Copycat Zuppa Toscana – A Healthy Spin on Potato Sausage Soup

Our Healthy Zuppa Toscana Recipe 

Truth be told, growing up our family was big Olive Garden fans. Something about those unlimited breadsticks, endless pasta, and bowls of hearty soup kept us coming back.  Fast forward into adulthood, where to our dismay, we realized this may not have been the healthiest of eating establishments. Now we gravitate much more to non chain restaurants, however, the one dish that stuck with us over the years was the Zuppa Toscana. 

That hearty potato and sausage soup was always the highlight of the meal. As we got older and more interested in healthy eating, we set out to recreate this soup recipe into something that was not laden with excess salt, fat and unnecessary additives. Instead of using heavy cream and thickeners, we use milk (or coconut milk for paleo or whole 30) and allow the natural breakdown of the potato to thicken the soup.  This potato and sausage soup has become a family favorite recipe in our homes. The best part is it is a one pot meal. The addition of kale gives the soup a healthy dose of greens, and the sausage and bacon round out the protein. In order to keep the fat content in check we use Italian chicken sausage which is still delicious and gives just the right amount of spice.  Try it out and tell us what you think!

Live Fully,

Deanna and Joy

Copycat Zuppa Toscana

Recipe by Sculpt DailyCourse: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: Italian

Servings

4

servings

Calories

503

kcal

Ingredients

• 4 -5 large russet potatoes peeled and chopped Into 1 Inch cubes (or larger If desired)

• 4 cloves of garlic minced

• 1 yellow onion chopped

• 7 slices of thick cut bacon

• 16 oz of ground chicken Italian sausage (we love the hot kind)

• 1 bunch of kale (chopped)

• 2 quarts of low sodium chicken broth

• 1 1/2 cup of milk (or 1 can coconut milk for whole 30 or paleo)

• red pepper flakes to taste

• salt and pepper to taste

• Parmesan cheese to garnish (omit for paleo and whole 30)

Directions

• warm a large stock pot on medium heat.
• Cut up bacon into pieces and add to hot pan. Cook until bacon is starting to brown, but not until crisp.
• Use a slotted spoon and remove bacon from pot and set aside in the refrigerator.
• Remove all but a couple teaspoons of bacon fat from the pot. add in the sausage and cook until starting to brown.
• Once sausage is starting to brown and pink is gone, add in chopped onion and minced garlic. Saute’ until onion is translucent and soft.
• Add in chicken stock, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Then add chopped potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil and then once boiling, cover and reduce to a simmer until potatoes are soft and starting to break down (about 25 min)
• Once potatoes are soft and falling apart, stir in milk or coconut milk.
• Finally add bacon back in along with chopped kale. Serve Hot with parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Notes

• Sculptdaily.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although SculptDaily.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.