When you dig into a helping of this homemade low carb Keto Zuppa Toscana recipe, you will feel like you have a piece of Italy right in your dining room. Sausage, onions, garlic, juicy tomatoes, spinach, all go together in a creamy base that’s irresistible. The aroma of freshly made soup is sure to make you excited to eat! This easy soup is also Grain-free, Gluten-free, & THM S.
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Whether you have ever been to Italy or you just love the flavors of Italian food at your local restaurant, you’ll be pleased with this recipe. It tastes like it has been cooking for hours and hours, but in reality, it took no time at all. Using your pressure cooker means that it’s mostly hands-off, and you can spend time working on other projects or making a side dish.
I seriously love using my Instant Pot for quick dinner recipes. It can take a little bit to come to pressure, but other than that, it’s super-fast, and I don’t have to do a ton. But the best part is when everyone happily eats dinner without complaint, with my Olive Garden zuppa toscana copycat recipe!
The kids have no idea that this delectable low carb zuppa toscana soup recipe is actually healthy for them and provides them with much-needed nutrients. I would say this is a mom win for sure!
What Is Zuppa Toscana? Is Zuppa Toscana Keto?
If you’ve never heard of Zuppa Toscana soup and you love Italian food, you are in for a real treat. Zuppa Toscana is a traditional Italian soup that is often filled with russet potatoes, veggies, seasonings, and mild Italian sausage. Many times it will be served with bread or even in a bread bowl.
My keto zuppa toscana is much healthier and is low carb, unlike the Olive Garden soup, since there are no potatoes or starchy vegetables. The small amount of carrots is negligible and optional! It does have all the traditional flavors minus the guilt.
Notes on Ingredients
- Ground Italian Sausage - make sure to choose an Italian sausage for this, you can use sweet, hot, or a combination. You want to check your sausage for added sugar. Make sure to choose one without any sugar in the ingredients list.
- Diced tomatoes in juice - do not drain the juice, it enhances the flavor of the soup.
- Chicken stock - I use carton chicken broth or make my own with my homemade chicken bouillon.
- Kale or spinach - kale is the more traditional choice but my family prefers spinach, either work!
- Heavy cream - if you would like this soup to be dairy-free just omit the heavy whipping cream.
How To Make Keto Zuppa Toscana
Once you get the taste of this Italian soup, you’ll want to start having this on a regular basis in your repertoire of low carb recipes. Take a look at these step-by-step instructions.
First Step: Begin by turning the Instant Pot to saute and add olive oil to it. Toss in the sausage, onions, and garlic and saute until they are cooked. Put the carrots and celery in the instant pot and cook for 5 additional minutes.
Second Step: Pour in the chicken stock, seasonings, and diced tomatoes. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes then natural release for 5 minutes. Finish with a quick pressure release and stir in the spinach (or kale) and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Can I make this in a crock pot or slow cooker?
Yes, you will need to saute the sausage and vegetables first but then add those with the rest of the ingredients (except the cream) to your slow cooker and cook for 2-3 hours on low. Add the heavy cream right before serving.
You can also make keto zuppa toscana in a stockpot or dutch oven on your stovetop. Just brown the meat, add the rest of the ingredients, and simmer until tender. Then, add the cream.
Is Keto Zuppa Toscana Healthy?
Yes, this is very healthy, just like all my other keto soup recipes! It’s filled with nutrient-rich foods, and you will get lots of vitamins and minerals. Here is a breakdown of some of the nutrients you get.
- Onions - They are jam-packed with vitamin C and full of calcium, protein, and iron too.
- Garlic - This super flavorful ingredient has vitamin B6, manganese, vitamin C, calcium, iron, copper, and potassium.
- Carrots - B6, beta carotene, vitamin A, potassium, and biotin. If you are on a strict keto diet you can omit the carrots but they add a very negligible amount of carbs. This only has 5 net carbs for a big bowlful which includes the carrots.
- Celery - You’ll be happy to know that adding celery doesn’t just give you an added crunch or flavor; it’s also full of fiber, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and more.
- Kale - If you choose to put kale in your Zuppa Toscana, then you will get a bunch of nutrients ranging from Vitamin A, copper, calcium, and potassium. It’s a superfood that is so good for you.
- Spinach - Using spinach instead of kale is also a fantastic option. Spinach has folate, vitamin A, iron, potassium, calcium, and even protein.
Make sure to try this keto roasted tomato soup next!
Additions and Ideas
Heat Level: Want to add a little spice into your keto zuppa toscana? Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes.
Toppings: Feel free to sprinkle on some shredded Parmesan cheese, bacon bits, or bacon crumbles when serving.
Cauliflower: Want a sub for the missing potatoes? Add in some keto friendly cauliflower florets.
What to Serve with Low Carb Zuppa Toscana Soup
The cute little rolls you see in my photos are made from this mix. Some other good choices to serve with this delicious keto soup are my Almond Flour Keto Biscuits, Cheese Crackers, or a salad on the side such as this Keto Caesar Salad with Bacon.
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Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound sausage
- 1 cup onions chopped
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- ¼ cup carrots chopped
- ⅓ cup celery chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes in juice
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 16 oz frozen kale or spinach
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Turn the instant pot on saute. Drizzle the olive oil into it. Add the sausage, onions, and garlic. Cook until the sausage is fully cooked. Add the carrots and celery and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, stock, and seasonings. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. After that, you can do a quick pressure release. Stir in the spinach or kale and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sarah says
Would it work instead of sausage to use ground pork and add the seasoning that I would use making sausage except salt. My husband has congestive heart failure and the sodium in sausage is through the roof. This is one of his favorite soups and I told him no he can not go to OG since I won't make it for him.
Taryn says
Sure!
Tina says
I made this on the stovetop, adding some chopped zucchini and basil. Since fresh parmesan gets too gooey and sticky, I sprinkled some dried parmesan over the top. It was really delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Robthom says
Saw this recipe at 11:00 am, went to the store for ingredients, was eating it by 1:00!!! Such a delicious soup - I will be making this often!!! Thank you!!
Lacey says
Delicious, some people might find a little salty, but we love it here so it was perfect. I used fresh spinach instead of frozen and it was just fine. I also added a little shredded parm, but I probably wouldn’t do that next time. It wasn’t bad, but kept sticking to my spoon. You have consistently the best low carb/keto recipes I have yet to find. If I am looking for a recipe for something, I always come here first because I know it will be good.