Description
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.
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
Instructions
- 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.
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Fry bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with the rest of the bacon!
Notes
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!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Italian