Who doesn’t love this famous soup from Olive Garden? When you can’t dine out, I say, dine in! It’s creamy with a hint of spice and the green kale adds great texture and pop of color! It’s great when you can take delicious food from a restaurant and recreate it at home, especially when you have food allergies.
Why make a Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana Soup?
Before I found out that a most of my family (myself included) have a dairy intolerance, I really liked making Olive Garden’s “Zuppa Toscana Soup“. It was creamy and so yummy. However, I usually felt overly full after I ate it because it was such a rich and heavy soup. Using Coconut milk instead of heavy cream makes the soup more lite and fresh. It’s fantastic when you can get that comfort food feel when you’re on a dairy free diet. Another benefit, is that I the coconut milk can be stored in my pantry and I have it on hand whenever I need it.
Be Free with your Leafy Greens
Tonight I added Swiss chard into my Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana Soup because I had it on hand. The Versatility makes this soup so great. You can add spinach, kale or Swiss chard and it still turns out “soup-er” delicious! Sorry I couldn’t contain that pun. It’s been right in the forefront of my brain.
Coconut Milk as a Dairy Substitute and Cost break-down
Amazingly enough, the coconut milk is a great dairy substitute. It’s not as creamy but it tastes “real good!” I try to get my coconut milk for around $1.50 a can. Sams Club sells their coconut milk for $1.49 per can (Thai kitchen brand). I prefer the brands, Chaokoh and Thai Kitchen. Chaokoh is more creamy but more expensive.
Dairy Free Soup can be Cheaper
My dairy free version of Zuppa Toscana can actually be less expensive. Allow me to explain, I can find a pint of heavy whipping cream at Kroger for $3.79 and the Thai Kitchen Coconut milk is $1.49 a can. If you buy coconut milk anywhere else, it most likely won’t be cheaper than the heavy cream. But if you can go to Sams Club, it’s a pretty great deal! Who doesn’t love saving a buck?
Simple Dairy Free Sausage Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 medium yellow potatoes, diced
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional but not really, put it in!)
- 2 Tbsp garlic, minced, about 4 cloves
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups fresh Kale or swiss chard or Spinach
- 1 can coconut milk, or more, to taste
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In pot add Italian sausage and and add the crushed red pepper flakes. When sausage is browned and almost cooked through, add the diced onions and garlic. Cook until translucent and fragrant.
- *New Option: If you want to thicken the soup a but more add 2 tbsp of flour to the sausage and onions. Stir and then proceed to the next step. The flour will help thicken the soup a bit!
- Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Then add the potatoes, salt, and pepper and close the lid. Check on potatoes to see if they are cooked through (a fork will easily be able to poke through potato)
- When potatoes are done, remove the lid. Stir in the Kale and coconut milk; heat through until Kale is softened. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately. I'll serve this meal with rolls or biscuits. Enjoy!
Notes
Zuppa Toscana Soup Side Dish Ideas
Don’t worry, you absolutely do not need to serve this soup with a side at all. I’m all about the “one pot wonder” recipes. But if you want “fancy it up” or make the soup stretch farther, here are my recommendations. I’m a fan of the whole soup and salad deal. Obviously, my first suggestion is to follow Olive Garden’s cue and serve breadsticks and a simple green salad with this soup.
Another option, that I use more frequently is to serve this soup with homemade biscuits. Biscuits are faster and more convenient to make. Don’t get me wrong I love being fancy with bread sticks but I’m a girl that also values time and breadsticks can be too time consuming.
Find my Fresh Strawberry Jam Recipe Here!
Find the Instant Pot Recipe Here!
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Awesome recipe!
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