Zuppa Toscana Without Heavy Cream

Final Healthy Zuppa Toscana soup served in a bowl with bacon pieces sprinkled on top.

Zuppa Toscana Without Heavy Cream

Zuppa Toscana without heavy cream is rich, cozy, and dairy-free, made with Italian sausage, potatoes, and kale in a smooth savory broth. It's a favorite one-pot soup that's perfect for weeknight dinners.

Course Soup, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Italian, American

Keyword zuppa toscana without heavy cream, dairy-free zuppa toscana, zuppa toscana without cream, olive garden zuppa toscana copycat

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 394kcal

Author Jamie

Ingredients

4 slices bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons tapioca starch can sub corn or arrowroot starch
3 ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth divided
1 pound ground Italian Sausage
8 ounces mushrooms
1 ¼ cup diced onion
3 medium russet potatoes diced into ½ inch cubes
4 cups curly kale stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup full-fat coconut milk from a can
3 cloves garlic minced

Spices

¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 medium bay leaves

Instructions

Fry the bacon: In a large pot on medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, mix starch with ½ cup cold broth by whisking or shaking in a sealed jar.
Set bacon aside: Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil. Remove all but a tablespoon of bacon fat from the pot.
Add mushrooms, onion, sausage, spices: Turn the heat to medium-high and add mushrooms, onion, and sausage. Cook, stirring on occasion until the sausage is browning and the onion begins to soften. Add splashes of broth as needed to deglaze the pan. Then add garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.
Bring to a low boil: Add remaining broth, potatoes, bay leaves, and starch mixture. Stir well to mix it all together. Adjust the heat to bring to a low boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft (15-20 minutes).
Coconut milk and kale: Add coconut milk and kale. Simmer for 5 minutes to wilt the kale.
Serve: Serve hot with bacon sprinkled on top.

Notes

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Italian Sausage: Use ground Italian sausage for smaller pieces in the soup. For larger pieces, start with Italian sausage links and remove the casing (my preference). Choose mild or spicy Italian sausage based on your personal preference. Chicken or pork sausages work well in this recipe.

Potatoes and Onion: I recommend a small dice when preparing these ingredients so they cook quickly. Boiling time can vary by a full 10 minutes depending on the size of the dice. White onion is more traditional. I used a yellow onion for one of the trials and both taste great.

I recommend prepping the ingredients ahead of time since the process moves quickly once you get started.

Nutrition