I have to admit, I have never eaten at Olive Garden. I am Italian and in the restaurant business, so it’s always been a verboten thing. That said, there are so many Zuppa Toscana recipes floating around on the internet, and the soup is very popular! I love my recipe, coconut cream provides a bit of creaminess and you cannot taste coconut. I like adding an assortment of Italian greens, rotating whatever is in the kitchen whether it be fennel, broccoli rabe, kale, radicchio, or baby spinach! My goal for this Whole 30 has been to pack soups and other dishes with tons of nutrient dense vegetables. Mirepoix goes into nearly everything and the Cascadian Farms frozen organic mirepoix has been a lifesaver—the convenience of it is something I just love!

Gabbie’s Whole 30 Zuppa Toscana

1 lb mild Italian sausage
3 large russet potatoes diced
4 cups baby spinach or baby kale
2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 package Cascadian Farms frozen mirepoix
32 oz chicken stock
5.4 oz can of coconut cream (the tiny can)
3 cloves fresh garlic minced
pinch of chili flakes

Optional ingredients

1 c. chopped radicchio
2 c. chopped broccoli rabe
1 bulb of fennel thinly sliced, and then rough chopped
1 tbsp. Mushroom Umami Powder like NomNom Paleo Magic Mushroom Powder or Trader Joe’s brand
fresh parsley for garnish
giardiniera or sliced pepperoncini for added spice

In a Dutch oven, sautee Italian sausage on medium high heat until browned and almost done. Add cherry tomatoes, and let them start to blister and fall apart, stirring frequently. Once the cherry tomatoes are partially cooked down, add the potatoes, garlic, and frozen mirepoix and let cook for 5-7 more minutes. Keep stirring so nothing sticks!

Add the chicken stock and cook on a low simmer for 45 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add the chili flakes, mushroom powder, salt and pepper to taste, coconut cream, and spinach. Allow to cook for 5-7 more minutes until the spinach is wilted and soft.

Enjoy! This recipe is easy, ABSOLUTELY delicious, and a total crowd pleaser. You would never know it’s dairy-free because the coconut cream flavor is undetectable amidst the Italian sausage, garlic, tomatoes, and chili flake.