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This Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana recipe is sure to become a family favorite! The classic Olive Garden soup with sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale, and cream is easily made in the electric pressure cooker.
Back in 2015 I posted my version of the stove-top Zuppa Toscana, and I recently re-published the post with updated photos. I figured why not hop on the Instant Pot wagon and make it in there? It’s a great way to infuse flavor quickly.
This recipe is pretty similar to the regular version (tastes practically the same), but sometimes people prefer making things in their electric pressure cooker. And why not? It frees up your stove.
If you haven’t tried Zuppa Toscana (or seen the millions of copycat recipes on Pinterest), I would suggest that it’s definitely worth making. I don’t often do copycat recipes (like why not just go get a Big Mac instead of putting in all the effort to make one at home?), but this soup is easy and fairly quick to make.
This soup isn’t particularly thick (it’s meant to be quite brothy), but you could always whisk in a cornstarch slurry if you want to thicken it up a little bit or even mash some of the potatoes to give it more of a chunky texture. I like it as-is, though.
How to make Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot
Start by sautéing the bacon and sausage in the Instant Pot until browned & crispy. You then add in the onions and garlic, followed by the chicken broth, water, potatoes, and Italian seasoning. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes, then do a quick release and stir in the cream and kale. Close the lid again and let it sit for a few minutes until the kale wilts. Season to taste and enjoy (full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below).
Love Instant Pot soups? Try my Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup, my Instant Pot hamburger soup, this Instant Pot ham and potato soup, or my Instant Pot taco soup.
If you like Zuppa Toscana, you may also like my sausage, kale, and gnocchi soup – it has similar flavors.
Will you try making Zuppa Toscana in your Instant Pot?
Questions? Ask me in the comments below. 🙂
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 5 strips bacon (thick cut works best) cut into small pieces
- 1 pound Italian sausage crumbled
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth (beef works too)
- 4 cups water
- 4 medium-to-large red potatoes roughly diced (leave skins on)
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 small bunch of kale torn into bite-size pieces (remove stems)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears (or a knife), cut the bacon into small pieces and add it to your Instant Pot. Press the sauté button and start frying the bacon (give it about a 5 minute head start before adding the sausage so it crisps up more).
- Add the sausage meat to the Instant Pot and break it up as it cooks. Cook until the sausage and bacon are crispy and browned.
- While the sausage and bacon cook, chop the onion and potatoes, making sure to stir the bacon and sausage occasionally.
- When the sausage and bacon are nicely browned and crispy, stir in the garlic and onion and cook for about a minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and water. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Add the potatoes and Italian seasoning.
- Give the soup a stir and close the Instant Pot's lid. Make sure the valve is set to "sealing".
- Set the timer to cook for 8 minutes on high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes or so to come up to pressure.
- One the countdown has finished, do a quick pressure release and take off the lid.
- Add the cream and kale. Close the lid again and let the soup sit for another 5 minutes or so until the kale wilts (keep the Instant Pot off or on "keep warm").
- Season with salt & pepper as needed and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Use hot Italian sausage or add some red pepper flakes if you want a bit of spice.
- You can use Russet or a different variety of potatoes if you prefer.
- I use this 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Inactive time indicates the time it takes the Instant Pot to get up to pressure.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I know you can use your Insta pot like a crockpot I was wondering if you could make this and just press the slow cooker button
Hi! If you use it like a Crockpot, I would still do the searing step. Then slow cook but wait to add the cream and kale until the last 30 min or so of cooking.
Wow, I was surprised how good this was!! It has so much flavor. Subbed sweet potatoes for russet and used spinach instead of kale. I will definitely remake this.
Wonderful!! 🙂
Could I make this soup in my crockpot?
Hi! You could… I would do the initial browning steps in a skillet, then transfer it to a Crockpot. Add the cream about 30 minutes prior to serving. It’s probably easier to just do it on the stove unless you want it to cook while you’re at work all day. The stove top recipe is linked within the post in case you didn’t see it.
I believe that OG uses red pepper flakes if you don’t have hot Italian Sausage.I added 1/2 tsp. with the broth.Came out great.
That makes sense! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Paul!
can I use bulk Italian sausage?
Not sure what that means. You’d have to like use a similar quantity to what I recommend so the soup isn’t too greasy.
I used russet potatoes and half and half. This was amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Yay so glad you liked it!!
OMG!!! So good!!!
Used Russet potato since didn’t have red potatoes. Made Hatch chili cornbread to go with it. I’m in love!!!!! Thank you!!!!!
So happy you enjoyed it, Margot! Thanks for letting me know!
Can I use half & half instead of heavy cream? Planning to make this tonight, and I don’t have heavy cream on hand….
Hi! I think that should work!
Am making this right now and cannot wait to try it! Noticed, tho, that the directions do not state when to add the dash of Italian? I am hoping it’s along with the cream and kale? Either way, this smells delicious!
Whoops… just updated the recipe – thanks for pointing it out! I usually add it earlier, but what you did works too! 🙂 How did you like the soup?
LOVED it!! Will definitely be making this again!
That’s what I like to hear! Thanks, Jen! 🙂
So good! Recipe was super easy, took less than an hour from thought to finish, and used up all the random things I had in my fridge I didn’t know how to really put together. Thank you!
I am so pleased to hear you liked it! thanks for letting me know 😀
Very tasty!
Great! 🙂