“This spicy zuppa Toscana is a rich, deeply-flavoured family chicken dish. Funnyman and I love spicy food so I added a whopping half tablespoon of ground cayenne pepper which added a satisfying ‘kick’. However, you can omit it if you are cooking this for kids, or reduce the amount for the those who don’t like spicy food. This creamy chicken dish can be enjoyed over Cauliflower Mash, Cauliflower Rice or shirataki / konjac noodles. It’s absolutely delicious!” – Monya

Fats of Life® is a keto and low carb recipe blog that I love to run as a hobby in my spare time. I am also the author of the best-selling Keto Kitchen Series of cookbooks. This includes my debut best-seller Keto Kitchen (2020). The fun and exciting Lazy Keto Kitchen (2021). And, the clever and inspiring Budget Keto Kitchen (2022). My 4th cookbook, Quick Keto Kitchen (2023) is as fantastic as the first three, and packed with spectacular, easy creations!

The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.

The Glow Factor, 2025 by Penelope Corwin is available worldwide. The image above will link to Amazon UK. For USA and all other countries, click here.

More on Spicy Zuppa Toscana…

Chicken thighs are a staple in the keto diet due to their high-fat content and moderate protein levels. These factors make them an excellent source of energy for individuals in ketosis, where the body burns fat for fuel. Additionally, chicken thighs are rich in essential nutrients like B vitamins, selenium, and zinc, supporting overall health and vitality.
 

FOLLOW MONYA:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

 
Spinach is a leafy green vegetable that is low in carbohydrates and high in fibre, making it a perfect choice for keto dieters. It provides essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin K, vitamin A, and folate, while also offering antioxidants that combat oxidative stress. The high fibre content aids in digestion and helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, a crucial aspect of the keto diet.
 
Bacon, often celebrated for its delicious flavour, is surprisingly suitable for the keto diet. It is rich in healthy fats and protein while containing virtually no carbohydrates. Bacon also provides essential nutrients like vitamin B12, selenium, and phosphorus.
 
Incorporating these foods into a keto meal plan can help individuals achieve their weight loss and health goals while enjoying delicious and satisfying meals.
 

It is important to note that to maintain ketosis, it’s essential to track carbohydrate intake and ensure it aligns with your daily macro goals. Consulting with a healthcare professional is advised before making significant dietary changes. Scroll to the bottom to see the full macros and allergens for this Spicy Zuppa Toscana dish, as well as all the Poultry recipes on Fats of Life®.
 

Pin me

Print me

Spicy Low-carb Zuppa Toscana

Deliciously rich chicken family dinner which can be enjoyed over cauliflower rice, cauliflower mash or konjac noodles. Coming in at only 4.9g carbs per generous serving.

Cook ModePrevent your screen going dark while you cook

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Monya Kilian Palmer

Per serving

Calories: 751kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.9g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 58g

Equipment

• kitchen scale
• sharp knife
• universal measuring spoons
• large oven-to-hob casserole
• thermometer probe

Ingredients

• 1 TB lard
• 6 large chicken thighs
• salt
• 175 g (6.2 oz) streaky smoked bacon, diced
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 100 g (3.5 oz) Cabanossi sausage, chopped
• 1/2 TB cayenne pepper
• 250 g (8.8 oz) chicken stock
• 100 g (3.5 oz) baby spinach
• 50 g (1.8 oz) sour cream
• 150 g (5.3 oz) double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• chopped parsley, to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan oven). This is 220°C for conventional ovens (or 425°F / gas mark 7).
• Have all your ingredients prepped and ready. In professional kitchens, we call this mis-en-place, and its a good habit to get into to become a stress-free cook. Lightly season both sides of all the chicken thighs with salt.
  
• Mis-en-place also forces you to pay attention to weighing / measuring your ingredients to stick to your macros.
  
• Using a large non-stick pan, (that can be used both on the stove top AND inside the oven) heat the lard. Once hot, fry the chicken pieces skin-side down over high heat until the skins are golden and crispy.
  
• Turn over and cook the underside for one minute. Remove the chicken using tongs and set aside, skin-side up.
  
• There will be plenty of rendered fat remaining in the pan, so you need not add any more. Add the bacon to the pan and cook over moderate heat until they have cooked through. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions have softened completely. Stir regularly to avoid the garlic burning.
  
• Add the chopped Cabanossi sausage and cayenne pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.
  
• Pour in the warm chicken stock and add the spinach. Stir well until the spinach wilts into the mixture.
  
• Return the chicken pieces to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
  
• After 10 minutes, remove the chicken pieces again and stir in the sour cream and double cream.
  
• Place the chicken pieces back into the creamy mix and bake in the oven for approximately 18-20 minutes. This will be enough time to cook the chicken through, reduce the sauce a little and crisp the chicken skin further. (A meat thermometer probe is useful here, remove from the oven when the internal temperature reads 72°C / 163°F in the thickest part of the chicken.)
  
• Serve as is, or over Cauliflower Mash, Cauliflower Rice or shirataki / konjac noodles.

---

My name is Monya Kilian Palmer. If you loved this recipe, please follow and tag me @mkilianpalmer on Instagram so we can all see your lovely creations!

* * *

The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.

Nutritional Information per serving
Calories                         751Kcal / 3142kJ
Fat                                 58g
Carbohydrates               4.9g
Protein                           52g

Allergens
Milk
Eggs (may be found in some brands of sour cream - check label)

---

See all the Poultry recipes on Fats of Life:

Angry Chicken Wings with Cucumber Avo Salad (Keto)

Chicken with Cheesy Cauli and Spinach Mash (Keto)

(Kind-of) Chicken Parm with Roasted Courgettes (Keto)

Roast Chicken with Cheesy Garlic Greens (Keto)

Chicken Soup for the (Keto) Soul

Fragrant Duck and Shiitake Soup (Keto)

Load More

---

Disclaimer: The nutritional analysis, macro and allergen breakdown of the recipes on this site have been manually and carefully calculated using the cloud-based software NUTRITICS®. NUTRITICS® is fully approved by the relevant Trading Standards organizations and is EU and FDA-compliant. The macro calculations are provided as a courtesy to you based on the author's weighing of ingredients when creating the dishes. If Erythritol (a sugar polyol) has been used in any of the recipes, it has already been manually excluded from the final carbohydrate count. The author is a chef - not a medical professional - and this website has been designed to provide you with recipe ideas to suit the low carb lifestyle you have discussed with your GP.

---