Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup with cauliflower

This low carb Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup with cauliflower recipe is packed with the flavors you love in regular Zuppa Toscana while helping you stay on track if you’re low carbing it right now.

I don’t normally feel pressure to diet in January. In fact, I’m not big on diets of any kind whatsoever. I generally believe that you can have everything in moderation with a couple of really good food days and a couple of days where you binge on popcorn, Twizzlers and soda at the movies with your kids.

But now here I am this month feeling like I need to lose a few pounds. I have pandemic weight that is a Stage 5 Clinger and I want to lose it – badly. So I decided that this month I would low carb it and do my best to avoid all my favorites – pasta, bread, ice cream – while working out each day. So far, so good.

I’m a soup lady

However, all that has led me to looking for recipes that I can alter so I can still enjoy some winter comfort food while maintaining this healthier lifestyle for a bit. This Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup with cauliflower comes in.

To know me is to know that I’m a soup person. I could eat soup like this Creamy Tomato Soup or this Chicken Tortellini Soup or my Homemade Vegetable Soup all year round. And I do. (That Vegetable Soup is a particularly good soup if you need to cleanse after holidays and big birthdays.) That makes Zuppa Toscana right up my alley. The only problem is it’s packed with potatoes.

So, in order to continue my soup eating ways, and stick to the low carb lifestyle for the moment, I’ve made a low carb Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup with cauliflower that tastes just like the real thing. I’m not kidding when I say I was surprised at how good this soup was when I tasted it. In fact it tastes so close that I might always make it Keto Zuppa Toscana with cauliflower even once I’m back to eating carbs.

What is a Keto Diet?

A Keto Diet (short for Ketogenic) means the food you’re eating is low carb, high fat – like this Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup with cauliflower or this Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken.

The goal is to reduce your overall carb intake and increase your fat intake because then your body will (Ideally) go into a state of Ketosis. That means it more effectively burns fat for your energy.

If you want to learn more about it, check out what WebMd has to say about it {HERE}. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist and while I can give you a few lines about it, you should always turn to true experts when it comes to your health and wellness…ideally people with degrees and who practice medicine, not any blogger.

So what are you eating?

Now while I may be trying to reduce breads, rice, pasta and potatoes this month, there’s still plenty I can eat. And thank the Lord, heavy cream and cheeses are all welcome on the Keto Diet, which is why I picked it. 🙂 I can’t give up all my vices.

You can also eat proteins like fish, beef, chicken and pork while filling in the gaps with vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli.

Ingredients in Keto Zuppa Toscana with cauliflower

The low carb Keto Zuppa Toscana with cauliflower has so many of these good ingredients that I love to incorporate into my foods anyways.

First, the soup includes Italian sausage. I won’t lie. This might actually be my favorite meat to cook with. You’ll find it in a lot of my pastas because of that. I prefer it to chicken most of the time too.

And like the name says, this Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup with cauliflower includes plenty of cauliflower. It also includes delicious fresh kale, some red pepper for a kick, onion, garlic, heavy cream and Parmesan.

All of this mixes together to truly create a flavor explosion with a bit of spice of the back end.

Tips for making Keto Zuppa Toscana with Cauliflower

• First, this soup does have a little kick to it thanks to the red pepper and Mild Italian Sausage. If you want less of a kick, cut the red pepper flakes a bit Don’t remove them all or you won’t really be eating Zuppa Toscana. They add to the overall flavor.
• Another way to make it a bit less zippy is to use a Sweet Italian Sausage. I always use Mild Italian Sausage but even that can be a bit spicy. I prefer the flavor over the sweet though.
• Make sure to prep and cut all your ingredients ahead of time. The Keto Zuppa Toscana with cauliflower recipe actually moves pretty fast so I find it easier it everything is all chopped and ready.
• Use the whole head of the cauliflower and not just the crowns. The white stems will help to fill your bowls just as well as the crowns. I like to pack everything in there. If it’s green, keep it out.
• This soup can keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I love to make it once and then eat it for lunch throughout the week.
• To reheat, you can put it back on the stove or add it to the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for a few minutes.

Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope that you love the Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup with cauliflower. You can find the full, printable recipe below.

If you have a question you need answered ASAP, please DM me on Instagram @rachelquenzer or @sugarmaplefarmhouse. I usually see those messages first and will respond. However, if it’s the weekend I won’t answer until Monday. Work life balance is also a thing I’m trying to do this month. 

Happy eating!

Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup with cauliflower

This Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup with cauliflower is a great way to have the soup you love with less carbs! Easy and delicious!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner, lunch

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: keto zuppa toscana soup with cauliflower

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Author: Rachel

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 lb Mild Italian Sausage, casings removed
• 32 oz + 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil - divided
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 red red pepper, chopped small
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. table salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cups kale, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley per bowl for topping
• Additional Toppings: Bacon, more Parmesan cheese, additional red pepper flakes, fresh cracked

Instructions

• * If you want to make this recipe and top it with bacon, add strips of bacon to a cookie sheet and put them in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a Dutch oven and then add the Italian Sausage, casings removed. Brown the sausage and break it up as it cooks. Then remove it from the pot and wipe out any excess oil to remove extra fat.
• Add in 2 Tbsp. olive oil and then add onion, garlic, red pepper, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute it all over medium heat until the onions and pepper soften. Stir regularly. Total time about 4 minutes.
• Add the white wine to the pan and deglaze it, scraping the brown bits on the bottom and sides as you go.
• Once the white whine had almost evaporated, add the chicken broth and the cauliflower. Cover the pot and let the mixture cook on medium to low for 10 minutes.
• Turn the heat to low and add in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Mix well until all the cheese has melted.
• Add the Italian Sausage back in and let everything simmer for about 5 minutes. You might see the grease from the sausage accumulate on the top of the soup. You can scrape this off with a spoon and add it to a bowl until it hardens. Then discard.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the kale. It will wilt in about 2 minutes.
• Serve and top with parsley, bacon, additional cheese, red pepper, salt and pepper