Low Carb Zuppa Toscana with Roasted Cauliflower (Keto Friendly)

A copycat recipe for Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup made low carb with roasted cauliflower instead of potatoes for maximum flavor and incredible texture!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
2. WHY ROAST THE CAULIFLOWER?
3. ADAPT TO TRADITIONAL ZUPPA TOSCANA

So, I made this last Sunday just to have something to pack for lunch during the week. I wasn’t going to post it to the blog. I was just doing my weekend cooking. Knowing one of my blogger buddies was on the keto-friendly wagon, I snapped a few pics of the soup and sent one to her.

Then she told me I HAD to post this to the blog.

And I told her I didn’t cook it for the blog so I didn’t put any effort into the photos or making it look pretty.

Then she told me I had to or she would hurt me! HA! Y’all might think Southern food bloggers are cherubic homemakers in aprons but most of us are feisty!

Then we had a whole conversation about how much we HATE food photography. About how it causes us so much anxiety which is the opposite of how we feel when we’re cooking. 

Put us in the kitchen and let us do what we do and all is right in the world. Bring out that camera and expect us to transform into a lighting tech/food stylist/professional photographer and try to capture the magic we just created and you’ll get our pressure up!

WHY ROAST THE CAULIFLOWER?

Most "diet recipes" just use cauliflower as a filler - as a replacement for a starch - but when it’s cooked right, it is amazing!

Roasting the cauliflower draws out a lot of the moisture so it will keep its shape better when added to recipes like soup and casseroles.

It also intensifies the flavor. Cauliflower actually tastes delicious when it's not boiled to oblivion. When roasted, it takes on a warm, slightly nutty flavor.

ADAPT TO TRADITIONAL ZUPPA TOSCANA

This recipe is the same as Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana minus the potatoes. If you’d like to make it the traditional way, omit the cauliflower and add 5-6 small potatoes (unpeeled, sliced ¼-inch thick) when adding the chicken broth then cook until tender (if not tender after 20 minutes).

Recipe for Zuppa Toscana with Roasted Cauliflower (Low Carb & Keto Friendly)

Low Carb Zuppa Toscana with Roasted Cauliflower (Keto Friendly)

Yield: 10

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1.25 lbs. hot Italian Sausage
• 1/2 lb. center-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 large onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 6 cups roughly chopped kale (or as much as you like)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an over-sized baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
2. Chop cauliflower into bite-sized pieces then toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast cauliflower in a single layer on baking sheet at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until toasty brown on the bottom. Keep an eye on it because the bottom will brown waaaaay before the top has any color at all. Remove from oven; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, remove casings from Italian sausage (if applicable) then cook and crumble sausage in a large skillet until browned and cooked through. Drain fat; set aside.
4. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the bacon drippings in the pot. Set bacon aside.
5. Add onion to bacon drippings in the pot then sauté for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste then add garlic and continue cooking 2 minutes.
6. Add chicken broth and cooked sausage, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add cauliflower, cooked bacon and cream then continue cooking for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning then add salt, pepper and/or garlic powder if desired. Stir in kale, cover, turn off heat and allow soup to rest for 20 minutes.

Notes

This is just like traditional Zuppa Toscana minus the potatoes. If you’d like to make it the traditional way, omit the cauliflower and add 5-6 small potatoes (unpeeled, sliced ¼-inch thick) when adding the chicken broth then cook until tender (if not tender after 20 minutes).

Nutrition Facts

Calories

455.5

Fat

40.4 g

Sat. Fat

15.63 g

Carbs

7.82 g

Fiber

3.66 g

Net carbs

4.06 g

Protein

15.93 g

Sodium

1260.14 mg

Iron

0.51 mg

Calcium

38.85 mg

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2016/11/zuppa-toscana-with-roasted-cauliflower.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2016

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