Whole30 Zuppa Toscana

Whole30 Zuppa Toscana is the BEST Olive Garden copycat recipe! This Whole30 soup is made with Italian sausage, creamy potatoes, kale and a flavorful creamy broth made of healthy ingredients. It’s the perfect easy meal for the whole family that can be made in the Instant Pot or Crockpot. 

Originally published on October 12, 2018. Last updated on November 29, 2020.

Whole30 Zuppa Toscana

Where are all my Olive Garden endless breadstick peoples at?? You know who you are, “Oh I’ll just order the side soup because the main course is legit breadsticks.” people! I mean there’s no shame, back in my gluten eating days if I went to Olive Garden it was usually for the Zuppa Toscana and somewhere between 1-5 breadsticks for dipping.

As good as that soup was though, heavy cream and all, the breadsticks totally would weight me down and I needing a monster Thanksgiving-style nap afterwards to recover. So it was only a matter of time before I needed to create my own version of the classic soup, a Whole30 Zuppa Toscana with all the flavor and none of the weight. This soup is just that and I’m happy to be able to share it with you and your family!

Looking for more healthy Whole30 Instant Pot Recipes? Be sure to try my Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup and Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken!

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Healthy Zuppa Toscana Soup Instant Pot

These days I skip the breadsticks and Olive Garden all-together! But I do make my own Healthy Zuppa Toscana! I’ve made it a hundred times but this time decided to make it Whole30 and I admit I was concerned that something would be lost without the cream but I can honestly tell you I am OBSESSED with this soup and it DOESN’T taste like coconut one bit! The Instant Pot makes Healthy Zuppa Toscana a one pot meal that’s so easy to make.

Zuppa Toscana Soup Crockpot

Making Whole30 Zuppa Toscana Soup in the Crock Pot only uses one more dish then making it in the Instant Pot and is still quite easy to make. It requires more planning ahead but is perfect to set in the morning before work and come home to a finished dinner, ready and waiting for you. If you are looking for a good versatile Crockpot this one is my favorite!

How to make Whole30 Zuppa Toscana

This recipe allows you to make this soup in either the Instant Pot or the Crockpot. Both are incredibly simple so it’s just a matter of preference. To make either of the soups, you will begin by browning up the Italian sausage and sautéing the onions until translucent. Then add in the potatoes, broth and seasonings and cook as directed. After cooking you will stir in the coconut milk and kale. It’s a simple and delicious meal the whole family with love.

What is Coconut Milk?

Coconut milk is a milky-white liquid that is extracted from a mature coconut. For the creamiest soup you’ll want to stir your canned coconut milk well so there is no separation in the liquid before measuring out the coconut milk that is needed.

Does coconut milk taste like coconut?

Some coconut milk and creams taste a lot more like coconut than others. For savory applications like used in this soup I highly recommend using this brand of coconut milk or coconut cream as it’s the thickest, creamiest and neutral tasting that I’ve found. I can not discern any coconut flavor when I use this brand in soups.

Tips and Substitutions for this Whole30 Zuppa Toscana Crock Pot Recipe

• Variations – There are many variations I’ve seen to this recipe. Traditionally it’s made with cream and I’ve seen other’s made with ground chicken and the addition of bacon. You can customize this recipe any way you like but I’m partial to the Italian sausage called for in this easy recipe.
• Italian Sausage – As mentioned above I like this recipe with Italian Sausage although you can really substitute any ground meat of your liking. If you use an unseasoned ground meat you will need to add in additional spices to compensate. I recommend using 1-2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
• Coconut Milk – This recipe calls for coconut milk but you can certainly use coconut cream for an even creamier consistency. If you prefer you can also use heavy cream. I don’t recommend using an unsweetened nut milk however because they just aren’t typically creamy enough to work well in this recipe.

Is Zuppa Toscana Healthy?

You might be asking, Is zuppa toscana healthy? Traditionally made Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden is questionably healthy, it has heavy cream on one hand but also potatoes and kale on the other. However, this whole30 soup recipe is unquestionably healthy! It uses the same veggies while replacing the cream with coconut milk for a still creamy consistency without the coconut flavor!

Is an Instant Pot worth it?

The short answer: YES! Oh my goodness, I love my Instant Pot so much, it is the true work horse of my kitchen. It’s truly just a blessing to be able to throw a bunch of ingredients into it, set the timer and have it make dinner for us while I do other things. And while I don’t mean to brag, I do have some of the very BEST Instant Pot Recipes around so if you like my recipes, you’ll definitely want to invest in an Instant Pot. They are truly amazing. This is the Instant Pot I own, love and highly recommend! There are different sizes available but I think this one is perfect regardless of whether you are feeding 2 all the way up to 12 people all in the same machine. The flexibility this size provides is great.

More Whole30 Instant Pot Recipes:

• Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Healthy Chicken Potato Soup
• Clam Chowder
• Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Korean Beef

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Whole30 Zuppa Toscana

★★★★★ 5 from 11 reviews

• Author: Nicole
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Total Time: 18 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Lunch & Dinner
• Method: Instant Pot
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

Whole30 Zuppa Toscana is the BEST Olive Garden copycat recipe! This Whole30 soup is made with Italian sausage, creamy potatoes, kale and a flavorful creamy broth made of healthy ingredients. It’s the perfect easy meal for the whole family that can be made in the Instant Pot or Crockpot. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1.5 pounds ground Italian pork sausage
• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 bunch kale, washed and cut or torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1.5 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 6 cups chicken bone broth or chicken stock
• 1 cup full fat unsweetened coconut milk (highly recommend this brand)
• 2 teaspoons unrefined sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• crushed red pepper flakes to garish, if desired

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Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Turn your Instant Pot to sauté mode and add 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil.
2. Add the ground Italian pork sausage and brown the meat, breaking it up with a stainless steel cooking spoon as you go.
3. Once the meat is browned (it doesn’t need to be cooked through since the instant pot will finish cooking it), add in the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the red potatoes.
5. Pour the broth/stock into the instant pot to deglaze the pot, scrap up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot and give everything a stir.
6. Add the salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, dried oregano and bay leaf to the pot.
7. Cover and lock the lid. Set the steamer valve to sealing and select high pressure / manual cook for 8 minutes.
8. Once the soup has finished cooking, quick release the pressure.
9. Once the pressure has released remove the lid. Stir through the coconut milk.
10. Serving: If you are eating the soup right away stir in the kale and allow it to wilt slightly then serve. If you are making this ahead or plan for some to be leftovers, only add the kale to the soup once you are ready to eat. Leftover soup should be cooled and stored it in the fridge with the kale separately and the kale will be added to the soup once you reheat it to serve. Enjoy!

Crockpot Instructions:

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the avocado oil and brown the sausage, breaking it up as you go.
2. Once the meat is browned (it doesn’t need to be cooked through since the Crockpot will finish cooking it), add in the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the meat and onions to the Crockpot and add the red potatoes.
4. Pour the broth/stock over the sausage and veggies in the Crockpot and give everything a stir. You want the potatoes submerged in the broth as much as possible.
5. Stir in the salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, dried oregano and place the bay leaf on top of the soup.
6. Cover the Crockpot with the lid and set to cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 4-6 hours.
7. One the soup has finished cooking and the potatoes are tender, stir through the coconut milk.
8. Serving: If you are eating the soup right away stir in the kale and allow it to wilt slightly then serve. If you are making this ahead or plan for some to be leftovers, only add the kale to the soup once you are ready to eat. Leftover soup should be cooled and stored it in the fridge with the kale separately and the kale will be added to the soup once you reheat it to serve. Enjoy!

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