With the weather starting to cool off it makes me in the mood for soup. This Zuppa Toscana (Low Carb Style) Soup is so comforting on a day when there is a chill in the air. With this recipe, there are usually leftovers to have for lunch the next day which is a plus. The Zuppa Toscana soup from Olive Garden is one of my favorites, it is really easy to make at home. This is my version of the soup that fits into our low carb lifestyle.
I sub the potatoes for turnips, they are the perfect substitution for potatoes in soup recipes. To prep the turnips I use a paring knife to remove the tough skin then chop up just like you would a potato. I happened to have leftover pulled pork leftover in my freezer so I used that as the protein here. When I make this without using leftover meat I use 1 pound of Italian sausage. Use whatever you have available to you. Leftover chicken would be delicious too! Here are a few tips to make your prep time faster.
Zuppa Toscana (Low Carb Style) Recipe Tips
- Use a microplane for grating the garlic right into the pot. You can see a whole post about that here.
- Use the same microplane for grating the parmesan cheese over the top, no need to dirty 2 items!
- The key to getting a good flavor broth is to make sure you scrape up all the brown bits after you add the stock and water, all the flavor is locked in there.
- To strip the kale, grab it by the stem with one hand and with your other hand use your first finger and middle finger like a claw. Start at the base of the stem and use those claw fingers to remove the leaves from the tough stem. I rinse my leaves in the sink and place them on a kitchen towel to dry off a bit.
Enjoy!
Zuppa Toscana (Low Carb Style)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 pound turnip peeled and diced
- 1 pound sausage *
- 1 bunch kale cleaned, stripped, and chopped
- 1 cup cream
- salt and pepper
- parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or dutch oven heat 1 tablespoon of oil and the raw sausage (if you are using). Cook this, stirring, until brown, about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and reserve for later. If you are using leftover meat skip this step and just add the onion. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute.
- Add the stock and the water and use your wooden spoon to scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring this mixture to a boil and then add the turnips. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the kale and the meat (either the sausage you browned earlier or whatever leftover meat you may be using). Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cream, stir and season with salt and pepper as needed. If desired top with some parmesan cheese before serving .
