Zuppa Toscana (Dairy free!)

This Zuppa Toscana is my cozy, veggie-forward take on the classic Italian soup. The amazing flavor in this soup comes from a combination of Italian sausage, sweet onion, tomato paste, and Italian herbs. There are already a number of vegetables in Zuppa Toscana, however I like to add in some extra vegetables to up the fiber and heartiness. I also swap the typical heavy cream for a homemade cashew cream and use turkey instead of pork to keep it lower in saturated fat.

This soup is an amazing comfort meal for a chilly night or whenever you need a delicious, one pot meal to fill you up. It's a soup you can feel good about grabbing a second helping of!

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Recipe Type: Main Dishes, Soups

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 4

Description

My hearty, Italian-inspired Zuppa Toscana is loaded with veggies, herbs, and turkey sausage, finished with creamy dairy-free cashew cream.

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup boiling water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground Italian sausage (I like turkey or venison)
1 medium sweet onion, diced (1.5 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (1 cup)
2 medium carrots, diced (1.5 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp each dried oregano, basil, and thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 medium russet or 3 Yukon gold potatoes, diced (500g or 3 cups)
4 cups low sodium chicken broth (see notes for options)
3 cups chopped kale
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese + more for serving (omit for dairy free or see notes)
fresh parsley or basil for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1
Start by soaking your cashews. In a blender cup, combine 1/2 cup raw cashews with 1 cup boiling water. Let the cashews soak for about 30 minutes before blending.
2
Heat up a large pot on medium heat. Add in the olive oil and heat for a few seconds. Add in the ground Italian sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned and cooked through, remove from the pot and set aside. Try to leave as much oil in the pot as you can.
3
Next, add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until golden and soft. Turn heat to medium low if needed to prevent burning.
4
Add in the minced garlic, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to the pot and let cook about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
5
To the pot add the potatoes and chicken broth/water. Bring this to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
6
When almost done cooking, blend up your soaking cashews.
7
When potatoes are tender, add in the cashew cream, kale, parmesan cheese, and return the cooked meat. Stir to combine. Let simmer for a couple minutes to combine the flavors and let the kale wilt some. Feel free to taste and add extra salt and pepper as desired.
8
Serve with fresh parsley or basil on top and extra parmesan if desired. Enjoy!
9
Keeps for 5 days in the fridge.
10
8. Once the kale is wilted (about 5 minutes), you can serve and enjoy! Top with fresh parsley.

Notes

What could I use in place of cashew cream?

If you'd rather use something else, feel free to use 1-1.5 cups of a dairy-free heavy cream (such as country crock), regular heavy cream, or half & half. You could use milk, however it will not be as thick as cream.

How can I control the amount of salt in Zuppa Toscana soup?

To lower the salt in this recipe, you can replace 4 cups of broth with 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth and 2 cups water (this is what I do!) Additionally, you can leave out any additional salt. Try using a lower sodium Italian sausage if you can find it.

Can I make Zuppa Toscana vegan?

Yes! To make this recipe vegan, simply use a vegan Italian sausage, such as beyond meat brand. To replace the parmesan cheese you can use nutritional yeast or a vegan parmesan replacement.

Keywords: zuppa toscana, italian, hearty soup, dairy free soup, italian sausage, kale, high fiber meals, high protein meals