Healthy Zuppa Toscana

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This Healthy Zuppa Toscana features loads of veggies including carrots, sweet potatoes, and kale. This creamy, hearty, and delicious soup is naturally gluten free and dairy 1free.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Healthy

Keyword Healthy Zuppa Toscana, zuppa toscana healthy

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 543kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $13.12

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup each: diced yellow onion, diced carrots
1 pound ground Italian sausage (mild or hot--See Note 1)
Fine sea salt & pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Optional: 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons white flour (or GF flour to keep GF)
5 cups good-quality chicken broth (like Swanson)
4 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (~3 medium)
2 tightly packed cups shredded kale
1 can (13.5 oz.) full-fat coconut milk (Note 2)
Optional: Parmesan cheese (Note 3)

US - Metric

Instructions

VEGGIES AND SAUSAGE: Add oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in diced onions and carrots. Sauté 5-7 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Press to edges of the pan. Add Italian sausage to the center of the pan. Season to taste (I add 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper) and add smoked paprika along with red pepper flakes (if using). Cook, crumbling as you go, until browned. If there is more than 1 tbsp grease, drain off excess (See Note 4).
THICKEN: Add minced garlic and sprinkle flour over everything. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Very gradually add in the chicken broth, while stirring, and scraping the bottom of the pan. Once all broth is added in, add in sweet potatoes and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low (cook at a gentle simmer). Cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
KALE: Remove the lid and add in shredded kale and coconut milk; stir through. Simmer until kale is wilted, another 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from heat, ladle into bowls and use a microplane to grate a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top if desired (Parmesan cheese has dairy). Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Note 1: Sausage: This soup is on the sweeter side due to the sweet potatoes and coconut milk. To balance out the sweet, we add a touch of red pepper flakes along with smoked paprika. Using spicy sausage is another way to add some heat to balance against the sweet. That said, if you don't like spice, use mild sausage-- but note the soup will be on the sweeter side. If using sausage in casings, remove from casings first.

Note 2: Coconut milk: We highly recommend using full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture in this soup recipe. Lite coconut milk doesn’t thicken as nicely and won’t result in the rich full flavor that regular coconut milk provides. While not overpoweringly coconut-flavored, it certainly is present. If you don't enjoy coconut flavor, use half-and-half or heavy cream instead (soup will no longer be dairy-free).

Note 3: Parmesan cheese: This is a totally optional topping, so leave it out if you need this soup to be dairy-free. If using, we recommend grating the Parmesan cheese with a microplane, which gives it a great texture and allows the cheese to melt beautifully into the soup.

Note 4: Grease: Drain off all but 1 tbsp of the sausage drippings. At the end of preparing this soup, if there is still too much leftover grease for your liking, allow the soup to cool for 15-20 minutes. The grease will rise to the top and you can gently skim it off the top.

Nutrition