The Best Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana (with Instant Pot Option)
This hearty Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana, made with coconut milk, kale, potatoes, Italian sausage, and bacon, is a tasty, filling one-pot meal. Make on the stove top in 40 mins or go for the super convenient Instant Pot version.
Our Olive Garden copycat Zuppa Toscana is made with dairy free cream, Italian or Cumberland sausage, bacon, potatoes and kale. The ultimate meat and potato soup, it is perfect for soup season with its warming and spicy flavors.
This dairy free Zuppa Toscana (also known as ‘Tuscan Soup’) is your new best friend for when chilly soup season starts calling.
It feels indulgent, but is actually super easy to make. Great for cozy dinners, this recipe strikes the right balance between comfort and classy.
The original Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana recipe has dairy cream, so we’ve made a copycat recipe that uses either coconut milk or dairy free heavy cream (that’s double cream in the UK!). Choose whichever you can find, as either work well with our recipe.
When you’ve tried this Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana, you might also like our Dairy Free Homemade Tomato Soup and our Dairy Free Leek Potato Soup.
Why You’ll Love This Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana Recipe
- It’s potato soup taken to another level
- Comforting and satisfying
- Dairy free
- Sausage and crispy bacon, need I say more?
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Italian sausage: Choose sweet, mild or hot Italian Sausage depending on how spicy you want your soup. If you’re in the UK, use Cumberland or Italian style sausages. You need a pork sausage variety with spices, which give the soup great warming flavor. Make sure you remove any skins as we only need the sausage meat.
- Potatoes: Use white potatoes such as Russet, Yukon Gold, Maris Piper or King Edward as they will absorb the soup flavor well.
- White onion
- Garlic cloves
- Chicken stock
- Red pepper flakes: This will give the soup a kick of heat, so adjust the amount according to how spicy you like your soup.
- Coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk or plant based heavy cream (double cream if you’re in the UK): If using coconut milk, you want the cans that are part thick cream, part liquid. Some are all liquid, which is fine, but just make sure you don’t use the boxed Coconut Milk Drink!
- Kale: I love to use cavolo nero, but regular chopped curly kale is a good substitute.
- Bacon: Use either chopped bacon rashers or pre chopped bacon bits.
- Salt and black pepper
How to Make Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana
Stovetop Method:
Step 1 – Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the sausage meat and red pepper flakes. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage meat from the pan and set aside. Also, remove most of the excess grease grease from the pan.
Step 2 – Add the bacon bits to the pan and fry until crispy, 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan with the slotted spoon and set aside for later. Leave any bacon fat in the pan.
Step 3 – Add 1 diced onion to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, salt and cooked sausage to the pan. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are almost fork tender.
Step 4 – Stir in in the dairy free cream (or coconut cream/milk, depending on which you’re using) and kale and simmer on low for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5 – Serve warm, garnished with bacon bits.
Instant Pot Method:
Step 1 – Turn the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting and fry the bacon bits until crispy, around 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Step 2 – Still on Sauté mode, add the sausage meat and red pepper flakes. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and sauté until it is brown and cooked through.
Step 3 – Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Hit ‘cancel’ to turn off the Sauté function.
Step 4 – Pour in a splash of chicken stock and deglaze the pot, scraping off any brown bits on the bottom. Then add the potato, the rest of the chicken stock, cooked sausage and salt and mix to combine. Secure the lid and set to Sealing. Choose Manual Pressure on HIGH for 5 minutes. When the cooking time has finished, hit CANCEL and quick-release the pressure.
Step 5 – Remove the lid, add the chopped kale and heat through until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the dairy free cream (or coconut cream/milk, depending on what you’re using). Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm garnished with bacon bits.
Leftovers
In the fridge Once cooled to room temperature, place the Zuppa Toscana in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat Place in a saucepan over medium low heat until fully heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you make this Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana soup recipe I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram (@thesunshinepantry) or Facebook so I can see your amazing creation!
The Best Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana (with Instant Pot Option)
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb italian or Cumberland sausage (8 sausages) skins removed
- pinch of chilli flakes
- bacon bits
- 1 small white onion diced
- 4 medium potatoes cut into into bite-sized pieces
- 4 cups chicken stock (1 ltr)
- ½ lb cavolo nero kale (200g) stems removed and leaves chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup dairy free cream or full-fat coconut milk (240ml)
Instructions
On the stovetop
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the sausage meat and red pepper flakes. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage meat from the pan and set aside. Also, remove most of the excess grease from the pan.
- Add the bacon bits to the pan and fry until crispy, 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan with the slotted spoon and set aside for later. Leave any bacon fat in the pan.
- Add 1 diced onion to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, salt and cooked sausage to the pan. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are almost fork tender.
- Stir in in the dairy free cream (or coconut cream/milk, depending on which you’re using) and kale and simmer on low for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm, garnished with bacon bits.
In the Instant Pot
- Turn the Instant Pot to the high Sauté setting and fry the bacon bits until crispy, around 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Still on Sauté mode, add the sausage meat and red pepper flakes. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and sauté until it is brown and cooked through.
- Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Hit 'cancel' to turn off the Sauté function.
- Pour in a splash of chicken stock and deglaze the pot, scraping off any brown bits on the bottom. Then add the potato, the rest of the chicken stock, cooked sausage and salt and stir to combine. Secure the lid and set to Sealing. Choose Manual Pressure on HIGH for 5 minutes. When the cooking time has finished, hit CANCEL and quick-release the pressure.
- Remove the lid, add the chopped kale and heat through until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the dairy free cream (or coconut cream/milk, depending on what you’re using). Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm garnished with bacon bits.
Notes
- Sausage: If you have regular ground sausage, add 1 teaspoon mixed italian herbs or herbes de provence and an additional pinch of crushed chilli flakes.
- Dairy Cream alternatives: Use coconut milk, plant based heavy cream (double cream in the UK), or cashew cream. Ccocnut milk gives a nice balance to the spice but plant based cream and cashew cream have a more neutral flavor. Avoid coconut milk if you don’t want a coconut flavor.
- Greens: Traditional Zuppa Toscana recipes use kale, but spinach or Swiss chard can work too. Add baby spinach at the end as it only takes a few moments to wilt.
- Storing leftovers: Once cooled to room temperature, place the Zuppa Toscana in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat Place in a saucepan over medium low heat until fully heated through. While it is possible to freeze Zuppa Toscana, we recommend eating it fresh.
⭐ Pin this Recipe for Later ⭐
