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.
This copycat Zuppa Toscana soup recipe was first published in November 2018. I updated the recipe notes and images in January 2026.
When I created this Low Carb Zuppa Toscana, I didn’t want it to taste like a watered-down version of the soup I already loved. The trick was figuring out what I could change without losing what makes Zuppa Toscana so good in the first place.
Swapping the potatoes for cauliflower keeps the carbs lower, while Italian sausage, bacon, garlic, beef broth, and heavy cream give you that rich, savory flavor and hearty texture you’re craving.
I’ve been sharing this recipe on Shugary Sweets since 2018, and it’s become a reader favorite (and featured in Men’s Health and Parade magazine) for good reason. I’ve kept the recipe simple and flexible, too; you can use spinach or kale, swap the cauliflower for turnips, and add crushed red pepper if you like more heat.
Awesome recipe! Way better than any restaurant. Fast and easy to prepare.
– Victoria
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!
Keto Zuppa Toscana Ingredients
For the complete list of recipe ingredients with measurements, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- 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 This Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
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.
Keto Zuppa Toscana Variations
One of the things I love about this keto zuppa toscana is how easy it is to make it your own. I’ve made mine with cauliflower and spinach because that is what my family prefers. There are plenty of ways to change the flavor, or simply use what you already have in the refrigerator.
- Make it Spicy. Swap the mild Italian sausage for hot Italian sausage. Or increase the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Swap the Cauliflower. Turnips or radishes are low carb and delicious.
- Change the Greens. My family prefers spinach, but kale gives this soup that more familiar flavor. You can also try Swiss chard. Just keep in mind you may need a little more cooking time for heartier greens.
- Keep the Bacon Crispy. Instead of simmering the bacon in the soup, cook it until crispy and reserve it to top each bowl at the end.
Tips for This Toscana Soup Recipe
- 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.
How to Store This Toscana Soup
- Keep leftover low carb zuppa toscana soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat leftover soup on the stovetop over low-medium heat or in the microwave.
- Freeze soup in an airtight freezer container for up to 3 months. When reheating, heat on low to avoid the cream to separate. Add more cream if needed.
Toscana Soup Recipe FAQs
Build layers of flavor instead of adding everything at once. Brown the sausage, use the bacon drippings to saute the veggies, and choose a flavorful broth for the base.
I prefer beef bone broth for my keto zuppa toscana because it gives the soup a richer, deeper flavor that stands up to the meat and cream. Use lower-sodium when possible so you can control the final seasoning yourself.
Typically soup goes well with bread. But, if you want to keep it low carb, serve this zuppa toscana soup with salad instead!
I suggest keeping leftovers for no longer than 4 days. Otherwise you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
More Soup Recipes
- Every family needs a classic homemade chicken noodle soup recipe they can count on for dinners.
- For a hearty, savory dinner, my easy Instant Pot French Onion Soup recipe is delicious.
- My Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe is pure comfort food. I’ve added some delicious pie crust strips on top for a crunchy, buttery finish.
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Keto Zuppa Toscana Recipe
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.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
I made this with a turnip. Superb! Easy. Love. Love.
What is a serving size?
It was about 10 Oz for me when I made it today!
Excellent recipe! Everyone loved it and was super easy to make.
This soup was so good and hearty for a cool day with out all the carbs
I absolutely love this recipe. It’s so versatile. I’ve made it several times. Each time I look to my pantry for variations. My latest was to use part chicken bone broth and part no salt chicken broth. I used fresh cauliflower and 1/2 package of Trader Joe’s Tri-color cauliflower. Coconut milk instead of cream. So yummy!
I made this with some tweaks. I cooked the cauliflower in the air fryer first to enhance the flavors. I cooked the sausage and then drain out of the pot. Cooked onion and garlic in some of the sausage oil and bits on the bottom. Added beef broth, cooked sausage, and a leftover Parmesan rind I had in the freezer. Once simmering, I added the mostly cooked cauliflower and kale. Then stirred in just a few Tbsp of cream. Served with a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley and bacon pieces. Carb-loving, vegetable-shy boyfriend loved it! I’m making batch 2 as we speak.
I followed this exactly and loved it. My husband and I have been eating it for a week straight. Thanks so much. I went through the comments and read some of the changes people were making and personally was disgusted. I hate chicken, and chicken broth or turkey bacon. Keto needs fat and sodium, why use low sodium? Geez people
The recipe as written is very tasty. It doesn’t seem balanced to me. Too much Cauliflower, not enough Green. When I made it the second time I used 1/2 the cauliflower and 3 times the greens. (Broccoli Rabe ) I also used spicy Italian sausage, instead of mild, chicken stock instead of beef bone broth and 1 cup of coconut cream instead of 1/2 c. Heavy cream. I also cooked bacon first then put it on the soup when serving it so it would remain crisp. No matter how crispy bacon starts off, it gets soggy in the course of cooking soup
This would be better in my mind if the cauliflower and spinach proportions were swapped. Too much white, not enough green, but flavor is excellent. Also if I make this again I will add crisp bacon on top to serve. It got soggy almost immediately when broth was added
Delicious! Thank you!
Can you can or freeze this soup after made?
Did mine in instant pot for 6 mins then sauté with cream and spinach and it came out perfect. Yum
This was good but nutrition info must be way off.
I just calculated a rough estimate using the ingredients list (leaving out negligible items like garlic, onion, salt, pepper). And came up with 465 calories and 5 net carbs per serving if you divide everything by 6 servings.
The nutrition information automatically populates, I always tell people to check their own numbers for that reason!
I was hesitant at first but this has so much flavor. I really enjoy pepper flakes so I added some when I added the cauliflower. I just want to drink the broth forever!
I love this recipe so much that I’ve now made it two weeks in a row. I make some subtle changes like buying whatever Sausage is on sale and adding Italian seasoning. I also add an entire 10oz bag of spinach and use frozen riced cauliflower. Simple, quick and delicious!
I don’t eat pork or beef so I made this with Turkey bacon & chicken spicy sausage with lo-sodium chicken broth. Oh my gosh, it doesn’t have the amount of Fat as the traditional, but the taste is amazing. I added kale ilo spinach. So good! Added a little olive oil to brown sausage & bacon as doesn’t render the fat like pork bacon & sausage.
One of the best Keto soups we’ve made. Hearty and yummy. Great hit with our entire group.
This is my favorite Keto Zuppa Toscana recipe. It’s quick, flavorful, and a chilly day favorite.
This is delightful! I cooked the bacon and sausage first in the oven and used the residual fat to roast a head of garlic, the onions and the cauliflower on a sheet pan. I transferred the bacon, sausage, roasted cauliflower and aromatics to the bone broth that had been warming in the Dutch oven and then added the spinach and heavy cream. So filling and delicious – thank you for sharing!
Great tips!
Yum! Thanks for sharing