This Whole30 Zuppa Toscana is a healthier copycat version of everyone’s favorite Olive Garden soup. Dairy-free, Paleo, and made with only real-food ingredients, this hearty soup is full of flavor and so simple to make. It’s perfect for a quick dinner and reheats well for an even easier lunch. This creamy and cozy Whole30 Zuppa Toscana Soup is sure to be your new favorite!
Zuppa Toscana: A Healthier Paleo Copycat of Your Favorite
Who didn’t love Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup growing up? True story – I used to love Olive Garden as a kid. Their soup, salad, and breadsticks combo was my absolute favorite along with their chicken alfredo. Oh my gosh, I just could not get enough.
This soup is a healthier Paleo copycat of my old favorite. It’s packed with flavor from Italian sausage, crisp bacon, and plenty of fresh garlic. Even though it’s dairy-free, this soup is still creamy thanks to full-fat coconut milk and a special secret ingredient that I love to use as a thickener when making Whole30 versions of classic comfort food.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
I’m also sharing my best tips to make a lower carb version of this soup while still keeping it hearty and so delicious. Keep reading to learn how to make this yummy Whole30 version of Zuppa Toscana Soup!
What to Look For When Buying Whole30 Italian Sausage
If you are doing a round of Whole30 and need to ensure that this soup is strictly Whole30 compliant, it is important to read your labels.
Carefully read the labels on the Italian sausage, bacon, and chicken broth before you purchase them. Sugar is usually a common ingredient in bacon and Italian sausage so you want to make sure to double check before grabbing these items.
Zuppa Toscana Without the Cream: How to Make This Dairy Free Soup Creamy
You might be surprised to know that this dairy free soup is still creamy without the use of heavy cream. While heavy cream is traditionally used in classic zuppa toscana, this version uses one of my favorite ingredients, full-fat coconut milk keep the soup Whole30, Paleo, and dairy-free.
If you have never used full-fat coconut milk before, it works as a great dairy-free substitute for heavy cream. You can typically find full-fat coconut milk in the Asian aisle of your local grocery store. It will be unrefrigerated and sold in a can.
You can buy both full-fat and light versions of canned coconut milk. For this recipe, be sure to grab the full-fat version. The full-fat variety is thicker, creamier and works perfectly in this soup.
My Secret to Thickening This Soup – Arrowroot Starch
The other secret to creating a creamy dairy-free zuppa toscana is one of my favorite ingredients to work with when creating Paleo and Whole30 recipes – arrowroot starch.
Arrowroot starch is a Paleo and Whole30 compliant starch that can be used as a substitute for cornstarch or flour when you need to thicken soups and stews. This recipe calls for a few tablespoons of arrowroot starch to thicken the soup just a bit and make it nice and creamy.
If you prefer your zuppa toscana to be less thick and have thinner broth, you could use less arrowroot starch or leave it out altogether.
Need a lower carb option? Make this Zuppa Toscana with Cauliflower!
I love the hearty potatoes in this soup, but if you need a lower carb option you can also make this healthy zuppa toscana soup with cauliflower florets instead of diced potatoes.
Here are a couple of things to note when making this Zuppa Toscana with Cauliflower:
Depending on the size of the cauliflower florets they will likely need a bit less time to cook and become tender. Check the soup after 15-20 minutes of simmering to see if the cauliflower florets cooked through.
Cauliflower releases water as it cooks, which may make the soup a bit thinner. If you want the soup to be a bit thicker, you can make a slurry with a tablespoon of hot water and arrowroot starch and stir that into the soup to thicken.
I hope you absolutely love this Whole30 Zuppa Toscana Soup. If you make it, can you do me a favor? Snap a picture and tag me on social media so that I can see and share! I love seeing what y’all are creating in your kitchens!
Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced bacon to a large stock pot and cook until crispy. Stirring occasionally.
When the bacon is crispy, remove it from the pot. Drain the bacon on paper towels and then set aside.
Remove all but two tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pot. Next add the Italian sausage to the pot. Brown the sausage and break it up as it cooks.
When the sausage is brown, add the diced onion, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Let everything cook for a few minutes until the onions start to become tender, roughly five minutes.
Next sprinkle the arrowroot starch over the meat mixture and stir until well combined. Then, add the diced potatoes and chicken broth and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for around 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
When the potatoes are tender, add the coconut milk and kale to the pot. Simmer until the kale is wilted. Lastly, stir in the crisped bacon and then serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
!!
My favorite Whole30 Italian Sausage is Pederson Farms. Just be sure to check the labels before purchasing.
I used a full teaspoon of red pepper flakes in this recipe and it definitely had a kick to it! If you don’t care for spice, you can feel free to lower the amount of red pepper flakes or leave them out altogether.
Three tablespoons of arrowroot starch gave this soup the perfect amount of thickness in my opinion, but if you want a thicker soup, you can add a tablespoon more of arrowroot starch.
Be sure to use full-fat canned coconut milk for best results.
This soup is so flavorful and delicious! I’ve been making soup for the past couple of months and my boyfriend this is the best soup I have made so far. Definitely recommend! For some reason it was difficult for me to find compliant sausage in my stores
but there are easy recipes out there if you end up needing to make your own as well!
THE BEST soup I’ve ever had of any type and better than any restaurant! A little time intensive, as I had to make my own sausage, but so worth it in the end.
I’ve been making a similar soup for years but this recipe is exactly what I needed to make it healthier yet still thick. Thank you for making it possible to help produce the taste with the healthy we need.
This soup was great. I ended up adding in more broth, more kale, and more coconut milk and it was still delicious. Perfect for the super cold weather we have right now!
LOVE this soup recipe!! I don’t usually leave reviews even when things are good. This is beyond!! Even my boyfriend loved this one. Def on our winter lineup of soups.
This is a staple in our home and we fight for the leftovers! By far the best zuppa toscana recipe I’ve seen out there and is so quick, easy and tasty. I cannot recommend this recipe enough. I make it year round no matter the weather it’s so so good. Trust me, TRY THIS!
Zuppa is my favorite soup. I haven’t had it since I went dairy free last October. I was so happy to find a copy cat version that I could have. My sister made it for us before we took the kids Trick or Treating. It was as good as I remember!!! Only wish I had been the one to make it so that I could have more than one night of it 🙂 Plan to make it for the family. Will cut down on the salt per my own personal preference.
This soup is so delicious! My husband keeps going on and on about how good it is! I used 2 T tapioca flour instead of arrowroot and it turned out perfectly!
This gets a 10/10! A perfect easy weekday meal that is so good even my 4 & 6 year olds asked for more. Substituted diced prosciutto instead of bacon because that is what I had at home. Will keep this in heavy rotation
I’ve been making this soup for a solid year from the screenshot of an IG post on Whole30 Recipes. It’s legitimately my favorite soup, and my husband’s too. It’s actually the only way he’ll eat kale, and strangely, he always requests extra. I figured it was time to track down the original recipe and leave a review, something I never do, because I love it that much. Thank you for bringing this into my life.
This recipe’s become a go-to for me when I’m craving soup! I love the combo of coconut milk and starch to do a little thickening without getting a coconut flavor. Plus, it’s filling and pretty easy to throw together. Highly recommend! 🙂
This is by far the BEST zuppa toscana I’ve ever had! It’s become a staple in our home and I’m asked to make it several times a month! You don’t even miss the cream or cheese. Trust me, you have to make this!
I made this tonight, and it didn’t disappoint! It is SO delicious, and it’s the perfect comfort food soup for a rainy night in Atlanta. I already can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!
This was very filling, flavorful and rich in flavor. I added an extra cup of broth to make a larger quantity. This would be perfect soup for a cold winter dinner! Thank you for another great recipe!
Great recipe! It’s so nice being able to come to a website that regularly posts gluten free/dairy free recipes. Accidentally bought low fat coconut milk from the store, but the recipe still turned out well. Had it with some gluten free biscuits and will definitely be making this again!
This soup was delicious! So flavorful. And easy, once I got everything prepped. I couldn’t find Whole30 compliant Italian sausage, so I used ground pork and added spices. It was still dang good. This is the first time I’ve been excited to have leftover soup for lunch.
This soup is so rich, so hearty, so delicious! Perfect for these winter months, and no worry about lactose intolerance with this one. Telling all my friends!
Delicious!! I skipped the bacon and subbed spinach for kale and it still came out great!! I loved how creamy and thick it was – perfect for the cold winter week ahead. Thank you!!!!
This soup was delicious and so easy to make! I added cilantro to the recipe because it’s my fav and it exceeded my expectations. I will be trying more of the “things” soon!
This soup is delicious! Flavour is perfectly balanced, the kale is scrumptious, and the broth is the perfect thickness. This has been added to our monthly rotation!
This soup was delicious. It was so hearty and so filling. I was nervous about using coconut milk. I’m not a huge fan of its taste and was worried about the sweetness in this soup. I used it anyway and I’m so glad I did! My husband had no clue the soup was dairy free!!
This is so so good. My husband LOVED it. So flavorful, hearty, and comforting. My only call-out would be that it was on the saltier side – next time I would start w/ 1 tsp of salt and then season a bit more to taste if needed. I also diced my potatoes a bit small (~1/2- 3/4″) so they were already tender around the 20-minute mark. Will definitely be making this one again and again!
I’ve used a different whole30 zuppa toscana recipe and this one turned out so much better!
Also, I made mine in the instant pot. After adding broth and potatoes sealed at high pressure for 10 mins. Released steam then added kale and coconut milk. Perfect!
Such a great recipe. We made it with Swiss chard instead of kale, because that’s what was on hand, and it was delicious! Perfect soup for a cozy winter night at home.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! So creamy and flavorful. To take it to the next level of “healthy”I skipped the bacon, and used lentils instead of potatoes. It was amazing. I ate two bowls no problem! I think next time I’ll use the bacon just to see the difference, I can only imagine it will be even better. Thanks for sharing!
This soup is absolutely perfect. I made it with cauliflower (instead of potatoes) and coconut milk. I only got one serving before my boyfriend gobbled the remainder!!! Definitely added into the permanent rotation.
This is my husband’s favorite meal now! He’s pretty picky and quite the cook himself, so it’s high praise that he loves this soup so much he requests it almost every week.
Hello! If I only have regular flour should I use the same amount called for as the arrowroot? (Not aiming to be Paleo or Whole30 compliant). Thank you!
My very picky 26 year old son loves this Olive Garden soup so I made it for him and dropped it off. He called me and said “I have to give credit where credit is due. I like this better than Olive Garden”.
My son will go to any length to NOT compliment me, so this is a huge props to this recipe!🤣🤣
This is one of my go-to soups during quarantine. I make it at the beginning of the week and use it for lunches all week! The whole fat coconut cream is a must! And all the red pepper!
This breathes fresh new energy into my whole30s! Oh my gosh it is the BEST dang Zuppa I’ve ever made! The consistency is perfect and the flavors are amazing! Even if you arent doing a whole30, you must make it!!
I just made this. #CookinginQuarantine and it came out fantastic. The coconut milk really made it so rich and creamy yet bellyache free! Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
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This soup is so flavorful and delicious! I’ve been making soup for the past couple of months and my boyfriend this is the best soup I have made so far. Definitely recommend! For some reason it was difficult for me to find compliant sausage in my stores
but there are easy recipes out there if you end up needing to make your own as well!
★★★★★
Ashlea, this recipe is amazing! This is full of great flavor and fairly quick and easy to make. Using the arrowroot was a game changer. Thank you!
★★★★★
THE BEST soup I’ve ever had of any type and better than any restaurant! A little time intensive, as I had to make my own sausage, but so worth it in the end.
★★★★★
I’ve been making a similar soup for years but this recipe is exactly what I needed to make it healthier yet still thick. Thank you for making it possible to help produce the taste with the healthy we need.
★★★★★
This soup was great. I ended up adding in more broth, more kale, and more coconut milk and it was still delicious. Perfect for the super cold weather we have right now!
★★★★★
LOVE this soup recipe!! I don’t usually leave reviews even when things are good. This is beyond!! Even my boyfriend loved this one. Def on our winter lineup of soups.
★★★★★
This is my go to soup recipe! It is so flavorful and feels hearty and healthy.
★★★★★
Such a delicious version of one of my favorite soups! Easy to customize and substitute. I’m so excited for the containers I froze for another day!
★★★★★
This was a delicious gluten free + dairy free soup option. I try new soups constantly and this one is a keeper! Thanks for a great recipe, Ashlea.
★★★★★
you’re so welcome, Amy!
This is a staple in our home and we fight for the leftovers! By far the best zuppa toscana recipe I’ve seen out there and is so quick, easy and tasty. I cannot recommend this recipe enough. I make it year round no matter the weather it’s so so good. Trust me, TRY THIS!
★★★★★
Zuppa is my favorite soup. I haven’t had it since I went dairy free last October. I was so happy to find a copy cat version that I could have. My sister made it for us before we took the kids Trick or Treating. It was as good as I remember!!! Only wish I had been the one to make it so that I could have more than one night of it 🙂 Plan to make it for the family. Will cut down on the salt per my own personal preference.
★★★★★
Can this be frozen?
Hi, Lisa! you could freeze it but the texture of the potatoes would change a bit after being reheated.
SO GOOD!!!
★★★★★
This has become one of my go tos every winter. The minute the temperature drops below 70 this is in my first batch of soup season soups.
★★★★★
This soup is so delicious! My husband keeps going on and on about how good it is! I used 2 T tapioca flour instead of arrowroot and it turned out perfectly!
★★★★★
This gets a 10/10! A perfect easy weekday meal that is so good even my 4 & 6 year olds asked for more. Substituted diced prosciutto instead of bacon because that is what I had at home. Will keep this in heavy rotation
★★★★★
This is my favorite soup recipe of all time! I love how savory it is. It’s so good that I can’t not believe it’s dairy free and that I made it.
★★★★★
I’ve been making this soup for a solid year from the screenshot of an IG post on Whole30 Recipes. It’s legitimately my favorite soup, and my husband’s too. It’s actually the only way he’ll eat kale, and strangely, he always requests extra. I figured it was time to track down the original recipe and leave a review, something I never do, because I love it that much. Thank you for bringing this into my life.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you and your husband love the recipe, Ashley!
I made this 5 times already . It’s so good and simple to make !
★★★★★
Love this soup! So happy to have a dairy free version to enjoy.
★★★★★
This recipe’s become a go-to for me when I’m craving soup! I love the combo of coconut milk and starch to do a little thickening without getting a coconut flavor. Plus, it’s filling and pretty easy to throw together. Highly recommend! 🙂
★★★★★
This is by far the BEST zuppa toscana I’ve ever had! It’s become a staple in our home and I’m asked to make it several times a month! You don’t even miss the cream or cheese. Trust me, you have to make this!
★★★★★
I made this tonight, and it didn’t disappoint! It is SO delicious, and it’s the perfect comfort food soup for a rainy night in Atlanta. I already can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!
★★★★★
This was very filling, flavorful and rich in flavor. I added an extra cup of broth to make a larger quantity. This would be perfect soup for a cold winter dinner! Thank you for another great recipe!
★★★★★
This soup was absolutely amazing!!! Really easy to make and I can’t wait to make it again!
★★★★★
Happy to hear that, Ashley! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Can’t wait to make this…..My FAVORITE soup!
★★★★★
I hope you love it, Polly!
Great recipe! It’s so nice being able to come to a website that regularly posts gluten free/dairy free recipes. Accidentally bought low fat coconut milk from the store, but the recipe still turned out well. Had it with some gluten free biscuits and will definitely be making this again!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kristen!
This was so good! I was surprised at how creamy and flavorful it was with clean ingredients. Even the kids liked it! Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jordan!
This soup was delicious! So flavorful. And easy, once I got everything prepped. I couldn’t find Whole30 compliant Italian sausage, so I used ground pork and added spices. It was still dang good. This is the first time I’ve been excited to have leftover soup for lunch.
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing, Camille! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This soup is so rich, so hearty, so delicious! Perfect for these winter months, and no worry about lactose intolerance with this one. Telling all my friends!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you loved it, Alexandra! Thank you for sharing!
Delicious!! I skipped the bacon and subbed spinach for kale and it still came out great!! I loved how creamy and thick it was – perfect for the cold winter week ahead. Thank you!!!!
★★★★★
That sounds delicious, Bianca! Thank you for sharing!
How would sweet potatoes work?
Hi! I haven’t tried using sweet potatoes but I think it would work well!
This soup was delicious and so easy to make! I added cilantro to the recipe because it’s my fav and it exceeded my expectations. I will be trying more of the “things” soon!
★★★★★
Yay! happy to hear that, Alexis. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This was DELICIOUS and made great lunch leftovers too! I have loved every recipe I’ve made of yours– thank you!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you loved it, Kate! Thanks for sharing!
Easy, delicious, truly a must try!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you loved it, Briana!
This soup was wonderful! The whole family loved it and the recipe is perfect as written.
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Nancy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely loved it! My wife loved it, and she’s not a soup person lol, but she said I could make it whenever because it was that good!
★★★★★
That’s wonderful! I’m so happy y’all enjoyed it!
This soup is delicious! Flavour is perfectly balanced, the kale is scrumptious, and the broth is the perfect thickness. This has been added to our monthly rotation!
★★★★★
Yay! I’m so happy to know you loved the recipe, Verena! Thank you for sharing!
This soup was delicious. It was so hearty and so filling. I was nervous about using coconut milk. I’m not a huge fan of its taste and was worried about the sweetness in this soup. I used it anyway and I’m so glad I did! My husband had no clue the soup was dairy free!!
★★★★★
I’m happy you and your husband loved it! Thank you for sharing!
So good! My whole family loved it!
★★★★★
Love that, Ashley! Thank you for leaving a review!
This is so so good. My husband LOVED it. So flavorful, hearty, and comforting. My only call-out would be that it was on the saltier side – next time I would start w/ 1 tsp of salt and then season a bit more to taste if needed. I also diced my potatoes a bit small (~1/2- 3/4″) so they were already tender around the 20-minute mark. Will definitely be making this one again and again!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you loved the recipe, Sara! Thank you for sharing!
This was so good! The liquid is so flavorful. I loved mixing cauliflower and potatoes, and adding lemon to the bowl!
★★★★★
Thank you for sharing, Ella! Glad you loved it!
I’ve used a different whole30 zuppa toscana recipe and this one turned out so much better!
Also, I made mine in the instant pot. After adding broth and potatoes sealed at high pressure for 10 mins. Released steam then added kale and coconut milk. Perfect!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for sharing, Amy! I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
So easy, filling and delicious!! It has been a great addition to the lunch rotation.
★★★★★
Happy you loved it, Alyson! Thank you for sharing!
Oh, my goodness! This hearty soup was out of this world delicious! Look forward to making again this winter.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Courtney!
This is a staple – I make it all the time! I usually either ditch the bacon and it’s still amazing.
★★★★★
I’m so happy you love the recipe, Kristin!
This recipe is delicious and reheats really well! My husband said it is his new favorite. This is definitely a weekly staple!
★★★★★
So glad you and your husband enjoyed it, Alexa! Thank you for leaving a review!
So good! I made it with spinach instead of kale because it’s what we had and will be making again 😍😍
★★★★★
So glad you loved it, Quinn!
Made this to eat for lunch all week. It’s the perfect recipe for chilly weather. It’s delicious, flavorful, filling and I don’t miss the dairy.
★★★★★
So happy you loved it, Jordan! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
This soup is so good!! My husband doesn’t like kale so I subbed spinach. This soup is a new regular!
★★★★★
Great idea to substitute spinach! Glad y’all enjoyed it!
Such a great recipe. We made it with Swiss chard instead of kale, because that’s what was on hand, and it was delicious! Perfect soup for a cozy winter night at home.
★★★★★
Great idea, Katy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Better than Olive Garden! Love that it’s a little thicker than others I have tried!
★★★★★
So happy you loved it, Paige!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! So creamy and flavorful. To take it to the next level of “healthy”I skipped the bacon, and used lentils instead of potatoes. It was amazing. I ate two bowls no problem! I think next time I’ll use the bacon just to see the difference, I can only imagine it will be even better. Thanks for sharing!
Love those tweaks, Mckyla! So glad you loved it. Thank you for taking the time to share and leave a review!
This soup is absolutely perfect. I made it with cauliflower (instead of potatoes) and coconut milk. I only got one serving before my boyfriend gobbled the remainder!!! Definitely added into the permanent rotation.
★★★★★
So glad you loved it!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
this looks so good, do you have any recommendations for using a different kind of meat that also goes well? Thank You!
★★★★★
Hi, Lena! You could use Italian chicken sausage if you prefer!
Super yummy! Loved it
★★★★★
Thanks, Morgan!
So good! I did turkey sausage because that’s what the store had and it turned out amazing. A real crowd pleaser with my friends.
★★★★★
Seriously delicious! I wanted more liquid so added a few cups of water then upped the spices. Will definitely be adding this to the rotation!
★★★★★
Delicious. Reheats well the next day!
★★★★★
This is my husband’s favorite meal now! He’s pretty picky and quite the cook himself, so it’s high praise that he loves this soup so much he requests it almost every week.
★★★★★
Love this. A little spice. Lots of flavor. Filling, healthy and perfect for chilly weather.
★★★★★
Hello! If I only have regular flour should I use the same amount called for as the arrowroot? (Not aiming to be Paleo or Whole30 compliant). Thank you!
Hi, Liza! I would just use cornstarch to thicken instead of arrowroot. Hope you love the recipe!
My very picky 26 year old son loves this Olive Garden soup so I made it for him and dropped it off. He called me and said “I have to give credit where credit is due. I like this better than Olive Garden”.
My son will go to any length to NOT compliment me, so this is a huge props to this recipe!🤣🤣
★★★★★
Love hearing that! So happy everyone loved the recipe!
This is one of my go-to soups during quarantine. I make it at the beginning of the week and use it for lunches all week! The whole fat coconut cream is a must! And all the red pepper!
This recipe is my daughter’s favorite. I’ve made it several times and it’s always delicious!
This breathes fresh new energy into my whole30s! Oh my gosh it is the BEST dang Zuppa I’ve ever made! The consistency is perfect and the flavors are amazing! Even if you arent doing a whole30, you must make it!!
I just made this. #CookinginQuarantine and it came out fantastic. The coconut milk really made it so rich and creamy yet bellyache free! Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
Thank you so much for your kind review, Geri! I’m so happy you loved the recipe and that it left you feeling good, too! Sending you lots of love!
Love your recipes ! Are there printer friendly links that I’m
Missing on the site?