Healthy Whole30 Zuppa Toscana {whole30 + paleo + dairy free}

Healthy Whole30 zuppa toscana is the absolute best Whole30 comfort food! Made with nourishing and filling ingredients like Italian sausage, bacon, kale, and cashew cream, it is delightfully creamy and cozy. Whole30, paleo, dairy free, gluten free, and with a keto / low carb option.

There is almost nothing better than a big bowl of warm and filling soup when you’re doing a Whole30 during the winter months. A real thing of beauty. A meal that not only warms you up from the inside out, but is also soo satisfying + delicious.

This Olive Garden copycat soup is made a little bit healthier by swapping the dairy for cashew cream, and using paleo / Whole30 compliant Italian sausage and bacon. The result is a richly flavored creamy broth loaded with all the good things that I crave this time of year! A healthier option that is still hearty as can be.

Why you’ll love this healthy Whole30 zuppa toscana

This healthy dairy free soup is:

• Filling
• So creamy
• Savory
• Hearty
• Nourishing
• Comforting
• Easy to make
• Crazy delicious!

Ingredients for this healthy Whole30 zuppa toscana

This easy Whole30 soup is made healthy with a few simple swaps that keep it dairy free, gluten free, paleo and Whole30 compliant. The ingredients are actually surprisingly simple, but come together to create the most creamy, flavorful meal!

(If you’re already ready to get started, scroll all the way down to the bottom for the full recipe!)

Here’s exactly what you need to make this recipe:

• Raw cashews – Raw cashews are used to make the cashew cream, which is what makes this soup so incredibly creamy. If you have a cashew allergy or don’t have any cashews on hand, feel free to swap it for a can of coconut milk, or about 1 cups worth of Original Nutpods creamer.
• Whole30 compliant bacon – Look for bacon that is either labeled as “Whole30 approved”, sugar free, or no sugar added.
• Whole30 compliant Italian sausage – You can either use a store bought or homemade sausage for this recipe. Many grocery stores have raw sausage made on premise that has fairly clean ingredients. You could also use sausages with the casings removed as long as the ingredients are Whole30 compliant.
• Onion
• Garlic
• Poultry seasoning – Poultry seasoning or a Whole30 compliant all purpose seasoning both work to boost the depth of flavor in this soup.
• Yukon gold potatoes – Yukon gold potatoes are my personal favorite choice for this soup because they hold their shape during cooking, but you can use any type of potato you like / have on hand.
• Chicken broth – Chicken broth, beef broth, turkey broth, or veggie broth are all good choices for this recipe. Bonus nutrient density points if you opt for a collagen rich bone broth!
• Kale – Curly leaf or lacinto kale are both good options.
• Salt and pepper

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How to make this healthy Whole30 zuppa toscana

This healthy zuppa toscana is super easy to make, and one batch will make enough to enjoy for leftovers throughout the week!

I’m a big fan of making a large batch of soup on a Sunday and stashing whatever we don’t eat in the fridge. Such a good way to set yourself up for success!

Here’s the step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Soak the cashews

Add raw cashews to a heat proof bowl and cover with just boiled water. Set aside to soak for at least 30 minutes while you make the rest of the soup. If you’re using coconut milk or Nutpods in place of cashew cream, you can skip this step and move on to step 2.

Step 2: Cook the bacon

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Fry bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. 

Step 3: Make the base of the soup

Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pot. Add sausage, diced onion, and garlic, and cook, breaking sausage up with spatula, until sausage is cooked through and onion is soft – about 5-6 minutes. If there’s a lot of fat in the pot at this point you can drain some of it off if you like. 

Add poultry or all purpose seasoning and salt with diced potatoes and stir to combine. Pour in broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until potatoes are tender and flavors have combined – about 15-20 minutes. 

Step 4: Make the cashew cream

While soup is simmering, make cashew cream. Drain and rinse cashews and add to a high speed blender with 1 cup of water. Blend on high until absolutely smooth and creamy. 

Step 4: Finish the soup with kale and cashew cream

When potatoes are tender, add cashew cream, kale, and about 1/2 of the bacon to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Cook for just a few minutes more – until kale is wilted but still bright green. 

Step 5: Season & serve!

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with the rest of the bacon!

Are potatoes Whole30 compliant and paleo?

Despite what you might think, all potatoes are Whole30 compliant and paleo. Woot woot! YAY POTATOES!

White potatoes are however a member of the nightshades family, so if you know you’re sensitive to nightshades you can swap them for sweet potatoes (white Japanese sweet potatoes would be my first choice!), parsnips, or cauliflower florets.

Can you make this healthy zuppa toscana keto / low carb?

Yep! Absolutely. Simply substitute the potatoes with cauliflower florets or mushrooms to keep this dairy free recipe low carb.

Where can you find Whole30 compliant Italian sausage and bacon?

These days most stores carry a Whole30 compliant / sugar free bacon option. Some are even labeled with the Whole30 approved label! This is a great article that details a bunch of specific brands of paleo / Whole30 compliant bacon.

As far as Whole30 compliant Italian sausage goes, many grocery stores have raw sausage made on premise that have fairly clean ingredients. You could also use sausages with the casings removed as long as the ingredients are Whole30 compliant. Alternatively, if you can’t find a store bought Whole30 compliant sausage, my Whole30 breakfast sausage recipe can be used in it’s place!

How to store, re-heat, and freeze this easy Whole30 zuppa toscana

To store: This creamy Whole30 compliant soup can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To re-heat: To re-heat this healthy soup, simply heat gently on the stove, stirring frequently, until warm. Alternatively it can be re-heated in the microwave for a minute or two, until heated through.

To freeze: This soup freezes perfectly. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator overnight, and warm gently on the stove before serving. This recipe would be an excellent way to get a bit ahead on some meal prep for nights when you just don’t feel like cooking!

Love this healthy Whole30 zuppa toscana? Here’s some other dairy free soup recipes to try!

• Healthy Whole30 Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Soup
• Creamy Dairy Free Chicken and Vegetable Soup
• Creamy Dairy Free Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup
• Dairy Free Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

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