About This Recipe
Winter is here and there's nothing better than a hearty delicious soup in the cold winter months. Not only is it incredibly nourishing, but for being gluten and dairy free, this soup is one to attract anyone who is looking for a new soup recipe!
If you have ever had the Zuppa Toscana soup from Olive Garden, then you will love this soup as it is very similar and gives us the nostalgia of eating out, but from the comforts of our own home! Unlike the Zuppa Toscana, this soup does not have any kale, but what I love about this soup is that you can add a handful of kale or spinach at the end, and it will make it that much more rich and flavorful!
I love that this soup is gluten and dairy free since my husband and I have been eating more whole-foods based meals similarly to paleo after doing Whole30 this past summer. We have been minimizing our intake of dairy, processed carbohydrates and sugars, and have noticeably felt better, slept better, and have more energy in keeping up with our now 2 little ones, and we are so happy that we have found a healthy way of eating that is easy and enjoyable for us both. Since Covid-19 has left such an impact on the world's livelihood and health, we decided it's time to kick it up a notch on our own health and love recipes like this one for boosting the immune system. Our little ones love it, and it's an easy way to fill them up with nutrition from the veggies in this soup in order to fight off the cold and flu season.
This soup is a packed with vitamins B6 and C, as well as potassium and fiber, antioxidants, and has immune-regulating, anti-inflammatory and heart healthy benefits. In just substituting coconut milk for regular milk, you will find that the coconut milk and cream are great sources of healthy fats called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), promoting natural weight loss by decreasing appetite and increasing energy. We hope this recipe not only excites you but also inspires you to be confident on fulfilling yours and your family's nutritional needs one whole and healthy meal at a time! Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 pound mild Italian sausage
2 tbsp ghee, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup carrots diced small (approx. 2 medium carrots)
3/4 cup celery diced small (approx. 2 medium stalks)
3/4 cup yellow onion diced small (approx. 1 small onion)
2 cloves garlic minced
4 gold potatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
4 cups bone broth
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
freshly chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
DAIRY-FREE CREAM SAUCE
1 white sweet potato peeled and chopped
3-4 cups water divided
1/4 cup unsweetened canned coconut cream
Instructions:
SAUSAGE: Heat a stockpot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the sausage. Stir and chop the meat until you have sausage crumbles. Transfer to a plate and leave 1 tablespoon of grease in the pot. If there is no grease, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot.
VEGGIES: In the same pot with grease or olive oil, melt 1 tablespoon of the ghee/fat. Add the diced carrots, celery, and onion and sauté 5-7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds more.
POTATOES AND SEASONING: Stir in the chopped potatoes, dried basil, dried parsley, salt, and pepper to taste, and 1 more tablespoon of ghee. Mix well, and add in the broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and cook 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
CREAM SAUCE: Meanwhile, boil the diced white sweet potato in 2 cups of water (or more to cover) until fork-tender, approximately 10-12 minutes. Drain and add it to a blender with ⅔ cup of water to start, and ¼ cup coconut cream. Blend until well-combined and smooth, it should yield 2 cups, if it’s too clumpy and not blending, add more water as needed.
Pour the cream sauce into the soup and stir. Reduce heat to low and return the sausage into the soup, stirring and letting everything meld for 30 seconds or so. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish as you’d like with fresh chopped parsley, serving right away or save for later!