This Low Carb Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe is packed with flavor from crispy bacon, Italian Sausage, spinach and tender cauliflower, all simmered in a rich, creamy broth.
For more easy recipes packed with flavor, try our cauliflower wings and chicken caprese. They’re both reader favorites!
Why You’ll Love This Low Carb Keto Zuppa Toscana
From broccoli cheddar soup to lasagna soup, who doesn’t love to indulge in a big bowl of soup on a cold day?
Oh wait, you’re cutting carbs? Trying to follow a keto friendly diet? I feel ya. Doesn’t it seem like all the comfort foods involve carbs somehow? Well, not this Keto Zuppa Toscana recipe.
Here’s why you’ll love it.
- You may remember this Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe from a few years back. It’s SO good, and this recipe transforms it into a keto friendly dinner.
- Between the savory Italian sausage and thick-cut bacon, this is a recipe that’s absolutely packed with flavor. You won’t miss the carbs, I promise!
- This is also a soup that’s hearty and satisfying. You know how some soups leave you hungry for more? Not this Keto Zuppa Toscana!
Important Ingredient Notes
- Italian Sausage – I use the mild, bulk sausage. Use spicy if you prefer, or links with the casings removed.
- Thick cut bacon – Some people prefer to add the bacon at the end of the cook time as a garnish so that it stays crispy, not chewy. Your call.
- Beef broth – I like using beef bone broth, which has extra nutrients and collagen.
- Cauliflower – The dream vegetable that replaces potatoes in many low carb meals (like buffalo cauliflower). You can also use turnips if you prefer!
- Heavy whipping cream – For that indulgent creamy broth. The best thing about keto is the heavy cream!
- Spinach – While Olive Garden and many other people use kale, my family prefers the taste of spinach. You choose what you love!
How to Make Low Carb Keto Zuppa Toscana
Cook the Meat: Brown the sausage and bacon in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
Simmer: Add the beef bone broth, onions, garlic, and cauliflower. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
Add the Next Ingredients: Stir in the heavy cream and spinach, then cook until the spinach wilts.
Finish: Serve with Parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt, pepper, and/or crushed red pepper flakes.
Tips and Tricks
- Due to the creamy nature of the soup, this one isn’t suited for freezing. You can store leftover Low Carb Keto Zuppa Toscana in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat it on the stovetop over medium or in the microwave.
- Cut the cauliflower into even pieces to ensure it’s all done cooking at the same time.
- There’s a lot of room to make this recipe your own by adding different herbs and spices or other low carb vegetables.
Recipe FAQs
A ketogenic diet is a low carb, high fat diet, similar to Atkins. The goal of a ketogenic diet is to drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake and instead consume fats. By reducing your carbs it puts your body into a state of ketosis, burning fat for energy.
Avoid starches like bread, rice, pasta, and cereal. Beans and legumes are off the menu, and the only fruit allowed is small portions of berries. Potatoes and other root vegetables aren’t allowed, and neither are sugary foods and alcohol. On the bright side, you get to eat Crack Chicken with this easy sauteed cauliflower on the side!
Proteins such as fish, beef, chicken, eggs are all good to eat, as are leafy greens and vegetables that grow above ground like broccoli and cauliflower. Avocado, nuts, and seeds are also good choices and make great snack options. High fat dairy like hard cheeses, high fat cream, and butter get the thumbs up, and stevia is an acceptable keto-friendly sweetener. Thank goodness, because I use that in my favorite Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew coffee!
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Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb mild Italian Sausage
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 32 oz Beef bone broth or beef broth
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 head fresh cauliflower diced
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups fresh spinach 5 oz package, or kale
- salt and pepper optional
- crushed red pepper flakes optional
- shredded parmesan cheese for garnish optional
Instructions
- Using a large soup pot (like this dutch oven), brown your sausage and bacon together. Cut your bacon into bite sized pieces to make it easier to cook.
- Once your meat is cooked, add in beef bone broth, onions, garlic, and cauliflower. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
- Once the cauliflower is softened, add in heavy cream and spinach (or kale). Cook for about 5 minutes, until spinach (or kale) is soft.
- Serve with a spinkle of parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt, pepper, and/or crushed red pepper flakes. ENJOY!
Notes
- Swap out the cauliflower with turnips instead.
- Due to the creamy nature of the soup, this one isn’t suited for freezing.
Best soup ever! Made two more batches the same day I made the first one!!
Do you drain all the bacon fat after the meat is cooked before proceeding?
Just made this! Not sure if there will be any left before the husband comes home. Kuddos. I was worried it wasn’t tasty enough but I was wrong. I added a bit extra red crushed pepper for a kick.
It’s good also with diced turnips instead of potatoes.
Do you drain all the bacon fat after the meat is cooked before proceeding, or do you put it in the soup (for the Zappa Toscana)?
I didn’t but ended up skimming it off the top so I would recommend taking some out.
Really enjoyed this. Lightened it up by cutting the sausage, bacon and heavy cream in half. Still delicious!
I’ve made this several times for those low carb and not…everyone loves this. Well done!!
I find diced radish’s a better alternative in this soup instead of potatoes. Otherwise a wonderful recipe
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. I made it in the IP. I used homemade beef broth. Cooked it for 9 mins in IP. I followed all your ingredients, just used basic knowledge from IP for sauté. It was so good. Thank you. I will make this again. Please keep coming up with new recipes!!!!
I made this for the first time tonight. I used hot Italian sausages instead of mild. Just my preference. This is the best low carb soup I have ever made. I recommend this to anybody that want a low carb wounderfully flavorful soup.
I’m doing f factor and loosely followed this along with my orig al I make and noticed that the fiber count was zero? How is that possible with the amount of cauliflower and kale? Could you update the fiber content please?
This is delicious. I did make a couple of minor change that does not affect the over taste but does cut the carbs a little. I used only half the head of cauliflower and substituted in 1 cup of slices fresh mushrooms as they are lower in carbs. I also put the onions and garlic in with my meats when browning instead of afterward. The broth is so rich and flavorful. Don’t add extra salt to this until you taste at the end as beef broth can get salty. Oh yeah, I did add a little extra cream at the end as well. it just seems a little watery so I added another 1/4 cup cream. When you have been doing Keto for awhile something like this taste like nectar from the gods! I will definitely be making it again. Thank you for posting!
This really does taste like Olive Gardens. Thank you
This is great for someone who is following a low carb diet, but not for someone who is following a ketogenic diet. I am alotted 13 net carbs per day, so one serving of this soup leaves me no room for error. Most keto macros will not allow for more than 20 carbs per day. Also, I don’t understand how there is no fiber in this. Both spinach and cauliflower contain fiber, which would lower the net carb amount.
This soup is freaking awesome! Keto or not, it is simply delish! I used some of my home made chicken stock, but added 2 beef bullion cubes in place of any salt…the flavor combo was amazing. I used the thick sliced bacon…it was almost like eating pork belly in the soup! The only other change was to add some Italian seasoning (about 3/4 tsp). to complement the Tuscan flavors. And don’t skip the grated Parmesan on top. Hubby is already asking for it again!
You listed rice and wheat-based… There is no wheat in rice so that would be a good option 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
-Traci
I am making the zuppa soup now. Should I drain the sausage once it’s cooked?
I made meatballs with hot italian sausage and a bit of ground chuck. I followed the recipe and it smelled delicious and tasted great as well, right up until it said add heavy cream. I did add some heavy cream, but I felt like I could have omitted it, as I preferred the taste of of the plain beef stock. Will make this again, but without the heavy cream.
LOVED LOVED LOVED it!!! Next time I am going to add another 32oz of beef broth, only use 2 strips of bacon, drain the grease from the meat, double the cauliflower, and quadruple the spinach. I just cooked it and I stuck to the exact recipe except I put in 48oz of beef broth (all of my container) and I quadruple the spinach because it shrinks up so much. My entire family loved it!!! Will absolutely be making this again!
So great to hear!!!
I just made this last night and it was AMAZING. However, I did change one thing: instead of browning the sausage first and adding the onion and garlic, I started the whole thing by sauteeing the onion and garlic first in a 1/4 stick of butter first for about 12 minutes, then added the sausage to brown together. Sauteeing allium cuts that sulfur profile down and brings out a whole other level of flavor. Highly, highly recommended!
Soup er easy and soup er delish! I made it early in the afternoon and let it sit on the stove to cool a bit for an early supper. I can’t believe! How yummy it is
This soup recipe looks so good! I can’t wait to try this one. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I love the original version and knew I’d see this copy-cat version online. This turned out super delicious and better than the original in my humble opinion. I knew I skewed my net carb results, but I added half cauliflower, half broccoli, and a small zucchini chopped, and used chicken broth instead of beef as it’s what I had on hand. It will be on weekly meal rotation in my house from now on. Thank you for this one-pot wonder!