I started making this Toscana Soup and realized that with a few simple swaps it could be remodeled into a low-carb Keto version of the soup. The biggest Keto offender in the soup is potatoes. Traditionally potatoes are boiled in the soup to give it a thick consistency. Swapping out potatoes with cauliflower is an effortless way and the flavor is still alike. Also, swap out the kale. Kale is surprisingly high in carbs so swap it out for spinach.
Traditionally, Toscana is not a dense soup and has a thinner vegetable broth base. If you want a thicker soup, try adding half to one teaspoon xanthan gum (best for keto) which is a very common Keto thickening agent.
Keto Toscana Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage – casing removed and cut into bite size pieces
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 strips of thick cut bacon
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups kale – veins removed and cut into thin ribbons
- 32 oz can chicken broth
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Slice uncooked sausage into small pieces and brown in your soup pot with a tablespoon of olive oil
- Remove the sausage from the pot and add onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until translucent.
- Add chicken broth and water to pot and stir well – scraping all the bits of the bottom of the pot.
- Place sausage back in the pot along with the cauliflower and simmer for about 30 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
- When the cauliflower is soft, add kale and the heavy cream to the pot. Stir well.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with bacon and serve with crusty bread and/or crackers. Leave out if you'd like to keep this dish low carb.
If I dare say so, it’s the best keto Toscana soup recipe out there! The parmesan and chopped fresh rosemary really add that extra special oomph. It’s spicy, filling, and full of flavor. Forget the restaurant soup, this is just as good if not better.
