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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.
It’s yummy!!!
Thank you!! 😀
This recipe is delicious as written! I wouldn’t change a thing.
I’m thrilled to hear it, Susan!
Made tonight, excited to try it!
Hope you love it, Jessica! Let me know! 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly. I love it.
Don’t change a thing!!
Thank you so much!
How many ounces is one serving?
Hi! No idea – sorry! I am not a trained nutritionist, and the nutrition info is just included as an estimate to give readers a rough idea. It’s whatever 1/6 of the recipe works out to. If you need the nutrition info for health reasons, I’d plug the recipe into something like My Fitness Pal and weigh out the exact ingredients you’re using.
Just did it … so good doubled the ingredients because I have a large family but will definitely do it again … thank you
Awesome! You’re welcome!
I didn’t add the bacon, garlic, onion, water, cream, or Italian season (only used oregano) and the recipe was still amazing!
Great!!
wow, then you did NOT MAKE THE RECIPE. Why even bother posting a review. You basically made boiled potatoes. Sorry, but people like this tick me off.
You didn’t make the recipe.
Adding water is the worst idea! Don’t do it! Only liquid that should go in here is broth and cream. I made it with water and it was like eating food from dish water. So gross. Haha
That’s very odd. You could certainly swap the water for broth, though, but I’d be mindful of the salt content (as there’s bacon, sausage, and broth already in the soup). I am wondering what is wrong with your water… perhaps try bottled next time?
This recipe tastes JUST LIKE Olive Garden and my family loves it! I just wanted to know what the stove top cooking instructions are. I need to make a batch larger than my Instant Pot can hold. Thanks!😋
Hi Renita! So glad you enjoyed it. The stovetop version is actually linked within the blog post (near the top). 🙂
I’m a little behind, but I wanted to thank you for responding to me. The stove top version was just as good!😋
No worries at all! I appreciate you letting me know that you liked it! 🙂
Can you substitute the cream for anything else? Like yogurt or creme francie, trying to watch my calories! Thanks x
Hi Vickie! Yogurt or creme fraiche just won’t be the same. They’re likely to curdle, and the flavor will be different. I haven’t tested an alternative. Half-and-half may work.
Ok thanks for the advice, damn the calories then I’m fine with that lol 😆
Hahaha
Wanting to make this in to a freezer meal for postpartum. Any special freezing/thawing instructions?
Hi! We’ve frozen this before and it’s been fine, so I think you should be ok just freezing it in individual (or larger) portions then thawing on the stove in a covered pan over a fairly low heat. Enjoy!
Thanks!