This Low Carb Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe is packed with flavor from crispy bacon, Italian Sausage, spinach and tender cauliflower, all simmered in a rich, creamy broth.
For more easy recipes packed with flavor, try our cauliflower wings and chicken caprese. They’re both reader favorites!
Why You’ll Love This Low Carb Keto Zuppa Toscana
From broccoli cheddar soup to lasagna soup, who doesn’t love to indulge in a big bowl of soup on a cold day?
Oh wait, you’re cutting carbs? Trying to follow a keto friendly diet? I feel ya. Doesn’t it seem like all the comfort foods involve carbs somehow? Well, not this Keto Zuppa Toscana recipe.
Here’s why you’ll love it.
- You may remember this Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe from a few years back. It’s SO good, and this recipe transforms it into a keto friendly dinner.
- Between the savory Italian sausage and thick-cut bacon, this is a recipe that’s absolutely packed with flavor. You won’t miss the carbs, I promise!
- This is also a soup that’s hearty and satisfying. You know how some soups leave you hungry for more? Not this Keto Zuppa Toscana!
Important Ingredient Notes
- Italian Sausage – I use the mild, bulk sausage. Use spicy if you prefer, or links with the casings removed.
- Thick cut bacon – Some people prefer to add the bacon at the end of the cook time as a garnish so that it stays crispy, not chewy. Your call.
- Beef broth – I like using beef bone broth, which has extra nutrients and collagen.
- Cauliflower – The dream vegetable that replaces potatoes in many low carb meals (like buffalo cauliflower). You can also use turnips if you prefer!
- Heavy whipping cream – For that indulgent creamy broth. The best thing about keto is the heavy cream!
- Spinach – While Olive Garden and many other people use kale, my family prefers the taste of spinach. You choose what you love!
How to Make Low Carb Keto Zuppa Toscana
Cook the Meat: Brown the sausage and bacon in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
Simmer: Add the beef bone broth, onions, garlic, and cauliflower. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
Add the Next Ingredients: Stir in the heavy cream and spinach, then cook until the spinach wilts.
Finish: Serve with Parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt, pepper, and/or crushed red pepper flakes.
Tips and Tricks
- Due to the creamy nature of the soup, this one isn’t suited for freezing. You can store leftover Low Carb Keto Zuppa Toscana in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat it on the stovetop over medium or in the microwave.
- Cut the cauliflower into even pieces to ensure it’s all done cooking at the same time.
- There’s a lot of room to make this recipe your own by adding different herbs and spices or other low carb vegetables.
Recipe FAQs
A ketogenic diet is a low carb, high fat diet, similar to Atkins. The goal of a ketogenic diet is to drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake and instead consume fats. By reducing your carbs it puts your body into a state of ketosis, burning fat for energy.
Avoid starches like bread, rice, pasta, and cereal. Beans and legumes are off the menu, and the only fruit allowed is small portions of berries. Potatoes and other root vegetables aren’t allowed, and neither are sugary foods and alcohol. On the bright side, you get to eat Crack Chicken with this easy sauteed cauliflower on the side!
Proteins such as fish, beef, chicken, eggs are all good to eat, as are leafy greens and vegetables that grow above ground like broccoli and cauliflower. Avocado, nuts, and seeds are also good choices and make great snack options. High fat dairy like hard cheeses, high fat cream, and butter get the thumbs up, and stevia is an acceptable keto-friendly sweetener. Thank goodness, because I use that in my favorite Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew coffee!
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Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb mild Italian Sausage
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 32 oz Beef bone broth or beef broth
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 head fresh cauliflower diced
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups fresh spinach 5 oz package, or kale
- salt and pepper optional
- crushed red pepper flakes optional
- shredded parmesan cheese for garnish optional
Instructions
- Using a large soup pot (like this dutch oven), brown your sausage and bacon together. Cut your bacon into bite sized pieces to make it easier to cook.
- Once your meat is cooked, add in beef bone broth, onions, garlic, and cauliflower. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
- Once the cauliflower is softened, add in heavy cream and spinach (or kale). Cook for about 5 minutes, until spinach (or kale) is soft.
- Serve with a spinkle of parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt, pepper, and/or crushed red pepper flakes. ENJOY!
Notes
- Swap out the cauliflower with turnips instead.
- Due to the creamy nature of the soup, this one isn’t suited for freezing.
Can I use frozen cauliflower for this? If so how much would you recommend
Yes! Use the same amount of cauliflower that the recipe calls for.
I did,it was great.
Great recipe for fall. Made an extra batch so I can freeze some for dinner on busy days. I subbed out the cream for 2 cups of coconut milk because a dairy free low carb approach to eating makes me feel much better 🙂
I used Beyond Italian sausage, veg broth and coconut cream to make vegan. It was really good!
This is so delicious as-is, but I’ve made it several times & tweaked it. I double the stock & use 2 pig of frozen riced cauliflower. Usually add a lot more spinach too, I just eyeball it. I didn’t disclose it was cauliflower to my non keto husband but after he went gaga over it I did tell him. It is a HUGE hit!
Can this be done ahead as a freezer meal?
Can this be done in the instant pot as well?
Love this recipe! I seasoned the soup with 1 tsp champagne vinegar and 2 tsp fish sauce. I also used red kale instead of spinach. Let the kale simmer for about 5 minutes.
This was DELICIOUS and not hard to make at all – I’d adjust one minor bit in the directions though, and that is to fry the bacon first, remove and then brown the sausage, add bacon back in and proceed. It just takes longer for the bacon is all. OH IT IS DELICIOUS – Hubby loved it too! FANTASTIC!
This is delicious! I usually double the recipe because the leftovers are just as good!! Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome! Glad it was a hit!
Thank you for this tasty and hearty soup. My husband loved it and my son who is picky… also loved it. Thank you for sharing.
My brother made this recipe for me and I HAD to make it myself. This is added to my meal rotation. I followed the recipe exactly just opted to cook it in the crockpot on low for a couple hours. Perfection! Served with sourdough.
Do I have to add heavy whipping cream?
No, my wife prefers it without, similar to Italian spinach bean soup. You can also add coconut milk with the fat.
Thank you for sharing this keto recipe! This soup is my favorite from Olive Garden & have missed on my Keto journey. So easy & full of flavor! Do not miss the potatoes at all!!
Made this with chicken broth, half the cauliflower and half the onion, turned out great and I didn’t even miss the potatoes. I would recommend draining the fat from the meat before adding the broth
Super easy recipe and was delicious! I used the kale and was not disappointed.
I followed it exactly and it was delicious
I’ve made a copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup for many years that my family loves. I tried a keto version with radishes that was good but this one is AMAZING!! And so easy!
This soup is sooo good! My husband and I love it and I make it once a month. I use hot sausage because that’s what we like (so no pepper flakes) and fresh spinach because that’s what we usually have on hand. I use all the ingredients in their recommended amounts- no changes needed. It’s so very good, simple to make and quick to prepare and cook. However, as with many things, the next day the flavor is even better. That works out great for us because we get four portions out of the recipe for just the two of us.
I mean, I have been on Keto for 2 years now. I’m 59 years old and I have lost 40 pounds in two years and have kept it off and it’s recipes like this that make it easy. I followed this recipe exactly as it is and it was perfect. It is soooooooo good and my non Keto husband and son LOVED it also. Great recipe. It’s a keeper for sure!!!
So happy to hear it!
Curious where the 12 carbs are coming from? The ingredient list looks like it would be less.
I am curious about that too. Doesn’t seem to add up!!! Anybody else??
With 4 servings I come up with 3.9 net carbs per serving when I calculate it with the ingredients I use.
Depending on the brands and ingredients you use, it will change the carb counts. Also, the software I use calculates it automatically, which is why I always put the disclaimer.
Are the calories and carbs in the nutritional grid per serving or per all 6 servings?? I do not get to those calories, fat and net carbs when I add the ingredients up and divide by 6.