Easy Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana – Olive Garden Copycat (GF)

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Having made so many Instant Pot recipes, sometimes it can be hard to decide which one I love the most. Truth be told, this Olive Garden Copycat Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana recipe is my absolute favorite one to make in the Instant Pot.

It’s suuuuuuch a great family meal. It is affordable and packed full of such great flavor, everyone will be asking for more. Yeap, this Zuppa Toscana Instant Pot Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you need to feed more than your family.

It is a great addition to any upcoming holiday meals or larger gatherings and is a great way to sneak in some superfoods like kale.

Fun fact, this hearty soup is from the Tuscan region of Italy, hence the name Toscana.

So, are you ready to make this frugal, creamy and smooth Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana soup?! Then gather up your ingredients and I will show you…..

How To Make The Zuppa Toscana Soup Instant Pot Recipe

• Select Sauté function on the Instant Pot and let it get hot. Then add oil and sausages and cook until brown.
• Add the bacon and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Next, add the onion and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes before adding oregano, salt, and black pepper.
• Turn off the Instant Pot and pour in the chicken stock. Deglaze the pot by running a silicone spatula around the bottom and sides of the Instant Pot insert.

• Then add the potatoes, place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to the sealing position.
• Set to manual cook/pressure cook function, high pressure for 5 minutes. Once done, perform a complete quick pressure release.
• Select the sauté mode again and add the kale. Cook for a few minutes until the kale is wilted.
• Turn off Instant Pot, pour in the heavy cream, and stir to combine.

How to Make Zuppa Toscana Soup on the Stovetop

1. To make the Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana on the stovetop, start by cooking the sausage in a pan with oil over medium heat.
2. Fry your bacon for 1-2 minutes in the pan. Then sauté onions with garlic, and cook for a few minutes before adding the oregano, salt, and black pepper.
3. Then dump sausage, bacon, onions, and seasonings into a large soup pot, along with the chicken stock and potatoes. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
4. Wait until the end to add the kale. Once it wilts, add the cream and mix everything together.

How To Make Zuppa Toscana Soup in the Slow Cooker

Follow these steps to easily adapt this recipe to slow cook right in your Crock-Pot:

1. Start by following the same directions as the stovetop instructions above until number 3.
2. Then, instead of adding it to a pot on the stove, add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker, along with the chicken stock and potatoes.
3. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Wait to add the kale until the last 45 minutes.
4. When done, stir in the heavy cream.

Recipe Tips

• Cooking time does not include the time it takes to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.
• To avoid curdling, make sure your very last step is adding the cream.
• I have reduced the amount of cream to keep it lighter in calories than other Zuppa Toscana recipes.

• Make sure you don’t skip the deglazing step. You don’t want the sausage to stick to the bottom of the pot and cause issues with bringing the soup up to pressure.
• Do NOT add the kale in too early. It doesn’t need the full cook time as the other vegetables. Kale cooks really fast, so you want to make sure to add it at the end so it just starts to wilt, while still preserving the color, nutrients, and freshness.

What Kind of Potatoes Should I Use?

To make the best soup, make sure to use a fluffy and starchy potato. The best kind of starchy potatoes for soups are Idaho or Russet Potatoes. These will turn out the be fluffy and creamy, perfect for your Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana.

Recipe Variations

• This Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana recipe calls for smoky bacon to bring out maximum flavor. But if you don’t have that on hand, feel free to try pancetta or something similar.
• I use mild Italian sausage in this recipe, but if you like a little extra heat, try trading the mild sausage out for a spicy Italian sausage.
• If you’re trying to make a healthier version, replace the Italian Sausage with Turkey Sausage.
• Substitute the kale with spinach or arugula. They will cook just as fast, if not faster, so keep that in mind and adjust time as necessary.

Can You Freeze this?

Yes folks, you absolutely can freeze this hearty and tasty soup. A great meal prep solution, it’s easy to make a batch (or two) of this Instant Pot Soup and then store in the freezer.

To Freeze

• Make sure you let the soup cool completely before transferring to Ziploc bags.
• Press the excess air out of the bags before sealing and label them with the date.
• Place the bags flat in the freezer to store for 2-3 months.

To Reheat

• Remove the soup from the freezer the night before needed and let it thaw in the fridge.
• For a faster thaw, you can place the bagged soup in a microwave and thaw according to the microwave’s instructions.
• Transfer the thawed soup into a bowl and reheat in a microwave.
• Or transfer the thawed soup into a saucepan and reheat over low to medium heat. You may need to add in some milk or cream while reheating on the stove or microwave.

Serving Suggestions

• Instant Pot Chickpea Salad
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Creamy Pea Salad

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

If you like this soup, then you’ll want to check out these other quick, easy and delicious Instant Pot soup recipes:

• Instant Pot Moroccan Split Pea Soup
• Easy Instant Pot Creamy Potato Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

Weight Watchers Points

There are 11 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this soup.

Thank you for reading my Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.

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