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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.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana is awesome. Thanks for the recipe. Just like the Olive Garden version. MMM
So happy you enjoyed it, Tom! 🙂
Delicious recipe!!! I will definitely make and share this again
Glad to hear it, thank you Christina! 🙂
I just made this and it’s actuall still cooling down in the pot. It is AMAZING! I’ve made this on the stove and doing it in the InstaPot is so much better. This is the first full meal I’ve made in there and I’ve had my pot for over a year now.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Love it when new IP users have success with one of my recipes.
This is such a fast, easy and delicious recipe. I’ve had a instapot for forever and this is, by far, one of my favorite recipes. Thank you.
I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
This is one of my family’s favorite soups and omg I made it and what a hit. This will be a go to soup recipe from now on thank you. Love it
Wonderful! 🙂 So happy to hear that.
Great flavor! Doubled recipe
Wonderful!
This was a great and cozy soup, but I had to make changes to just use what I had on hand. My changes were: 13 oz. hot turkey sausage, 3 oz. cubed pancetta instead of bacon, more like 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning, 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, 2/3 cup leftover tomato puree and 3/4 cup water, frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed) instead of kale, no cream. Everything else was the same with the same cooking timings. I promise, someday I will buy all of the ingredients and try a recipe just like you present it…but maybe not for a few more months. Thanks so much!!
I’m glad you were able to tweak it! sounds delish! 🙂 Haha it’s all good.
Loved it! Great flavor! I added a little grated Parmesan at the end!
Wonderful! Thank you, Diane.
Im a complete newbie at instapot meals as i only got it for christmas… best day ever… also you know youre an adult when an insta pot makes you litterally jump for joy 😂…. my kids and i love this soup and are making it for the first time (second meal made in the insta pot) but it smells amazing and if i had known that the press button needed to be up we might be eating now rather then waiting for the next 6 minutes hahaha trial and error i guess Thanks for the recipe 🙂 i really hope i did it right… do you have any newbie tutorials on how to actually use it hahaa 8 have the insta pot duo crisp and air fryer model
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Haha yup, I get excited for new appliances too. I don’t have any IP tutorials unfortunately, but you’ll get the hang of it soon enough. 🙂
Made this for my love today for Valentines day. It’s his favorite soup,It was FANTASTIC!! He devoured it!!
Thanks SO Much! 😊
Aww so glad to hear it!! 🙂 XO
Did you cook the bacon by itself for a few minutes before adding the sausage, or just all together? My bacon did not get crispy at all while trying to cook them together.
Hi! I just do them at the same time, but you can definitely start the bacon first if you prefer.
I’m finding it takes a long time to get bacon to brown w sausages. It’s happening but slow and meanwhile lots of burning on the bottom. Next time I will probably cook bacons for a bit before adding sausage.
I’m currently at this exact step and thinking the same thing – that this thick cut, fatty bacon definitely needed a few minutes along to sizzle before adding the sausage. Will do next time. Otherwise everything seems (and smells) wonderful!
I have a 6qt IP as well. Could I double this recipe and still have enough room in my pot? I’ve got some big appetites to feed tonight.
Hi! I don’t think straight doubling it will fit. I just looked at the photos in the post, and it’s definitely more than half full. You could try my stovetop version (linked within the post) and double that if you have a pot that’s large enough.