Gluten-Free Zuppa Toscana Soup, filled with chunks of white sweet potatoes, spicy sausage, and kale. This hearty creamy soup is perfect during the cooler months, and not only is it gluten-free but dairy-free as well!
Zuppa Toscana Soup has been a family favorite for years, especially during the cooler months. My homemade version of the Olive Garden favorite is made with healthier wholesome ingredients you can feel good about serving your family, and taste just like the original recipe, maybe even better!
Gluten-Free Zuppa Toscana Ingredients
This Zuppa Toscana soup is our favorite soup recipe ever! Made with healthy ingredients, all gluten, and dairy-free. You can even modify the recipe to make it whole30 soup-friendly.
- Ground Spicy Italian Sausage: This is a key ingredient for the best soup flavor. Look for a ground sausage that has both fennel and red pepper flakes.
- Chicken Broth: Look for low-sodium chicken stock options with gluten-free ingredients.
- Coconut Milk: Full-fat can of coconut milk, not coconut cream, is what gives this soup its creamy broth texture. For those who can tolerate dairy and do not like the taste of coconut milk, you can use heavy cream.
- Yellow Onion: This helps flavor the soup.
- White Sweet Potatoes: Hannah white sweet potatoes give a slightly sweet nutty flavor, but you could always use Yukon or red potatoes instead.
- Kale: Fresh steamless kale leaves give this soup both texture and flavor.
- Oil: Olive oil works great to saute vegetables.
- Garlic Powder: Helps flavor the soup. You could also add a few garlic cloves in place of the garlic powder.
- Salt and Pepper: For flavor.
How to Make Gluten-Free Zuppa Toscana
This healthy Zuppa Toscana soup can be made in under 30 minutes of cook time!
- Sauté the onions. In a large pot on medium heat add the oil and diced onion. Sauté until softened and translucent, around 5-6 minutes.
- Peel and dice the potatoes. While the onions are cooking, peel and dice the potatoes into ½-inch cubes. Set them aside.
- Brown the sausage. Add the ground sausage to the pot and cook until fully browned, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon into small crumbles.
- Drain the fat. Once the meat has browned, drain the fat with a colander or slotted spoon. Once drained, pour the onion and meat mixture back into the pot. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, coconut milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer the soup. On high heat bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the kale. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and add the kale to the pot. Continue to simmer the soup for another 5 minutes uncovered, or until the potatoes are tender. Serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this soup have a coconut taste?
No, this soup recipe does not have a coconut flavor. The full-fat coconut milk helps make a creamy dairy-free version. If you have a coconut allergy or do not wish to use coconut milk, you can always swap it for heavy cream. I have not tried this recipe with almond milk so I can not guarantee the results.
Can you make Zuppa Toscana in advance?
Yes, this homemade Zuppa Toscana recipe heats up wonderfully the next day. While setting in the refrigerator the flavors enhance, which is perfect for leftovers. This soup is not recommended for freezing.
Do I have to use white sweet potatoes?
No, this recipe calls for White sweet potatoes, also known as Hannah White Sweet Potatoes, which have a sweet nutty flavor compared to regular potatoes, which goes great with this soup. Next time you are at your local Whole Foods or health food store, check the potato section to see if they have them. If they are too difficult to find, you can substitute any other white potatoes, including Yukon Potatoes or Russet Potatoes.
Tips For The Best Zuppa Toscana
- To keep the kale bright green, you will want to add it at the end of the simmer and cook until just wilted.
- The spicy sausage can be challenging to find gluten-free. Just make sure to read the back of the ingredients before purchasing. We used a brand called Cantellasn Hot Italian Ground Sausage, found at our local Safeway grocery store which has a great flavor.
For Other Gluten-Free Soup Recipes and Sides, Check Out The Links Below
Recipe
Gluten-Free Zuppa Toscana Soup (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage
- 4 cups white sweet potatoes (peeled and diced) about 2-3 large potatoes.
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
- 4 cups kale (chopped and de-stemmed)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the onions. In a large pot on medium heat add the oil and diced onion. Sauté until softened and translucent, around 5-6 minutes.
- Peel and dice the potatoes. While the onions are cooking, peel and dice the potatoes into ½-inch cubes. Set them aside.
- Brown the sausage. Add the ground sausage to the pot and cook until fully browned, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon into small crumbles.
- Drain the fat. Once the meat has browned, drain the fat with a colander or slotted spoon. Once drained, pour the onion and meat mixture back into the pot. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, coconut milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer the soup. On high heat bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the kale. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and add the kale to the pot. Continue to simmer the soup for another 5 minutes uncovered, or until the potatoes are tender. Serve.
Leila says
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious! As a novice cook, I love simple- easy to follow recipes. One of my kids has a dairy allergy so I also love when I find a recipe that works for the everyone. I used ripple milk since I didn’t have coconut milk. Other than that, I followed the recipe just as it was written and it turned out great!
Rebecca Taig says
Leila,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. Navigating dairy allergies can be such a balancing act, so I'm thrilled it worked for everyone at the table.
LG says
I made this with ground chicken instead of sausage, and added some Italian herbs and chili flakes- it was phenomenal!! A very delish recipe I will be making again!
Rebecca Taig says
LG, thank you for leaving a review! 🙂
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe with the ground chicken and herb substitutes.
Kat says
Super easy and really yummy. Husband kept going back for seconds!!
Rebecca Taig says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe Kat!
Renee says
Phenomenal recipe! I almost cried at the thought of never eating this soup again and surely thought I’d pout thinking ‘it’s not the same without dairy’, but I was so wrong and even like it better! My husband and 6 kids loved it too. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
Rebecca Taig says
Renee,
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, it's one of our favorites! 🙂
Thank you for leaving a review.
Lauren E says
My family loved this recipe! I'm still thinking about it days later, which made me feel the need to write a glowing review. I will definitely be adding it to our meal rotation. Thank yoU!
Rebecca Taig says
Lauren,
Thank you for leaving review, I'm so glad you enjoyed this zuppa toscana soup.
Kylie says
Sooooo good!! I used chicken sausage and add red pepper flakes. Delicious
Rebecca Taig says
Kylie,
Thank you for leaving a review. The addition of red pepper flakes sounds amazing, as well as the chicken sausage.
Shantel says
My kids and I love it. I use 2 cups of Ripple milk instead of coconut.
Rebecca Taig says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Shantel, thank you for leaving a review. It's nice to know other milk alternatives work too.
Kevin says
So good I made it twice this week! The recipe was very easy to follow and I love the recommendations in the ingredient descriptions.
Lilli says
This might be my new favorite soup! We tried this recipe at home with both the recommended pork sausage, and then another time with a chicken sausage for an attempt to have something leaner. I would say the red pepper flakes in the pork sausage made all the difference! The chicken sausage with fennel was good, but it felt like something was missing. The coconut cream was a really good call on this recipe as well.
Jane Richard says
You stated to use coconut milk and not coconut cream, why not coconut cream?
Rebecca Taig says
Coconut cream may be a bit too thick for the soup, but you are more than welcome to give it a try. 🙂
Sarah says
How long will this stay good in the fridge for?
Rebecca Taig says
Hi Sarah,
This soup will stay good in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. 🙂
McKenna says
This was so easy to make and soooo delicious!! Added some Italian mixed cheese on top for my husband and it was a huge success!
Rebecca Taig says
McKenna,
Thank you so much leaving a review, I truly appreciate it.
I'm so glad the recipe was a success, it's one of our favorites!
Sarah says
Hi! This looks delicious. I love kale and sweet potatoes! I am wondering about swapping the sausage for a leaner chicken sausage or using lower fat coconut milk instead of full-fat. Have you tried any leaner variations; do you have any recommendations to this end?
Rebecca Taig says
Hi Sarah,
I have not tried a leaner meat option, but I think a savory chicken sausage could work as well as lite coconut milk. 🙂
Let me know if you try that combination.
Becca
Amy says
Could you use Spinach instead of the Kale in this recipe? We don’t really care for Kale.
Rebecca Taig says
Hi Amy!
You could certainly try to substitute spinach for kale, but the texture may be off, as kale is a bit more firm. Spinach wilts very quickly, so I would add the spinach at the very end without additional simmering.
You could also discard the leaves altogether and the recipe would still be amazing.
Let me know how the soup comes out. 🙂
Becca
Laura says
This was absolutely incredible!! The best Zuppa Toscana I've ever had! The recipe was easy to follow and so easy to make. I was able to find all the ingredients at my local grocery store, which was great because we don't have access to a variety of stores where I live.
I will definitely be making this over and over again!
Rebecca Taig says
Laura, thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe.