Most Zuppa Toscana copycat recipes out there lean heavy on potatoes and extra carbs, then hand you a “keto version” that’s either watery, bland, or loaded with weird swaps that don’t hit. Not here. I’m not about to hand you a watered-down version; this recipe is bold, flavorful, and tested until it came out just right. I have hundreds of low carb recipes on my site. If you’re looking for comfort food that actually works with your goals, this one’s it.
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This recipe is identical to my Italian Sausage and Kale Soup and Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup, but with a couple of tweaks.
Keto Zuppa Toscana Ingredients
- Italian Sausage
- Bacon
- Onions
- Garlic
- Cauliflower: Here's how I swap potatoes in the the recipe. When cooked, cauliflower has a texture that is very similar to potatoes. Check out my Keto Cauliflower Mash if you haven't!
- Broth
- Oregano
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Kale
How to Make keto Zuppa Toscana Soup
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook the Bacon: Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Cook until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside, leaving a little of the bacon grease behind for flavor.
- Brown the Sausage: Add the Italian sausage to the pot. Break it apart with a spoon or spatula and cook until browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease if necessary.
- Sauté the Onions and Garlic: Add the onions to the sausage and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the Cauliflower and Broth: Add the cauliflower, broth, and oregano to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer Until Tender: Cover the pot and simmer until the cauliflower is fork-tender. Keep an eye on it because you want tender cauliflower, not mush.
- Make It Creamy: Stir in the heavy whipping cream. Keep the heat low and allow the soup to gently simmer until warmed through. Avoid a hard boil once you add the cream.
- Add the Kale: Stir in the kale and cook for a few minutes until it has softened and wilted into the soup.
- Finish With Bacon: Stir some of the crispy bacon into the soup and save the rest for topping. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed before serving.
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Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground sausage Italian Sausage works best (I used mild)
- 3 slices bacon, sliced into smaller bits
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 head fresh cauliflower, chopped
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste I like to season it at the end so that I can taste repeatedly and adjust as necessary.
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups fresh kale, stems removed
- parmesan for topping optional
Instructions
- Add the pieces of bacon and sausage to a large pot (Dutch oven works best) on medium-high heat.
- Cook until the sausage and bacon have browned. Drain any excess fat, but reserve about a couple of tablespoons of fat in the pot for flavor. (I didn't have to drain any fat.)
- Add in the chopped onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic, chicken broth, fresh cauliflower, oregano. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and can be pierced with a fork.
- Uncover the pot and add the heavy cream, chopped kale, salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for a couple of minutes until the kale wilts.
- Cool before serving.
Video
Notes
- For me a Dutch oven yields the best results. You can use whatever soup pot you want in the recipe.
- You can use ½ cup heavy cream to reduce calories in this recipe.
- You can add ½ tablespoon of Italian Seasoning to standard ground sausage if you choose not to use Italian sausage.
- I like a lot of kale in my soup (it's loaded with fiber) you can adjust to your taste.
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Sometimes, when I freeze soup with dairy, the dairy will separate from the soup (especially the longer you freeze). If you know you are planning to freeze in advance, I recommend adding the cream and kale to the soup after you have frozen it, as opposed to adding it when you cook the original batch.
Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)
What to Serve with the Soup
A simple side salad with Italian dressing is perfect here because it cuts through some of that rich, creamy broth. You can also top the soup with crispy bacon or a drizzle of olive oil for a little something extra. If you’re keeping things low carb, serve it with roasted Brussels sprouts, sautéed spinach, or mixed vegetables. And if you’re serving the soup as a starter, follow it up with grilled chicken, steak, or baked salmon.
Frequently Asked Questions and Recipe Pro Tips
Most people use cauliflower florets, radishes, or a mix. They mimic that tender “potato” bite without the starch.
Yep. Pork adds more richness and fat, but turkey or chicken works if you prefer lighter or lower fat.
Italian pork sausage, mild or hot both work. Make sure it’s not sweetened or sugar-filled. Some brands sneak sugar into sausage, so check labels.
This recipe has 309 calories and 5 net carbs per serving.
Heavy cream: Let’s start simple, simmer the soup a little longer and the cream will naturally reduce and thicken on its own.
Cream cheese: Stir in a few spoonfuls of softened cream cheese. It melts smoothly, adds richness, and makes the broth nice and velvety.
Cauliflower: Cook some florets until tender, then mash or blend them into the broth. It’s sneaky, low-carb, and adds body without changing the flavor.
You will need a soup pot. I use a Dutch oven because it allows me to use one pot for the recipe and it's great for cooking soups. I brown the sausage and bacon and then throw the remaining ingredients into the pot and cook the soup.
Dutch ovens are heavy and thick. A Dutch oven conducts and retains heat really well and will keep the soup warm.
Yes. Frozen cauliflower works, but it cooks faster and can get mushy quickly. Add it later in the cooking process and keep an eye on it.
Absolutely. Just keep in mind that they’re typically leaner than pork sausage, so you may lose a little of that richness and flavor.
Don’t overcook it. Simmer just until it’s fork-tender. You want it soft enough to eat but still sturdy enough to hold its shape in the soup.
Yes. Spinach is much more delicate, so add it at the very end. It only needs a couple of minutes to wilt.
You can use half-and-half, but it will change the carb count and the soup won’t be quite as rich. If staying keto is important, check the label on whatever substitute you use.
The heat was probably too high. Once you add the heavy cream, keep the soup at a gentle simmer instead of bringing it to a hard boil.
Mash some of the cooked cauliflower into the broth. It’s an easy way to give the soup more body without adding flour or cornstarch.
The soup can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Absolutely! The soup will freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat the soup over the stove.
Sometimes, when I freeze soup with dairy, the dairy will separate from the soup (especially the longer you freeze). If you know you are planning to freeze in advance, I recommend adding the cream and kale to the soup after you have frozen it, as opposed to adding it when you cook the original batch.
More Keto Soup Recipes
Keto Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Keto Chicken Noodle Zoodle Soup
Keto Beef Chili
If you are new to keto and the keto diet or just looking for great tips, check out my Printable Keto Grocery List.
Natalie Stephens says
Made this last night for my fiancé and I and we loved it!! Next time I will but the bacon in for a bit to brown before the pork. The pork browned much faster so my bacon wasn’t as crispy as we like it. Overall a great recipe, simple and delicious!
staysnatched says
Awesome. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Lennese Semple says
Made this today. Simply delicious! I am dairy free but found a heavy whipping cream alternative from Silk. The cauliflower is perfect substitute for potatoes!
staysnatched says
Yes! I agree.
Lauren says
This was a definite winner! Cauliflower was a perfect substitute for potato, though truthfully I think I just outright prefer the texture. I had to leave out the bacon since I was out but followed everything else to the tee!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
EKS says
Another winning soup recipe with this one! Made this on a Sunday and ate leftovers for lunches through the week. Everything warmed up again well on the stove. Took the recommendation to use only half a cup of cream and it still was silky smooth and delicious. Love all of the veggies in here! This recipe is perfect for a cold winter day.
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Rachel says
I am so grateful for this recipe! I love this soup and I’m so glad I can have it with low carbs. Thank you Brandi!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Chene says
This recipe is divine — flavorful, quick and easy to make! I had all the ingredients on hand and was able to make it during my lunch break with time to spare. I love soup and this one is definitely going in my regular rotation. I subbed the heavy cream for a dairy free one due to allergies but other than that I made no modifications to the recipe.
staysnatched says
Yum, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Becca Davis says
10/10 love this, especially on this rainy day! And so easy to make.
staysnatched says
Perfect for rainy days!
Nek C says
The flavors in this soup owns me nothing…well the entire soup doesn’t owe me anything! This was DELICIOUS. I couldn’t even tell that it was used with cauliflower and not potatoes.
staysnatched says
I'm so glad to hear that!
Sarah says
So good! Made it just as written, made just the right quantity- some soup recipes could feed a village!
staysnatched says
haha I love that.
Stormi says
I can't tell you enough about how much the meat eaters in my family LOVE this soup. In the fall and winter I make it at least once a week or every other week. Mondays are soup days and this one gets HEAVY rotation. My boys LOVE it. I make double and triple batches because I've got two boys in the home, ages 17 and 21 and they EAT A LOT and... it's even better the next day. Thank you for such an easy, simple yet delicious go to meal. The other cool thing is I often don't have to plan it because these ingredients are staples in my kitchen. So simple that even the boys have made it when I've been gone. Good stuff. Thanks!!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Carmel says
This soup was incredible! I substituted spinach for kale. Definitely adding this to the rotation!
staysnatched says
I'm glad to hear it will be in the rotation!
Anastacia says
I’ve made this soup so many times I’ve lost count! It’s so good and filling and I think I actually enjoy it more than the Olive Garden version. Thanks for the great recipe
staysnatched says
You’re welcome!
Patrice says
This was DELICIOUS! There was any left. Easy, quick , and delicious...my kind of meal.
staysnatched says
So glad to hear it!
Patrice says
Delicious!
staysnatched says
Glad to hear it!
N. Arrieta says
How many total carbs? (Different that net carbs)
staysnatched says
You can add the ingredients to the macros calculator of your choice to calculate it.
Maria says
Oh my goodness! This was such a hit with the fam! Thank you!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Zach V says
We’ve used this recipe for many years now. And on this day nearly the entire USA is under a freeze warning. Taking time to share from Texas.
This Recipe is fantastic with leaner ground meats and especially game meats. My family loves this recipe with White tail venison ground meat seasoned in Italian sausage... We use cauliflower and potatoes together for additional heartiness. But if you’re keto/low carb/paleo skip the potatoes. You Can add in 1 Serrano pepper diced really small for a little heat on it that doesn’t change the flavor.
Cheers!
staysnatched says
So glad you enjoy it!
Monica O says
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! The only extra thing added was red pepper flakes, but it isn't necessary. This is an easy way to get in veggies, with the nostalgia of a great sausage soup. We'll def be making this again.
staysnatched says
Glad to hear you will be making it again!
Patrice says
This was delicious! My daughter said it was better than OG restaurant's soup.
staysnatched says
haha! Yes. Love to hear it.
Alicia says
Best ever. My family loves it.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! Glad to hear it!