up as you cook them. When they are no longer pink, add the onion and sautee another 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic for the last minute of cooking.
- Add the chicken broth and water to the pot. Then add the chopped kale and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Add the turnip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until tender.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and heat through. Adjust the salt and pepper and serve!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Chef Jenn’s Favorite Keto Picks
There are oodles more keto recipes to love, and while I love them all, there are some easy keto recipe that I’m currently dreaming about. They are:
- Instant pot sausage and sauerkraut – so easy and so good!
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole – a family favorite
- This breakfast hash recipe
- This meaty parmigiana dish
- A good chunky salmon chowder
- Sugar-free meringue cookies
- Keto sausage gravy
And if you need help counting carbs, check out this calculator!
What a hearty and comforting soup. Perfect for this cold weather we have been having.
Can’t wait to give this a try! This looks so tasty and delicious! So excited!
This seems like a great simple recipe! I love how you photographed it too.
Sounds like a hearty soup, but still keeps me eating low carb. Love it.
This sounds amazing! Pinning it for later to add to next weeks meal plan 😋