Make this super easy Zuppa Toscana recipe in the Instant Pot with nourishing ingredients today! This comfort food is both hearty and wholesome and conveniently made in one pot.
Zuppa Toscana is Italian for soup of Tuscany and is actually a broad term for soup served on Tuscan bread. Traditionally, Zuppa Toscana was made with chopped kale, zucchini, potatoes, celery, carrots, cannellini beans, and seasonings but often without meat.
Today, Zuppa Toscana has been widely popularized ever since Olive Garden added the unlimited soup and salad to their menu.
This North American version is made with Italian sausage, bacon, russet potatoes, and heavy whipping cream and is admittedly much richer and caloric than it's predecessor.
Thankfully, we don't fear fat around here and you shouldn't either.
This Olive Garden copycat is made with wholesome, nourishing ingredients that are good for you and especially fitting this time of year.
It's a healthful, nutrient-dense, hearty soup made in one pot, the most favored kitchen appliance, the Instant Pot.
❤Why you'll love this Tuscan Soup
What's not to love about this Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana recipe?
- You can conveniently make this in the pressure cooker, saving precious time in the kitchen
- Minimal effort yields much flavor - that's the best way to describe this Instant Pot version of an original recipe.
- Complete meal - I make this as a whole meal. It is so hearty. Just garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and add crusty bread on the side.
- It's a healthy version of classic Zuppa Toscana with nourishing chicken broth or beef broth and a handful of other simple ingredients.
🍲Ingredients
Let's take a look at the list of ingredients for this delicious soup.
- bacon: nitrate/nitrite-free
- Italian sausage: or any ground sausage like hot sausage will work
- russet potatoes
- yellow onion
- fresh garlic
- Italian seasoning: or 2 teaspoons of each: dried oregano, dried basil, dried rosemary
- bone broth: chicken bone broth or beef bone broth will both work
- heavy cream: or half and half to cut the calories and my personal preference
- fresh kale: baby kale makes it super convenient to just add to pot (and we prefer the taste of baby kale as it's milder and softer in texture)
💭Pro tip: Pastured bacon and sausage is ideal but if not available to you, use turkey bacon with lower fat as toxins are stored in fat cells.
See recipe card for exact quantities and nutrition facts.
📖Substitutions and Variations
- Spicy - If you don't have spicy Italian sausage, you can kick up the heat by adding a teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- Change up the meat - If pork sausage isn't your thing, consider using other ground meats like Italian turkey sausage, chicken sausage, or even ground beef. I often sub turkey bacon for regular bacon.
- Taters - Use Yukon gold potatoes or any other kind of potatoes available to you. Russets are traditionally used in Zuppa Toscana but I often sub other types of potatoes for convenience.
- Leafy greens - Use curly, hearty kale for that classic bite but baby kale as well as fresh spinach adds great variety
Check out this Ground Beef and Kale Soup recipe (also made in the Instant Pot) - it's wildly similar to Zuppa Toscana but much milder in flavor.
🚫Dietary Substitutions
The beauty about soups is that you can modify them to suit your dietary needs. Check out these modifications:
- For Whole30 Zuppa Toscana - make sure bacon and sausage don't have added sweeteners and use coconut milk to make this dairy free (I would advise against using coconut cream as it is too rich in coconut flavor)
- For Keto Zuppa Toscana - make sure bacon and sausage are free from additives and sweeteners and sub cauliflower florets for potatoes
💭Helpful Tips
- Save bacon grease: If bacon produces much grease, pour half of it into a small jar for later use. But reserve a little bit to caramelize onions.
- Skip the salt: Don't add salt until after the end when you do a taste test. Bacon, sausage, and broth all have salt and even heavy cream has a slightly salty flavor sometimes.
- Avoid splashing: Add potatoes to the inner pot first, then pour in the broth to avoid broth splashing everywhere.
- Make-Ahead tip: Set the soup in the Instant Pot to cook in the morning and add cream and kale just before serving. The kale will retain it's bright green hue and won't be mushy.
💭Make it Nutrient-Dense: Use nourishing bone broth made with collagen-rich bones and raw cream for its massive benefits. The soup won't be heated up to destroy those beneficial properties.
👩🏽🍳Step-by-Step Instructions
The complete printable recipe is below in the recipe card for your convenience.
This Zuppa Toscana Instant Pot recipe calls for these ingredients (listed in order of use): bacon, yellow onion, ground sausage, garlic, Italian seasoning, russet potatoes, bone broth, heavy cream, and kale. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Step 1. Cook bacon
Press the saute function on Instant Pot. Cut bacon into ½ inch pieces crosswise. Add cut bacon to the inner pot and cook until crispy and cooked through. Meanwhile, dice onion. With a slotted spoon, scoop out all bacon bits and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
Step 2. Saute onions
Pour bacon grease into a jar for future use, reserving 3 tablespoons. Add diced onion to the reserved bacon grease and cook until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. As onions start releasing juices, scrape the bottom of the pot (that's flavor!)
💭Pro tip: Use kitchen shears to easily cut bacon into small bite-size pieces.
Step 3. Cook sausage
Push the onions towards the edge of the pot, clearing the center. Add sausage and cook, breaking up the meat. Eventually, the onions will get mixed in with the meat.
Step 4. Add seasonings
When no more pink on sausage is visible, add minced garlic and Italian seasonings and stir to combine. Now would be a good time to scrape off any brown bits on the bottom of the surface of the inner pot. (This helps avoid the BURN notice.)
💭Pro tip: If you don't have Italian seasoning, use 2 teaspoons of each: dried oregano, dried rosemary, and dried basil.
Step 5. Cook on high pressure
Add diced russet potatoes and bone broth to the Instant Pot. Close the lid and set the safety valve to sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. When cooking cycle has completed, allow for natural pressure release for 10 minutes, followed by quick release of pressure.
Step 6. Finishing touches
When it is safe to do so, carefully open the lid. Add cream, kale, and your cooked bacon bits. Stir to combine everything well. Tip: This step may be reserved for later time when ready to serve.
🔪Helpful Tools & Links
Below are some affiliate links that may be helpful to you as you make this recipe. You most likely have these on hand already.
- Tools: chef knife, cutting board, 6 quart Instant Pot
- Ingredients: real salt, black pepper, Wild Pastures ground sausage, Italian seasoning,
- Storage Supplies: glass soup container with lid
♨️Storage and Reheating Instructions
To store: Leftover Zuppa Toscana can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a covered container.
To reheat: You can gently reheat over medium heat on stove top until warmed through. Stir to combine.
💬FAQs
The short answer is no. Cooked potatoes do not freeze well and dairy is always iffy so it's best not to freeze it. If you make this low carb with cauliflower and skip the dairy until before serving, then yes, it can frozen.
Yes, you can make homemade bacon bits in advance (see recipe here) to cut down on time. Use lard, bacon grease, or butter to cook the onions.
Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Here are some ideas:
Did you make this? Please leave a ⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚
Printable Recipe
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon nitrate/nitrite free
- 1 cup yellow onion approximately 1 medium onion diced
- 1 pound spicy sausage hot Italian sausage or mild sausage all works
- 2 tablespoons garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 pounds russet potatoes approximately 5 potatoes
- 3 quarts bone broth chicken or beef broth
- 5 ounces kale baby kale, curly kale, dino kale
- 1 pint heavy cream half and half or milk
Instructions
- Press the saute function on the Instant Pot. Cut bacon into ½ inch pieces crosswise. Add bacon to the inner pot and cook until crispy and cooked through. Meanwhile, dice onion. With a slotted spoon, scoop out all bacon bits and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
- Pour bacon grease into a jar for future use, reserving 3 tablespoons in the Instant Pot. Add diced onion to the reserved bacon grease and cook until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. As onions start releasing juices, scrape the bottom of the pot to de-glaze and remove any burnt pieces from the surface.
- Push the onions towards the edge of the pot, clearing the center. Add sausage and cook, breaking up the meat. Eventually, the onions will get mixed in with the meat.
- Meanwhile, mince garlic and prepare Italian seasonings and dice potatoes. Once the sausage has been cooked through and there is no more pink, add minced garlic and herbs. Stir to combine. Add diced potatoes and bone broth.
- Close the lid and set the safety valve to sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. When cooking cycle has completed, allow to naturally release pressure (NPR) for 10 minutes followed by quick pressure release (QPR) for remaining pressure.
- When safety valve has dropped and it is safe to do so, open the lid. Pour cream (or half and half), kale, and reserved bacon bits. Stir to combine. Serve hot and garnish with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper.
Notes
- Bacon fat: If bacon produces a lot of grease, pour half of it into a small jar for later use. But reserve a little bit to caramelize onions.
- Skip the salt: Don't add salt until after the end when you do a taste test. Bacon, sausage, and broth all have salt and even heavy cream has a slightly salty flavor sometimes.
- Avoid splashing: Add potatoes to the inner pot first, then pour in the broth to avoid broth splashing everywhere.
- Make-Ahead tip: Set the soup in the Instant Pot to cook in the morning and add cream and kale just before serving. The kale will retain it's bright green hue and won't be mushy.
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