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!
- In a large frying pan on medium heat, sauté the onions in oil for 5-8 minutes until tender, then add the ground spicy sausage.
- Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage into small crumbles, and cook until fully browned.
- Drain the fat of the onion and cooked sausage mixture with a colander. Add the onion and sausage mixture to a large pot.
- Peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch cubes, then add the potatoes to the large pot with the remaining ingredients, minus the kale.
- On medium-high heat, bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the boil to a simmer and cover the pot for 15 minutes.
- Add the kale to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes, 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
Gluten-Free Zuppa Toscana Soup (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound 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
- In a large frying pan on medium heat add the oil, diced onions, and a splash of water. Cover the pan with a lid and sauté the onions until translucent, around 5-8 minutes.
- Add the ground sausage to the pan and cook until fully browned, breaking up the pieces with a spoon into small crumbles.
- Once the meat has browned, drain the fat with a colander then pour the onion and meat mixture in a large pot. Set aside.
- Peel and chop the potatoes into ½-inch cubes.
- Add the potatoes and remaining ingredients to the pot, minus the kale.
- On high heat bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add the kale to the pot and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Serve.
- Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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.