Name: Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana Soup with Cashew Cream
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3/4 cup raw cashews, or 1 can of coconut milk, or 1 cup of Original Nutpods creamer; just boiled water; 5 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips; 1 pound raw Italian pork or chicken sausage; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, chopped; 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning, or all purpose seasoning; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 pound yukon gold potatoes (about 3 medium sized potatoes), cut into bite sized pieces, swap for cauliflower florets or mushrooms for a low carb option; 4 cups chicken broth; 1 bunch of kale, stems removed and cut or torn into bite sized pieces; 1 cup water; Salt and pepper to taste

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This dairy free zuppa toscana soup with cashew cream is the absolute best homemade comfort food for a chilly day! Made with wholesome 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 on a chilly day.

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 dairy free by swapping cream for cashew cream. The result is a richly flavored creamy broth loaded with all the good things that I crave this time of year!

A homemade GEM of a soup-season recipe that is comforting as can be.

Why you’ll love this zuppa toscana soup

It is:

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

Ingredients

This easy soup is made with a few simple swaps that keep it dairy free, gluten free, paleo and Whole30 compatible!

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.
Bacon – To keep this recipe Whole30 friendly, look for bacon that is either labeled as “Whole30 approved”, sugar free, or no sugar added.
Italian sausage – Many grocery stores sell raw sausage made on premise that has fairly simple ingredients. You can also use your favorite raw pork or chicken sausage with the casings removed (this is what we usually do!)
Onion
Garlic
Poultry seasoning – Poultry seasoning or an all purpose seasoning both work well 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.
Kale – Curly leaf or lacinto kale are both great options.
Salt and pepper

How to make zuppa toscana soup

This zuppa toscana is super easy to make, and one batch will make enough to enjoy for leftovers a few times 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 yummy lunches as the week goes on!

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!

Can you make this zuppa toscana keto / low carb?

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

How to store, re-heat, and freeze

To store: This soup can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

To re-heat: To re-heat this soup, simply warm gently on the stove in a small saucepan, stirring frequently, until warm. Alternatively, it can be re-heated in the microwave for a minute or two, until warmed 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 zuppa toscana? Here’s some other dairy free soup recipes to try!

If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!