Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe)
This hearty keto Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup is always a hit!
Are you a fan of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana soup?
Zuppa Toscana has been a long-time menu favorite at Olive Garden. The restaurant version features a creamy broth made with spicy Italian sausage, fresh kale, and russet potatoes. Sadly, those potatoes make this soup off-limits for anyone eating keto. Just one bowl could be enough to potentially knock you out of ketosis!
Luckily, Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana recipe can be easily adapted for a keto diet. It’s a simple matter of swapping out those starchy potatoes for cauliflower.
Today, we’re sharing our keto Zuppa Toscana soup recipe, and it’s so flavorful, you won’t even miss the carbs – we promise!
Soup’s on! More keto soup recipes are right this way…
Want to try this keto Olive Garden copycat soup recipe in the slow cooker?
You can totally adapt this recipe for the Crockpot! First, brown the meat with the onions and garlic, then place the meat ingredients inside the slow cooker along with the water, the broth, and the cauliflower. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours. Stir in the kale and cream at the very end of your cooking time and serve hot. Easy peasy!
Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup
yield: 6 SERVINGS
prep time: 20 MINUTES
cook time: 20 MINUTES
total time: 40 MINUTES
Delicious and creamy Zuppa Toscana soup with hearty florets of cauliflower in place of starchy potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 16 oz. chicken broth
- 1 quart water
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (if desired for extra flavor)
- 3 cups kale or Swiss chard, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
Directions
1
In a soup pot on the stove, crumble and brown sausage over medium-high heat.
2
Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent in color. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
3
Reduce heat to medium and add cauliflower florets, broth, and water. Stir and add bouillon, if desired.
4
Cook on medium heat until cauliflower is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
5
Reduce heat to low and sprinkle in chopped kale. Pour in the heavy cream and stir well. Serve hot. Makes between 9-10 cups of soup.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 6 servings, Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Amount Per Serving:
407 Calories | 35.0g Fat | 9g Total Carbs | 2.8g Fiber | 2.8g Sugar | 15.5g Protein | 6.3g Net Carbs
Tips for making the best keto Zuppa Toscana soup:
- Don’t have cauliflower? Use radishes instead! Trim and cut them in half, and you should have similar results.
- You can freeze this, but, since it’s cream-based, it may separate a bit. Consider using a hand blender or whisk when reheating to resolve this.
- If you don’t like pork, feel free to substitute this with turkey sausage. Or even add bacon for an extra salty and savory kick!
- Easily make this a dairy-free soup by adding full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream.
This keto soup is AMAZING!
Don’t you just love a hearty, satisfying soup served on a cozy night in? Zuppa Toscana has long been my favorite dish at Olive Garden, and I love that I can easily throw together a homemade, low-carb version at home. This recipe tastes so similar, maybe even better!
If you’re looking for a keto-friendly dinner idea that your non-keto family members will enjoy too, this soup will not disappoint.
My family truly loved this meal. In fact, my husband said that he liked the cauliflower more than the potatoes, and my kids actually ate the cauliflower without complaining! The leftovers are great the following day as well.
My teammate tried this keto Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup, and here’s what she had to say:
“In trying to resist the urge to order takeout, I knew I needed to make something yummy and easy. My team members have raved about this soup, so I knew it was the next Hip recipe to try! I love heat, so I used a mix of mild sausage and hot Italian sausage. The result was a spicy but creamy base that paired so well with the fresh kale and cauliflower. Using fresh vegetables gave them the perfect texture — no mushy veggies in this soup!
The highlight of this soup is how full I felt after eating it! I didn’t feel bloated and gross like you do with fast food, and I was proud I made something healthy. AND, I doubled the recipe so I’ll have extra leftovers. That means no excuses to waste money on food delivery! 🙌”
Check out how my teammate Sara makes this soup dairy-free:
“I’ve been making this soup for as long as I can remember and it is always such a hit! I started making the dairy-free version using coconut cream because for many years I wasn’t able to eat dairy and this is a dinner our entire family of 5 loves! It’s super quick and easy to whip up and it’s an easy dish to make when we have guests over too. The flavors are on point and I always make extra because it tastes even better the next day. I love elevating this dish with garlic knots from the keto bakery down the street and serving it with a side salad. Seriously one of my favorite, hearty dinners in the fall and winter and tends to make our weekly rotation often!”
Hip teammate Emily says she can’t believe she waited this long to try this copycat recipe:
“Oh my word… I don’t even know where to begin in describing how good this soup is. It’s so simple, but the flavors are so robust. The Italian sausage and kick from the pepper flakes make it over-the-top good. And it feels so healthy to eat too! It’s hearty, but doesn’t leave you feeling bloated or stuffed after — my fiancé went back for seconds and had already polished off the leftovers by lunchtime the next day. We say it often, but this is truly one of those recipes that will become a regular staple in our household, especially since once you make it once, it’s pretty easy to memorize for the next time. Also, it’s a no-sweat recipe since all of the measurements can be more or less than what’s stated in the recipe here and it will still turn out perfect every time!”
Enjoy the taste of Italy with this yummy keto lasagna!
This soup is so delicious! I didn’t have cauliflower so I added radishes instead- I trimmed them and cut them in half. They came out tasting just like potatoes. Delicious!!
Yay I’m so glad! Thanks for sharing!
Can this be frozen?
Hi Laura! Since it’s cream based it could separate a little. But you could try using a hand blender or whisk when warming up.
I made this today for lunch. It was so good we ate it for dinner too! Perfect 6 servings, enough to feed the three of us & felt full. For dinner I topped it with chicharrones. So good 😋
Hi there! Wow, I would have never thought of topping it with pork rinds! That sounds fabulous. So glad that you enjoyed this recipe❤
Or approx 2 cups chicken broth, 4 cups water, 1 cup cream for those who don’t want to Google it to make it all the same units.
Excellent! 🙂 Since we prefer not to eat pork I used organic ground turkey from Costco and used a recipe to turn it into a “flavorful sausage” with great spices. Topped soup with grated old cheddar cheese! Winner! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Subbing with your own turkey sausage is a fab idea! So glad it turned out so well, Shirley Yeo!
This was so unbelievably tasty. I used Better than Bouillon and spinach instead of kale, and cooked it in a slow cooker about 7.5 hours. The broth was a little thin, but the flavor was amazing! I’m currently enjoying leftovers for lunch, and I cant wait to make it again!
YAY!!! That is so awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! I’ve made this before and love it. Even my picky husband who is not even sure what kale is also likes it. I think its better with cauliflower than the regular version with potatoes. 👍👍
I’m so happy to hear this! I love this one even better than the original, too! Thanks for sharing, Debbie!
You forgot to add the bacon.
Yummy idea! Thanks for the suggestion!
This was so good!!! If this was served to me I would never guess it was cauliflower. Flavor was spot on!
I’m so glad to hear that! I love this recipe, too! Thanks for commenting!🥰
I love this recipe! Instead of using chunks of cauliflower I made rice out of my cauliflower. Just delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe…💕
I am so happy to hear how much you liked this! I love the idea of using cauliflower rice! THANK YOU!
I too missed the bacon, but topped off with a dollop of Pesto for more flavor.
That’s a great way to top it off, Irene! 😍
We’re a dairy-free family! Suggestions?
Yes! You could try a can of full-fat coconut milk. Let us know how it turns out if you decide to try it! 🥰
I added bacon and 8 oz cream cheese pkg , absolutely delicious
YUM! 😋 Thanks for sharing how you made yours!
I had to finally comment on this recipe as I’ve made it for family more than a dozen times! I use just broth, no water, for the most amount of flavor, and I always double the recipe (sometimes triple). If I was off on my eyeballing of liquids, I just use an immersion blender to thicken the soup a bit, only a little, because I want to have the chunks of veggies in it. It makes a great soup for a quick meal for those in need of when you are rushing to get dinner on the table. However, like most soups, it gets better overnight, so I usually make it the night before I need it. Anyway, add a salad and dinner is complete! Thank you for this recipe…it’s been a favorite for a long time.
I’m so glad this has become a favorite, Cee! 🎉You’re SO very welcome! Thank YOU for taking the time to let us know how much you’ve been loving this soup! We sure appreciate your feedback. 🥰🤗
How big is a serving size?
Hey Julie! It’s about 1 and 1/2 cups. Hoping this helps! 💖
Can you use frozen cauliflower?
Hey Esther! That could work too! Maybe just defrost and pat dry to remove any excess moisture. Let us know how it turns out for you! Hope you love it! 🤗❤️
I use frozen all the time. To save time, I steam it in it’s bag in the microwave, then add to my pot.
Thanks for the helpful comment, Cee! Great idea to steam it before adding! 🙌
Phenomenal and very easy to make. You really help people stay on track with your incredible recipes and the simplicity of making them, thank you
You’re very welcome, Big Dawg! 💞 So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and all the others you make from the site. 🤗 We sure appreciate the amazing feedback!