Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana

Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana is the perfect warming winter soup - it's creamy, hearty and utterly delicious. Loaded with flavorful Italian sausages and potatoes, this soup is comfort food at its best!

You may think that Zuppa Toscana is a traditional recipe from Tuscany by looking at its name, but you'd be wrong.

Even though there are some Italian elements in it, Zuppa Toscana is very much an American creation.

This creamy, delicious soup skyrocketed to fame courtesy of Olive Garden, and it became quite a phenomenon over the years.

There are lots of copycat Zuppa Toscana recipes out there, but making it in the Instant Pot is the easiest way to get your hands on a steaming bowl of goodness.

Since I live in the UK, I've never set foot in an Olive Garden restaurant because we don't have them on this side of the pond.

But a couple of years ago, I saw this soup on my Instagram feed, and I fell in love.

That's because Zuppa Toscana checks all the boxes on my perfect soup checklist - it's creamy, loaded with flavour and just as comforting a soup can get.

Since then, I made it my life's purpose to adjust it to perfection. I've made it dozens of times, and that's no exaggeration.

I'm quite sure this soup is partially responsible for those 10 pounds I don't seem to be able to shed these days, but guess what - I have no regrets!

What do you need to make Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana?

Sausages - Italian pork sausages are perfect for making Zuppa Toscana, but you can use turkey or chicken sausages if you want the soup to be healthier.

Onion and garlic - Feel free to adjust the quantities here. I personally use 1 large onion and 4 large garlic cloves. I tested it with 6 garlic cloves, and I liked it, but it might be too garlicky for some people. If you're a fan of garlic, you might love it with 6 cloves, so give it a try.

Italian seasoning mix - You can substitute this with half a teaspoon each dried oregano, basil and rosemary.

Red chilli flakes - I add half a teaspoon red chilli flakes to give the soup a bit of a kick, but you can definitely skip it.

Low sodium stock - Both veggie and chicken stock work well for this recipe. Make sure you use a low-sodium version, though, since the sausages are already salty.

Potatoes - For a low-carb version of Zuppa Toscana, use cauliflower florets instead of potatoes.

Double cream - Substitute the double cream with a plant-based version made from soy or cashews for a dairy-free Zuppa Toscana.

Alternatively, use the creamy white part on top of a can of coconut milk. To cut down on calories, use single cream (half and half) instead.

Cavolo nero (Tuscan kale) - Also known as Lacinato kale, cavolo nero works best in this soup because of its robust texture. You can use any other kind of kale you have on hand, though.

How to make it?

Set the Instant Pot to "Saute" and heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and fry it for 8-10 minutes while breaking it up with the end of your spoon.

When the sausage is browned and cooked through, add the chopped onion and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute until fragrant. Pour in half of the stock, deglaze the Instant Pot, and then add the rest.

Next, stir in the Italian seasoning mix, red chilli flakes and potatoes. Turn off the "Saute" function and set the Instant Pot on High Pressure for 5 minutes.

When the Instant Pot beeps, perform a quick release and remove the lid. Stir in the double cream and kale and place the lid back (without actually locking it) for 3-4 minutes to allow the kale to wilt.

Season to taste and serve with crusty bread.

Recipe notes and tips

• The original Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden has bits of bacon in it, but I find it too heavy (not to mention all those calories). If you want to add bacon, you can either fry it with the sausage or add some crisped bacon bits that you've cooked separately at the end.
• You can keep Zuppa Toscana in the fridge for up to three days in an air-tight container. I don't recommend freezing it because of the cream.
• Add a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans with the stock to up the protein intake.

If you liked this Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana, you might also like some of my other hearty soup recipes:

• Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
• Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Vegetarian Dumpling Soup
• Easy Creamy Taco Soup
• Creamy Vegetarian Tortellini Soup

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