Low-Carb, Pork-Free Zuppa Toscana

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This low-carb recipe is perfect for those nights where you’re craving soup, Italian, and comfort food all at once.

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Dear husband has been battling some serious sinus symptoms lately. Now, he’s not fully low-carb, but he enjoys the ketogenic recipes I create and is willing to try each recipe at least once. One caveat–he doesn’t eat pork (I know, how does a bacon lover date such a man? But we manage with the ideology of ‘more bacon for me!’).

When he mentioned symptoms of stuffy nose and sore throat, I knew that soup would be perfect on the menu. I thought back to a big warm bowl of Olive Garden’s ever-famous Zuppa Toscana, and how the hint of spice always helps when I’m not feeling 100%. But how to keto-fy it without the potatoes and without pork?

After searching several recipes and using my own cooking knowledge of “good fats” swaps, I came up with the below recipe. Because turkey is much leaner than pork, I’ve added in some butter to keep the fat contents up and make this soup stay hearty.

Instead of potatoes, we’re going to use cauliflower here–a classic substitute for any potato need in a low carb meal. I saw recipes with summer squash, but that can get mushy, and although radishes may also be a good sub, I was going for as quick and easy of a recipe as possible.

I do hope you enjoy it, and let me know how it turns out! I’d love to hear your feedback. Bon appetit!

Low Carb, Pork-free Zuppa Toscana

This keto-friendly soup recipe utilizes spiced turkey sausage in place of the traditional pork and cauliflower in place of potato for a lighter twist on the Italian classic.
Servings 4 bowls
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Stew pot
  • Garlic mincer
  • Microplane grater

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion about 3/4 cup, diced
  • 1 package hot Italian turkey sausage 4-5 links
  • 1 32-oz package chicken bone broth*
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 gluten-free chicken bouillon cube**
  • 2-3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 head cauliflower chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1 bunch kale chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 dash crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Parmesan Reggiano for garnish, microplane grated

Instructions

  • Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Take the sausage out of their casings and break up on skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned and done. Put on back burner to cool.
  • While the sausage cooks, place the onions with the butter in a stewpot and cook on medium until clear and tender, stirring frequently.
  • Add in the garlic and cook for one minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
  • Add in the chicken bone broth, water, and bouillon cube and turn the heat to medium-high.
  • After the bouillon cube dissolves and the water is simmering, add the cooked sausage and the cauliflower.
  • Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and breaks easily with a fork.
  • Add in the heavy cream, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Add in the kale, stir to combine, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes until the kale becomes a bright green and wilts a little.
  • At this time, remove from heat and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve in large bowls topped with freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano. Bon appetit!

Notes

* — The quality of broth is key in this recipe. We recommend one that’s high in protein and collagen for added benefits, such as this product by Kettle & Fire.
** — We prefer a bouillon with no artificial flavors and all-natural ingredients, so we recommend the BOU brand. Feel free to use whatever favorite bouillon you have!
  • A Microplane grater is such a handy tool for grating parmesan. It finely shreds the cheese into fluffy mounds that will melt quickly and look beautiful on the plate. Bonus is that this tool is great for zesting citrus, as well!
Author: Bacon and Cream
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Keto Italian, Keto Soup, low carb Italian, low carb soup, Soup, Zuppa Toscana

** – Please note that this post may contain Amazon or other vendor affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from purchases made from links clicked, but this will in no way affect you as a consumer or cost you anything extra. It will, however, help support Bacon and Cream and enable me to continue creating content. Thanks so much for your support!

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