Perfect for a hearty weeknight meal, this 30-Minute Keto Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage is loaded with flavor and healthy fresh vegetables. If you didn’t know better, you’d think someone’s Italian grandmother slaved all day over a stove! This recipe can be made ahead and yields 8 generous entree-size servings, so it’s great for entertaining or for stashing away portions in the freezer.
Minestrone Soup is a dish that goes back to Roman times. It is, at it’s most basic, a vegetable soup that usually contains tomatoes and is often thickened with some sort of grain, starchy root vegetables, and/or legumes. Sometimes the liquid base is simply water and other times it’s stock. It’s not unusual to find bits of meat included as well. While you’ll often see starchy pasta, potatoes, or beans, this version uses mostly low carb vegetables, with a small amount of a few strategically-chosen root vegetables, a modest amount of tomatoes, and savory Italian-style sausage for extra protein and heartiness. This isn’t a thick soup, but I don’t mind, and I don’t think you will either. The flavor is so rich and the large portion (about 2 cups) is so filling, it’s hard to believe that the net carbs come in at just over 7 per serving!
To streamline matters without sacrificing flavor, I often use high-quality prepared chicken stock and no-sugar-added marinara sauce. Of course, homemade stock is a great choice, if you have it on hand. I use marinara sauce because it gives a bit more of a ‘simmered’ tomato flavor, as well as extra seasoning. However, you could easily substitute a can of diced tomatoes.
For the sausage, I generally purchase fresh (raw) mild Italian-style that comes link-style, and I remove the casings. Bulk-style is fine, too, as long as you can find good quality sausage without unwanted additives. There are also many already-cooked link sausages (especially chicken- and turkey-based) that can be substituted, but check the package to avoid added sugars. Use 4-ounces less of cooked sausage than for raw (20 vs. 24), and dice into 1/4″ to 1/2″ pieces.
To save a little time, I peel and chop the onion and carrots first, so that they can start cooking with the Italian sausage while I prep mushrooms, celery and bell peppers. After I add them to the pot, I prep the zucchini and spinach, which aren’t included until the last 5 minutes of cooking. While the soup is simmering, I chop the fresh herbs and grate the cheese.
You’ll notice that I use a somewhat odd ingredient for seasoning: tamari. Tamari (or soy sauce or liquid aminos), along with the mushrooms, tomato, and Parmesan/Romano cheese, adds a savory (umami) flavor that gives the soup extra dimension and yet is not noticeable as an Asian flavor. You can leave it out if you like, but I encourage you to try it. It really does add a little extra something.
At the end of cooking, I stir in the fresh herbs and serve. Some of my favorite options to up the flavor (and healthy fat) include freshly-grated Parmesan or Percorino Romano cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a dollop of basil pesto. If you enjoy a little extra spice, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
It seems that we humans typically seek out “comfort” foods more often during the Autumn and Winter seasons. Many people find starchy or sugar-laden foods comforting, but the comfort usually disappears when the food is gone. Instead, one is often left feeling regretful, bloated, or even worse when the blood sugar crash arrives. It’s far more comforting and restorative when we reach for delicious, satisfying foods that will nourish us in both body and spirit in a lasting way. When I tuck into a bowl of steaming 30-Minute Keto Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage, all is well in my world!
- 3 ounces / about ½ medium yellow onion
- 3 ounces / about 1 medium carrot
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 24 ounces mild Italian-style sausage (or 20 ounces cooked sausage)
- 8 ounces white or cremini mushrooms
- 6 ounces / about 4 stalks celery
- 3 ounces / about ½ large red bell pepper
- 3 ounces / about ½ large green bell pepper
- 6 ounces / about 1 medium zucchini
- 4 ounces / about 4 cups fresh spinach
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 quarts high-quality prepared chicken stock (or homemade)
- 12 ounces marinara sauce, no sugar added (or one 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes)
- 1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce or liquid aminos)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
- Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional Garnishes: freshly-grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, a drizze of extra-virgin olive oil, or a dollop of basil pesto
- 1 tbsp
- Peel the onion and carrots and dice into ¼" to ½" pieces and set aside. Place a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat and add avocado oil. When oil is shimmering, add sausage and break up larger chunks of meat into smaller pieces.with a wooden spoon. Stir in the onions and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the sausage mixture is cooking, clean the mushrooms, celery, and bell peppers. Slice the mushrooms, and dice the celery and peppers into bite-size pieces, about ¼" to ½". Stir the veggies into the sausage mixture and cook another 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, prep the zucchini and spinach: Clean and dice the zucchini into bite-size pieces. If using baby spinach, remove any long stems and set aside. For regular spinach, remove the stems, rinse thoroughly, and coarsely chop. Set zucchini and spinach aside.
- Stir in garlic, spices, chicken stock, marinara, and tamari into the pot. Increase heat to high and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add zucchini and spinach, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Stir in fresh herbs and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and/or extra-virgin olive oil or pesto, if desired.
- Let any leftover soup cool to room temperature (about 1 hour), then transfer to covered container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Chilled soup may be frozen for up to 6 months.
*I use Living Cookbook 2015, along with package information and data from www.nutritiondata.self.com, to calculate the nutritional information for my recipes. Thus, I can make no guarantees as to the accuracy.
More Soup Recipes
Keto Chicken Soup with Egg Noodles
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Soup
Laura and Deb would love to hear from you. Either comment on our posts, or email us at: lauram@lowcarbsisters.com debh@lowcarbsisters.com
I made this soup, as written, on Friday night after work. Although it took me longer than 30 minutes the results were well worth it. A very hearty soup packed with veggies – Thanks for sharing!
Hi Aimster! We’re so pleased that you enjoyed the soup, even though it took you longer than 30 minutes to prepare it! I time myself as I make the recipes, but it could certainly vary based on how long it takes each person to chop vegetables, etc. Hopefully, it didn’t take you too much longer than 30 minutes, and I’m glad you felt the end result was worth it! Thanks so much for your comment — we truly appreciate it!
I came across this recipe in a never-ending search for new keto-friendly recipes. This one was very easy and quick to make and was full of bold flavor,absolutely delicious! Definitely being added to my “keepers”, thank you so much! 🙂
Thanks, Angie, for your kind words! This is one of our favorite soups, too, and so easy. We’re happy to hear it’s become a “keeper” for you!
It took almost an hour and a half to do all this.
Hi Carrie, thanks for your comment. I’m happy to hear you tried my recipe!
It can be a challenge to determine how long it will take for someone to complete a recipe. Given the fact that I was a professional chef, I know I’m faster than some, so I tack on additional time for the average cook. Given the inherent guess-factor, results will undoubtedly vary. I hope you enjoyed the soup, despite the longer prep time. I’m confident that it will go faster the next time you make it. Thanks again!
So yummy! I didn’t have spinach but it came out fabulously all the same. Trying to be low carb is tough but recipes like this are a big help. Thanks!
JannyAnn, thanks so much for your compliment! We are always pleased when someone tries out one of our recipes and takes the time to comment. We appreciate you! While the soup is great with spinach, too, any combination of your favorite low carb veggies will work just fine, which is a good way to use up what you have on hand. Thanks again!
THANK YOU!! Have made this soup twice now living in the midwest and experiencing the Polar Vortex it is a GREAT Keto dinner and also keeps me warm!! it is one of my FAVORITES!! I want to thank you for posting this recipe, The only thing I didn’t put in was the mushrooms (not a fan). Recipe is easy to follow. Do I have a question…I always get stuck on “fresh herbs” part.. 🙁 I am fairly new to the whole cooking thing and am not sure the difference between the spices and the fresh herbs. What I am doing seems to work really well since this is my FAVORITE soup so far!
Hi Katie, thanks so much for your comments! I’m happy that you loved the soup and that it kept you warm during the “polar vortex.” I love the umami flavor that mushrooms add, but many people aren’t fans. The best part of cooking for yourself is that you can leave out things you don’t like, so rock on. Here’s the skinny on fresh herbs (from Martha Stewart): “Because dried herbs are generally more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you’ll need less — typically three times the amount of fresh herbs as dry. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, you need only 1 teaspoon of dried, since 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon.” Easy peasy, use what you have on hand. Thanks again!
This is a great recipe. Two thumbs up!