Description
Hearty low carb keto zuppa toscana soup showcases Italian comfort with creamy broth and spicy sausage. Warm bowls deliver rich flavors that satisfy keto dieters seeking a nourishing meal without compromising nutrition.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340 g) ground Italian sausage
- 6 slices streaky bacon (cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm pieces)
- ½ medium sweet onion (diced, ¾ cup/115 g)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups (280 g) rutabagas (cut into ½ inch/1.25 cm cubes)
- 2 cups (50 g) curly kale (chopped)
- 3 ½ cups (840 ml) chicken broth
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream (or coconut cream for whole30)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Bacon Preparation: Crisp bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until golden and fragmented, then transfer to a paper towel, preserving the rendered fat.
- Sausage Browning: Sear sausage in the same pot, crumbling and cooking until thoroughly browned, then remove while maintaining the drippings.
- Aromatic Base: Sauté onions and garlic in existing fat until translucent, releasing their fragrant essence.
- Liquid Foundation: Pour chicken broth, add rutabagas, salt, and pepper, bringing to a boil then reducing to a gentle simmer until rutabagas become tender.
- Green Integration: Incorporate kale and previously cooked sausage, allowing them to merge and soften for a few minutes.
- Creamy Enrichment: Gently stir in heavy cream, warming the mixture without reaching a boiling temperature.
- Final Flourish: Garnish with crispy bacon fragments just before serving, adding a smoky, crunchy dimension to the soup.
Notes
- Bacon Rendering Tip: Cook bacon slowly to extract maximum flavor and create crispy texture without burning. The rendered fat becomes a crucial flavor base for the entire soup.
- Meat Browning Strategy: Ensure sausage is browned thoroughly to develop deep, caramelized flavors that enhance the soup’s overall taste profile.
- Low-Carb Vegetable Swap: Rutabagas replace traditional potatoes, significantly reducing carbohydrate content while maintaining a similar hearty texture and absorbing surrounding flavors.
- Cream Incorporation Technique: Add heavy cream at the end and avoid boiling to prevent separation, maintaining a smooth, luxurious consistency that’s typical of authentic Tuscan-style soups.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 457
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 1020 mg
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 107 mg