Whole30 Zuppa Toscana (Paleo, Gluten Free)
This Whole30 Healthy Zuppa Toscana is a creamy and delicious Italian soup made with sausage, kale, and sweet potatoes! It can be made in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker. This easy, hearty Whole30 soup is also paleo, gluten free, and dairy free. One of my favorite healthy soups of all time!
*This post was updated with new photos and new copy on September 29, 2021.
Hearty, easy gluten free soups in the fall and winter are my absolute favorite! This Healthy Zuppa Toscana is a dairy free version and gluten-free version of the classic Italian soup. I subbed in sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, but you can certainly use regular if you prefer! The combination of sweet, savory, and slightly spicy flavors in this Whole30 Zuppa Toscana are out of this world.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What You Need To Make This Easy Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
Sausage – You can either make your own Italian Sausage using this easy recipe, or you can buy it. I love to get sugar free Italian sausage from Butcher Box. It is the best Whole30 compliant Italian sausage ever!
Bacon – I also prefer to get sugar free bacon from Butcher Box. It is salty and gets perfectly crispy every time!
Onion
Minced garlic
Canned full fat coconut milk
Chopped kale
A large sweet potato or two small ones
Italian Seasoning
Crushed red pepper
Chicken broth or stock
That’s it! I love soups with minimal ingredients.
How To Make This Easy Zuppa Toscana
I’ve included a variety of cooking methods so nobody feels left out! Whether you have a dutch oven, an Instant Pot, or a slow cooker…you can make this! And I promise it’s super easy.
First, either cook your bacon in the oven using my Easy Oven Baked Method, or you can cut it up and sauté it in the Instant Pot (or on the stove). Next, add the sausage, onion, and garlic to the Instant Pot (or pot on the stove). Sauté them until the sausage is nice and browned.
Next, add in the sweet potatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and sea salt. Stir well. Then lock the lid and cook on high manual pressure for 10 minutes. Make sure the vent is turned to “sealing” on the Instant Pot! If making this on the stove, you can let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
After quick releasing the steam, add in the chopped kale and stir it until wilted (this should only take a minute)! Next, add in the 1 cup of coconut milk. I prefer to use the creamy, thick part of the can of coconut milk. Stir well.
Crumble up your bacon and serve it on top. Voila! The easiest and tastiest soup of all time!
FAQs, Tips, and Tricks
Can you use another milk besides coconut milk? Yes, you could also use heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2, or a cashew cream made from 3/4 cup raw, unsalted cashews + 3/4 cup water blended until creamy! I would stick to coconut milk or the cashew cream for Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana.
Can you make this Whole30 Zuppa Toscana Keto / low carb? Yes, to make this soup Keto, you can sub in cauliflower florets instead of the potatoes.
Can you freeze Zuppa Toscana? Yes! This soup will freeze nicely. Just wait until it cools then add it to a freezer-friendly container with a little extra room at the top, in case it expands.
Can you make this in the Slow Cooker? Yes! Crock Pot Whole30 Zuppa Toscana directions are included below.
If you try this Healthy Paleo Zuppa Toscana, make sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations! If you try it and love it, a 5-star rating and review below would mean the world!
Other Easy Soups You Might Love
Classic Gluten Free Turkey Chili
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Happy cooking, fam! xo
Pin this recipe for later!
*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you use one of my links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Mary’s Whole Life!
Whole30 Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 4 pieces sugar free bacon
- 1 lb Italian sausage, Turkey sausage will work as well
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups diced sweet potatoes, leave skins on or remove- up to you!
- 4.5 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning, (if you don’t have this, do 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp oregano)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 3 cups kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped
- 1 can coconut milk, We are only going to use the hardened part of coconut milk that rises to the top of the can.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Instructions
Instant Pot
- You can make the bacon ahead of time using my fool-proof baked method, or make it in the instant pot. To do this, chop up the raw bacon. Set the pot to “saute” and add the bacon pieces. Cook until crispy and set aside to drain on a paper towel.
- If you did not cook the bacon in the IP, add 1 tbsp cooking oil/ghee. If you did cook the bacon in the pot, use the rendered bacon fat to saute the sausage. Add the sausage, garlic, and onions to the pot and saute for 4-5 mins until cooked through and the onions are opaque.
- Hit the "cancel" button and add in the chicken broth, sweet potatoes, and seasonings. Lock the lid, turn the vent to sealing, and set to "manual" high pressure for 8 minutes.
- When done, manually release the pressure (carefully!). Add the kale and stir until wilted. Add 1 cup of coconut cream (the hardened/solidified coconut milk that rises to the top of the can) and stir until melted. Serve with crumbled bacon on top and enjoy!
Crock Pot/ Slow Cooker
- Make bacon ahead of time using my fool-proof baked method or saute in a pan, drain, crumble, and set aside.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp cooking fat (or if you cooked bacon in the pan, just use the bacon fat. Add the sausage, onions, and garlic and cook 5-7 mins until the sausage is browned and the onions are opaque.
- Place the sausage mixture into the crock pot along with the chicken broth, sweet potatoes, and seasonings. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Stir in the kale until wilted, and add in the coconut cream and stir until melted. Serve with crumbled bacon on top and enjoy!
39 Comments on “Whole30 Zuppa Toscana (Paleo, Gluten Free)”
This is one of our staple recipes in our home. I would not change a single thing about it ! The hardest part is refraining from having three bowls in a sitting. I typically make my bacon in the morning when I prep the croc pot and do a quick reheat in the air fryer prior to serving
Thank you Shannon!
Love this soup and you!
Aw thanks, Sally! Means a lot!
I made this twice and it’s very good. The first time I made it on stove top and the second time I used the instant pot. I prefer stovetop method.
Thanks Tia!
I made this recipe on the stove top! So delicious!!! The sweet potatoes gave it so much flavor! My husband does not like sweet potatoes and he loved this!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Lynne!
Making this tonight! It’s one of my favorites of yours 🙂
Thanks Chrysta!
Make this now!!!! So easy, so yummy, so healthy. Highly recommend!
Thanks love!