Keto Zuppa Toscana
Italian sausage, crispy bacon and kale in a creamy, gently spicy broth, with cauliflower standing in for the potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
1½ cups- Net carbs
- 7.8g
- Calories
- 428kcal
- Protein
- 17g
- Fat
- 36g
- Total carbs
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 2.1 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Dairy-free: Full-fat coconut milk in place of the cream. The sausage, bacon and garlic are bold enough that the coconut barely shows; skip the parmesan.
- Stir in the coconut milk instead of the cream and keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. Leave off the parmesan.
Radish "potatoes": Simmered radishes lose their peppery bite and turn tender and potato-like, and they hold their shape better than cauliflower.
- Simmer the radishes in the broth for 12–15 minutes, until a knife slides in easily and they look pale pink and slightly translucent.
Ground turkey: Ground turkey seasoned with Italian herbs and smoked paprika stands in for the pork sausage — leaner, with no fat to pour off.
- Season the turkey with the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and ½ teaspoon of the salt as it browns in the bacon fat. Cook 7–8 minutes, until no pink remains (165°F/74°C).
- Keep all of the bacon fat in the pot — lean turkey needs it.
- Nice to have (optional)
- Nice to have (optional)
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $14.65 for 6 servings ($2.44 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels, leaving the fat in the pot.
-
Add the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles, and cook 7–8 minutes until browned with no pink remaining (160°F/71°C). Remove with the slotted spoon and pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat.
-
Add the onion and cook 4 minutes until translucent, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
-
Pour in the broth, scraping up the browned bits, and add the cauliflower. Simmer 10–12 minutes until the florets are tender but still hold their shape.
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Return the sausage to the pot and stir in the cream and kale. Simmer 3–4 minutes until the kale is wilted and bright green. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
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Ladle into bowls and top with the crispy bacon and a little grated parmesan.
Tips for success
-
Cut the cauliflower into chunky, potato-sized pieces rather than tiny florets so it keeps some bite. - Sausages vary in carbs depending on fillers; check the label and choose one without added sugar or breadcrumbs.
- For a thicker, more velvety broth, blend 1 cup of the cooked cauliflower with a ladle of broth and stir it back in.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 2 months
Reheat: Reheat over medium heat until steaming, stirring, without letting it boil hard.
Prep tip: To freeze, leave out the kale and stir a handful of fresh kale into each portion as it reheats.
Refrigerate up to 4 days. To freeze (up to 2 months), leave out the kale and add fresh kale as you reheat.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosDairy-free
DietFull-fat coconut milk in place of the cream. The sausage, bacon and garlic are bold enough that the coconut barely shows; skip the parmesan.
- heavy cream → canned coconut milk
7.9 g net · 372 kcal · 17 g protein · 30 g fat · ≈$2.31 per serving (+0.1 g net carbs vs the original)
Radish "potatoes"
SwapSimmered radishes lose their peppery bite and turn tender and potato-like, and they hold their shape better than cauliflower.
- cauliflower florets → radishes
7.1 g net · 422 kcal · 17 g protein · 36 g fat · ≈$2.41 per serving (−0.7 g net carbs vs the original)
Ground turkey
ProteinGround turkey seasoned with Italian herbs and smoked paprika stands in for the pork sausage — leaner, with no fat to pour off.
- Italian sausage (mild or hot) → ground turkey
- + 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- + 1 tsp smoked paprika
5.8 g net · 323 kcal · 22 g protein · 23 g fat · ≈$2.66 per serving (−2 g net carbs vs the original)
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