Our Keto Zuppa Toscana tastes just like the famous soup from Olive Garden, but we’ve swapped the potatoes for turnips and no one even knows! The turnips take on all the flavor of the soup and the texture is just like a potato.
Would you believe that I was an adult the first time I ever ate at an Olive Garden? Why in the world did my parents shield me from the deliciousness when I was a kid?!
Believe it or not, I still eat there every now and then. I usually go for a salad and chicken Alfredo – I just ask them to replace the pasta with steamed broccoli and they’re happy to accommodate!
I totally miss the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana recipe though. It’s one of my favorite soups to eat at a restaurant. Unfortunately, it’s loaded with carbs thanks to the flour they use as a thickener and the thin slices of potatoes.
This keto Zuppa Toscana recipe is a great copycat though!
I served this to my family and they had NO IDEA they were eating turnips instead of potatoes. I call that a win.
I hope you guys give this zuppa toscana with turnips a try. I know you’re going to love it!
This soup goes great with our cauliflower breadsticks! I wont pretend they taste like Olive Garden’s breadsticks, but they’re still darn good.
Ingredient Notes:
Spicy Italian Sausage – This classic Tuscan soup recipe tastes best when it is prepared with ground spicy Italian sausage, which blends nicely with the creamy flavors. You can use a mild Italian sausage instead, or even a sweet Italian sausage if you watch the carbs.
Bacon – You’ll cook this up with the sausage for even more savory flavor, and it tastes so good with the turnips and kale!
Garlic & Onion – A must in any good soup!
Chicken Broth – This is going to add most of the liquid for the low carb Zuppa Toscana, so make sure you use a good quality brand of chicken broth that has lots of flavor!
Turnips – They aren’t quite potatoes, but the texture is pretty similar and when they’ve been simmered in this soup with the other ingredients you won’t even notice the difference! I swear it’s magic.
Kale – This bulks up the soup a bit. If you don’t like kale, spinach would make a good substitute!
Heavy Cream – Traditional zuppa toscana is thickened with a roux, but we skipped that in favor of heavy cream. It adds a little body and creaminess.
Salt & Pepper – Just as much or as little as you like to taste.
- It’s a lot like the popular soup served up at Olive Garden, but without all the carbs!
- This homemade copycat recipe is just as good or better than what you’d get at the restaurant!
- It’s a great way to get some healthy veggies like turnips and kale into the kids without them complaining.
- The turnips soak up the flavor of the soup and the texture is just like a potato. My family didn’t even realize they were eating turnips.
How To Make Keto Zuppa Toscana:
- Meat- Add the Italian sausage and bacon to a pot. We like to use a dutch oven here. Brown the meat, stirring often to crumble up the sausage.
- Onion & Garlic – Stir in the onion and garlic and let things get nice and fragrant.
- Turnips – Drop in the sliced turnips and pour in the broth. You’ll want to simmer this for about 10 minutes to let those turnips soften up.
- Finish – Add the kale and continue cooking for about 5 minutes to wilt the kale and then stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper and dig in!
My Favorite Dutch Oven
This gorgeous Dutch oven is perfect for making soup, pot roast, and more. It goes from stove to oven as needed and looks pretty enough to leave out on your stovetop as decoration.
FAQs:
If you have leftover Tuscan soup you can keep it stored in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3 to 4 days! This soup is just as good when reheated so it’s perfect for leftovers!
Yes, you could freeze the soup in a freezer safe bag or container. It should be just as good after a few months!
More Low Carb Italian Recipes:
- Low Carb Alfredo Sauce
- Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Bruschetta Chicken
- Pork Tenderloin
- Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Baked Shrimp Scampi
- Air Fryer Chicken Caprese
- Italian Cauliflower Rice Skillet
Low Carb Zuppa Toscana
Zuppa Toscana - just like at Olive Garden but without all the carbs. My family had no idea they were eating turnips instead of potatoes in this low carb soup recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 turnips, sliced, about 10 ounces total
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large sauce pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage to the pot and begin to brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks.
- When the meat is about halfway browned, add the bacon, onion, and garlic and continue cooking and stirring until the sausage is fully cooked through.
- Add the chicken broth and turnips and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the kale and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until kale and turnips are both tender.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You may use spinach in place of kale if you prefer.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 bowlAmount Per Serving: Calories: 295Total Fat: 18gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 599mgCarbohydrates: 10gNet Carbohydrates: 7gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 20g
This recipe was originally published in December 2018. It was updated with new text and photos in March 2023. Original photos below:
Miz VeeSC says
Hi Karly- I’ve made many of your recipes and they have all been delicious! Being grain-free and low-carb for the last five years (AND a former Olive-Garden addict), I was excited to make this. I ended up simmering the broth and turnips about 25 minutes, and used about half the kale (no kale lovers in this household!). THIS WAS SOO GOOD…and of course even better the next day for lunch!! I’ll be making this soup on a regular basis now. Way to ‘hit it outta the park’ with this one, and thanks for all of you and your hubbie’s hard work!
Karly Campbell says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Valerie S says
Hi Karly-I used to be an Olive Garden fanatic so I can tell you this soup is SOOO good! It’s our new favorite (beating out taco & cheeseburger soups). Like most soups/sauces it was even better the next day! I’m not big on kale so only used 2 cups and added half cup more of the cream because the sausage I used was tooo spicy. I’ve shared this recipe and your site with many friends. Thanks for all you and your hubby do and keep up the great work!!
Karly Campbell says
Oh, I’m so glad you like the recipe so much! Thanks for the review and for sharing the recipe! 🙂
Drew Hunter says
Tasted great, but had to make a note to drop from 4 to 2 slices of bacon to reduce the bacon flavor on future makes on this one. Thank you, much better copy with the turnip than other versions I tried that had used cauliflower.
Meg says
Absolutely lovely recipe! I added Parmesan cheese and cavendar’s Greek seasoning. I’m a southern and like a little more spice. I cooked a good bit longer for my family’s sake.
But the base of this recipe is perfect! Thank you!
Vida says
You can use sliced radishes instead of turnips. The consistency is more like a potato.
Brittani says
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this recipe now. It’s so easy and the leftovers are my weekly lunches. This is the closest recipe I’ve gotten to Olive Garden’s, most others use Cauli instead of potatoes and to me it just doesn’t cut it. One of my favorite LC recipes and staple in my house. Thank you!
Karly Campbell says
So glad to hear that, Brittani!
Theresa says
Is there a slow cooker version? My husband and I both work swings with lots of overtime and to avoid “fast food” stops when we’re exhausted, I’m converting over to slow cooker meals that take a minimum of fuss to prep and are ready when we get home each morning.
Karly Campbell says
I haven’t tried this one in the slow cooker, but I think it’d be pretty easy to make it work. 🙂
Beverly Scaff says
I have tried this in the crockpot turns out lovely
Nicholas B. says
I had been eyeing this for a long time now, but never had the chance to make it. However, with the possibility of a snow day, a couple of days back, I decided to make it and I am SO glad I did. I substituted cauliflower for turnips, as turnips aren’t my favorite, and used a mix of hot and mild Italian sausage. Delicious the night of and even better the day after.