Who doesn’t love this Olive Garden classic?? It’s creamy, it’s flavorful, and it’s so sooo yummy. HOWEVER, I will say that my one qualm with the soup is that it’s made with sausage… which, of course, is delicious. BUT not always the most nutritious because it tends to have a fairly high fat content.

Solution: Using ground CHICKEN, TURKEY, or LEAN BEEF rather than Italian sausage!!

I love using super lean ground beef. When I say super lean, I mean SUPER lean. Wade and I process and package our own beef, essentially making the LEANEST ground beef ever. Additionally, we know exactly where the cows were raised, and exactly what was put in the meat during processing (which is, nothing other than the meat itself).

Using a leaner, healthier type of ground meat in this soup results in a lower calorie, lower fat, and overall healthier soup (which we love).

The other great thing about picking out whatever type of meat you want is that you’ll be able to season the soup however you want! Most recipes simply call for Italian sausage, which has plenty of seasoning already in it, that then seasons the rest of the soup. This gets tricky if, for instance, your kids think Italian sausage is “WAY too spicy!” :) Or if you’re like me and don’t like whole fennel seeds.

Wherever you’re at with tastes and preferences, you will probably love being able to choose exactly what seasonings you want to go into your soup. I’ve included the amounts for my favorite seasonings, but feel free to add more spicy (more red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper) or add in something like fennel seeds that is traditional to this soup.

I am confident you will all enjoy this light and healthy Zuppa Toscana!! Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments!

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE

♡ The combination of flavors! (and the control you have over what seasonings go in the soup)! Most other Zuppa Toscana recipes just throw in some Italian sausage and have those seasonings flavor the rest of the soup. When adding your own choice of ground meat, however, you get to choose what seasonings go in, rather than just relying on whatever someone else chose to flavor the sausage with.

♡ HEALTH benefits! (LEAN protein, plenty of veggies, low-fat dairy, etc.)

♡ I don’t know about y’all, but I LOVE the kale in this soup. Eating kale on its own is not my favorite… but throwing it in a flavorful soup?? AMAZING.

SERVING IDEAS

- TOP WITH bacon, parmesan cheese, and / or additional red pepper flakes

- Serve with fresh rolls… or fresh bread sticks (for a more Olive Garden feel)

STORAGE

Zuppa Toscana does store best in an airtight container in the refrigerator! Be sure to try out the Snapware glass containers, which are great for both the fridge and freezer!

The soup freezes really well, so if you’re looking for some healthy meal prep ideas, you may want to try making this soup ahead of time to freeze in plastic bags or containers.

ZUPPA TOSCANA INGREDIENTS

- Ground Beef / Turkey / Chicken: Take your pick of a healthier alternative to Italian sausage! My favorite is probably our super lean ground beef!

- Olive Oil: This is a MUCH healthier alternative to butter. This isn’t one of those healthy tricks that end up tasting worse! Olive oil is associated with many health benefits including decreased inflammation, protection against cancer, and lower risk of heart disease. Be sure to buy extra virgn olive oil if you want to maximize the health benefits of this oil!

- Onion: Adding flavor to the soup!

- Potatoes: Super yummy addition… makes the soup more filling!

- Chicken Broth: You’ll boil the veggies in this. Beef broth or bone broth will also work just fine!

- Kale: An amazing super green!! There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that nutrients found in kale offer protection against diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.

- Milk: The soup’s creamy base! If you want your soup even MORE creamy… a mixture of heavy cream and milk will help. I prefer to keep my soups lower-calorie so I almost never use heavy cream in soup. Totally up to you, whatever you prefer will taste amazing because this recipe is so good!!

- Flour: The soup’s thickening agent! You may want to look into a cornstarch alternative if you want a gluten-free soup!

- Carrots: This isn’t traditional to the soup… but it adds some great variety of taste and color! If you don’t feel like peeling and chopping carrots, one great trick is to just buy shredded / matchstix carrots from the grocery store. These will be all ready to throw right into a soup.

- Italian Sausage Seasonings for Meat!! (minced garlic, dried parsley, Italian seasoning, black pepper, paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and salt!) ... This combo makes for the most deliciously seasoned soup! Feel free to add more red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper if you like a spicier soup :)

HOW TO…

Begin by adding 1 pound of ground meat (lean beef, chicken, or turkey) to a large skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil. Break down the meat into bite-sized chunks, using a spatula, and cook over medium heat. Continue stirring the meat around until it is completely brown.

Add in the minced garlic, dried parsley, italian seasoning, black pepper, paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir the meat and spices until the meat is evenly coated (and the spices are well distributed throughout). Remove the pan from the heat.

Heat a separate stock pot over medium heat and add in 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the diced onion. Continue to sauté the onion for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is looking translucent.

Add in the chopped carrots, chicken broth, cubed potatoes, and the additional 3/4 teaspoon of salt. It won’t look like there is enough liquid, but this is okay! As long as the potatoes are covered enough that they can cook, the soup will be fine and you’ll add milk at the end to make it more of a soup consistency. Put a lid on the pot, and let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are soft.

Meanwhile, add 3 cups of milk and ¼ cup of flour to a bowl and whisk together until no clumps remain.

Once the potatoes and carrots are soft, stir the milk and flour mixture into the soup. Add the kale and ground beef mixture, and continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes, or until the kale has begun to soften.

Remove the soup from the heat, and serve with bacon, parmesan, and / or additional red pepper flakes. You will love this delicious and healthy version of Zuppa Toscana!

Ingredients:

Directions: