Easy Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)
Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot is a deliciously flavorful and frugal one-pot meal you’re sure to love!
This Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana is a copycat of your favorite Olive Garden soup, made simple in the pressure cooker!
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UPDATED July 24, 2024 with new photographs and more detailed instructions.
When I was spending summer breaks at home during college, my family and I would often go out shopping or to run errands together on the weekends.
My dad enjoyed stopping for lunch at Olive Garden for their unlimited soup, salad, and bread sticks. These lunch stops were a favorite of mine, too!
That was my first introduction to Zuppa Toscana, minestrone, and pasta e fagioli. Mmmmmm.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to make our favorite soups at home, which taste better and are less expensive.
In fact, I have several Instant Pot Olive Garden copycat recipes!
I especially love making soups in my pressure cooker, and this Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana is one of the best Instant Pot soups!
Do you need a lighter version or Whole30 compliant version of this soup? Check out my healthy zuppa toscana recipe!
Italian Sausage Potato Soup in the Instant Pot
This Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana soup, which was inspired by This Old Gal, is one of our favorite soups.
It’s been added to our meal plan rotation and I make it regularly.
I love how easy it is to make, and the flavorful sausage, tender potatoes, and creamy broth are the perfect comfort food.
Plus, it’s a simple one-pot meal, only requiring a handful of ingredients, which automatically makes it a winner in my book!
Because it only requires a handful of common and fairly inexpensive ingredients, this hearty soup is also a frugal meal option.
If you’re on the hunt for quick, easy, cheap, and tasty meals, you’ll agree that this is a winner!
For more inexpensive Instant Pot meals, check out this list of 40 cheap and easy Instant Pot Dinners.
How to Make Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot
It’s easier than you think to make this tasty meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Italian sausage (I use mild, but you can use spicy Italian sausage if preferred)
- Garlic
- Russet potatoes
- Chicken broth
- Kale
- Heavy cream or Half and Half
How to Make it:
(Full printable recipe card is available below)
Saute. To start off, you’ll use the Saute function to cook some onions and brown some ground Italian sausage.
I love the flavor added by just this one ingredient!
In fact, I have a whole list of Instant Pot Italian sausage recipes, because it’s such a simple yet flavorful addition.
Add in the garlic and cook it for another minute, until it’s nice and fragrant.
Add remaining ingredients. Drain off excess grease, then add the potatoes and broth.
I leave the peel on the potatoes, because that helps them hold their shape better, but you can peel them if you prefer.
Pressure cook. Lock the lid in place and turn off the Saute function. Select a 4 minute cook time at high pressure.
While that’s cooking, go ahead and cut the kale into thin strips or small pieces. I like to also massage them to make them softer.
Once the cook time is complete, allow a 10 minute natural pressure release, followed by a quick release of any remaining pressure.
After pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully open the lid.
Finish the soup. Add the kale to the pot and stir it, allowing the heat to wilt it. Then stir in the cream or half and half.
Can You Freeze Zuppa Toscana?
Yes, you can freeze Zuppa Toscana, but the texture will change a little.
The potatoes will likely break apart a little bit during reheating, but it will still taste great.
What Greens Can You Use in Zuppa Toscana?
A lot of Zuppa Toscana recipes use spinach as the greens, which you can use if you prefer.
But I personally love using kale instead because it’s a more hardy green that doesn’t get so mushy, but instead wilts and gets soft.
What Kind of Sausage Should You Use in Zuppa Toscana?
I use mild Italian sausage and find it to be plenty flavorful, but I’m also kind of a wimp when it comes to spice.
So if you prefer a spicier version of this Tuscan soup, use spicy sausage.
You can also use Italian turkey sausage if you prefer!
Using ground sausage that’s already out of the casings is my preferred method, mostly because sausage casings kind of gross me out. 🙂
I love using Italian sausage in soups, because it provides so much flavor!
I use it in my Instant Pot Italian sausage and lentil soup, my recipe for rustic Instant Pot Italian sausage and bean soup, and even this Italian sausage, potato and corn chowder.
How to Make Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana
If you need a dairy free option, you can swap in some coconut cream instead of the heavy cream.
You can also omit the cream all together if you prefer!
Do You Need Bacon for Zuppa Toscana?
I don’t use the bacon because I don’t feel it’s necessary (the soup has plenty of flavor without it!).
But feel free to add some crumbled bacon or bacon bits on top when serving, if you prefer!
I love this soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes on top, and some crusty bread or homemade dinner rolls and a salad on the side.
It’s a hearty comfort food perfect for this time of year.
Add it to your weekly meal plan and give it a try–it’s a winner!
Recommended Equipment:
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
This Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana is a hearty meal made in the pressure cooker! This frugal one-pot meal is super quick, easy and full of flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 lb ground mild Italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large russet potatoes, unpeeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices.
- 6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh kale, chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half (or milk if you want to decrease calories a bit)
- Optional, for serving: Grated Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Using the "saute" function of the Instant Pot, heat the olive oil. Add onions and cook for a few minutes, until they begin to become translucent.
- Add the Italian sausage, crumbling up into smaller pieces and cooking until browned.
- Add garlic and allow to cook just until fragrant, about a minute.
- Drain off excess grease if desired and return to pot.
- Add potato slices and chicken broth.
- Lock the lid into place and set to "sealed."
- Cook at high pressure for 4 minutes using the Manual setting.
- When cooking is complete, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, followed by a quick release.
- When pressure valve has dropped, remove the lid and add kale to the pot. The heat from the soup will wilt the kale as you stir.
- Pour in cream or half and half (or milk), stirring to combine.
- Serve as desired, topping with Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
- If you need a dairy free option, you can swap in some coconut cream instead of the heavy cream. You can also omit the cream all together if preferred!
- This recipe is gluten free as written (assuming your sausage and broth are gluten free--be sure to check the package)!
- A lot of Zuppa Toscana recipes use spinach as the greens, which you can use if you prefer. But I love using kale instead because it's a more hardy green that doesn't get so mushy, but instead wilts and gets soft.
- Yes, you can freeze zuppa toscana! The potatoes may break apart a little bit during reheating, which will change the texture, but it will still taste great.
- I use mild sausage and find it to be plenty flavorful, but I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to spice. So if you prefer a spicier version, use spicy sausage. You can also use Italian turkey sausage if you prefer!
Recipe adapted from This Old Gal
Recommended Products
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Mercer Culinary M22608 Millennia 8-Inch Chef's Knife, Black -
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer -
KitchenAid KC351OHOBA Multi-Purpose Scissors Stainless Steel Kitchen Shears with Blade Cover and Soft Grip Handles, Black
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 496Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 721mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 20g
Nutrition Information is calculated automatically and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
Instant Pot Tips and Tricks:
- How to convert slow cooker recipes for the pressure cooker
- How to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot
- How to Proof Dough in the Instant Pot
- How to Reheat Leftovers in the Instant Pot
Be sure to save this recipe to your Instant Pot Recipes board on Pinterest!
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Hey, I had a question do u out the meat and onion into pressure cooker as well with chicken broth and potatoes? Or u add them after with kale and half&half??
Hi Yana! Yes, the meat and onions go into the pressure cooker with the broth and potatoes. Thanks for checking! 🙂
Hello! I would like to double his recipe! I was wondering how long I would put it on high pressure for in the instapot? Thank you!
Hi Jessica! The cook time will remain the same. It will take longer to come to pressure, though. If you choose to double it, just make sure you’re under the maximum fill amount for your model. Enjoy! 🙂
What can I use in place of kale, don’t like that!
Hi Vickie! You could use spinach in place of kale. I think escarole might also work well! Enjoy! 🙂
I use baby kale. It is so much better since most of the family hates hard stem kales.
Great idea, Carol! I always tear the kale off of the stems, but buying baby kale would be easier!
How many servings does this make? Trying to decide if I should double or not
Hi Mandy! It makes about 6 servings. Just be mindful not to overfill your pressure cooker if you decide to double–you would likely need to make it in two separate batches. 🙂
I made this last night with spicy Italian chicken sausage and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Oooh that’s a great idea! So glad you liked it! 🙂
Would this recipe work with frozen kale? I’m out of fresh kale!
Hi Susan! I’ve never tried it with frozen, so I can’t say for sure, but I think it would be fine! Just make sure to thaw it and drain it well first to avoid adding extra water. Let me know how it works if you try it! 🙂
What if you don’t have a pressure cooker?
Hi Trevor! You can make it on the stovetop- most of the steps are similar only you would simmer it (instead of pressure cooking it) until the potatoes are tender. You may need to use more liquid, as stovetop cooking tends to result in more evaporation than pressure cooking.
Any substitutions for the cream? We have a dairy allergy here 🙂
Hi Katie! You can leave it out! The soup will be a bit more brothy without it, but it will still be flavorful. If you want it to have a creamier texture, you can always scoop out some of the potatoes and broth, puree them together, then return them to the rest of the soup. I haven’t tried anything else in place of the cream…you could probably try coconut milk or something like that if you wanted to! Let me know how it turns out if you try a different variation. 🙂
Coconut Milk works great! Just tried it and can’t even tell the difference. Thanks, Christi!
I’m so glad it worked! Thanks for letting us know. 🙂
Did you use whole fat canned coconut milk , or the refrigerated type?
canned coconut milk, shaken well!
We too are dairy free and use cocconut cream in place of half and half – it’s delicious!!!
Yay! I’m so glad it worked well for you and that you enjoyed it, Kelly! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Made this the other night using half & half and spinach I had on-hand instead of kale. It was DELICIOUS!! I put some crispy bacon pieces in each bowl to garnish and it added extra flavor and texture. Thank you for sharing this recipe– my whole family, ages 4-67, enjoyed it!
Yay! I’m so glad your family loved it! 🙂
I just made this and it was so delicious! I used spinach instead of kale and vegetable broth instead of chicken. I will definitely be making it again, thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Emily! I’m glad it was a hit! 🙂
Turned out great! My only criticism is the bacon is missing if you make it like Olive Garden. I was missing it. But still a great recipe!
Yes, you can definitely add the bacon if you miss it (and to make it more like Olive Garden’s)! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi! This is my favorite soup so I’m excited to make this! Question: I want to double the recipe. I have an 8qt IP. Do you think that will be big enough? Thanks!
Hi Marie! I’m honestly not sure if you can double the recipe and fit it in an 8-qt IP. I think you could probably do 1.5x the recipe pretty easily in an 8-qt. Either way, just make sure you don’t fill the insert pot more than 2/3 full! If you can double it and stay within that parameter, then go for it! 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Just made this in an 8 quart. It just fit, came to just below the max line.
This soup is one of my kid’s FAVORITES! our personal family change is that I add navy beans and use ground sausage with sage. The beans make the soup more filling without having to double the recipe.
I’m so glad your family enjoys it! And that’s a GREAT idea to add navy beans! We love beans, so I’ll have to try that as well! 🙂
Hi!! This looks amazing! I was wondering if it can be made in a 6 quart instant pot, or if that is too little. My husband bought this for me and he got the smaller one! Sigh lol
Yes, Cat, that will work fine! I have the 6-quart model as well. 🙂
This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing I’m trying to decide whether to buy an Instant Pot, so I’m researching recipes now, and I will definitely print this one and add it to my stack. Would you mind sharing with me how you do the nice printable recipes for your blog? I occasionally share recipes on mine, and I really like how simple and straightforward the printables are on yours. Thank you!
Stephanie from The Beauty of Midlife
http://www.thebeautyofmidlife.com
Hi Stephanie! I love my Instant Pot–if you decide to get one, let me know how you like it! 🙂 I use a WP plug-in to create the printer-friendly recipes. There are several options, but I use Zip Recipes. Hope that helps!
I cannot wait to try this! do you think I could use escarole instead of kale?
Yes, I think that would work fine!
This was my second time using the Instant Pot and this was delicious! I did add a bit of chicken bouillon and some red skinned potatoes for color… but otherwise followed to a T. Thank you for a easy and delicious recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Awesome Recipe! We just got an instapot and my son requested this soup for dinner. Everyone loved it! Super easy to make too. I doubled the recipe and followed it to a t. This is a keeper!
I’m so glad your family loved it! 🙂
We love this soup we always have it with garlic bread sticks to dip in it so filling soup its even better next day reheat that is if there is any left for the next day
Garlic bread is the perfect addition–yum! Sometimes I toss a few croutons in mine, too. 🙂 I’m so glad your family is enjoying it!
This was my first REAL meal in my Instant Pot and it was so easy and delish!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Made this today to take to a get-together this evening. Chose your recipe over several others and it was perfect! No need to look any further!!!!! Thank you!!!!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Mindy!! 🙂
Looks good! Would the three quart Instant Pot have enough capacity? We have a six quart as well but me being ancient, I prefer the smaller one. Would you change anything if I used Swiss chard, (which is abundant in our garden)? I have childhood dislike of kale.
Hi Gary, I think you’d have to probably cut the recipe in half for it to fit in the 3-quart pot. My guess is that the recipe as written would exceed the maximum fill of the pot. I think Swiss chard would be great instead of kale!
Thanks for the reply Chrysti! Cutting it in half would probably provide 4 servings for us scaled-down geezer appetites
This was absolutely delicious! Hubby loved it even though he is leery of anything with greens in it. I will be adding this one pot meal to my RV glamping menu this fall for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kelly–I’m so glad to hear that you and your husband both enjoyed it! It will be perfect for your glamping adventure! 🙂
This may be a stupid question, but what ground sausage do you use? Ground Mild Italian from the meat case or the rolled breakfast sausage? I read one comment that used the sausage with safe & guessing that’s the rolled breakfast sausage? Thank you!
Not a stupid question at all! I use ground mild Italian sausage from the meat case, not breakfast sausage. You can also find rolled Italian sausage in the meat case, and if you use that, just remove the casings. I buy the ground sausage to avoid having to deal with the casings, but if all you can find is the rolled sausage, you can cut the casings and push out the sausage from inside. Hope that clarifies! 🙂
Thank you for your quick response! Like you, I don’t like the casings so I’ll be looking for the ground sausage!
I just bought an InstaPot last night. This was my first attempt at a meal today. It was absolutely delicious and tasted much like the Zuppa Tuscana from Olive Garden. I would recommend this recipe to anyone looking for new recipes ! 5 stars!
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Andrea! Congrats on your first Instant Pot creation–I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Oh so good!! I’ve wanted to make this for a while and finally did! It was so yummy, can’t wait to eat the leftovers the next few days!! Curious, cannot be frozen? Thank you!!! Totally recommend this!
Hi Jenna! Thank you–I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 I have not personally tried freezing this particular soup, but I do think you could freeze leftovers. The texture will be a little different after thawing (the potatoes will break down more during freezing and reheating), but I think it would work fine.
I accidentally put the cream in before I had it come to pressure…. I hope it turns out ok! :/
How did it turn out? Hopefully it worked out ok!
I made this today and the instant pot took about 20 minutes to finish preheating. Then it cooked for five minutes. Then it warmed for two hours. My soup was a big pile of mush What did I do wrong?
Hi Stephanie! It sounds like the potatoes just got mushy from keeping it on the warm setting for 2 hours. After the 5-minute cook time is complete, the Instant Pot automatically switches to the Keep Warm setting, with a default time of 2 hours. But you don’t have to use that. Instead, after the 5-minute cook time is complete, only leave it on the keep warm setting for 10 minutes (or you can press Cancel to turn it off all together and set a timer for ten minutes), then use the pressure release valve on the lid to release the remaining pressure (a quick release) after ten minutes has passed. Once the pressure is released, you can carefully remove the lid. Hope that helps! 🙂
This recipe is incredibly easy and absolutely delicious! Thank you!!
Thank you for your sweet comment! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂
This is a winner in our house. I have a toddler, so I dont have hours to spend making meals. This is quick, easy and everyone loves it. We have been making it twice a month! What do you think about freezing it?
Hi Erika! Thank you so much for your kind words–I’m so happy to hear you all are enjoying it! I totally understand how difficult it is to cook when you have a toddler running around! You can definitely freeze it, but the texture will be a little different once it thaws. The potatoes break down a bit and release water during the process of freezing/thawing, so the potato pieces won’t hold together as well, but the flavor won’t be affected. This doesn’t bother me, but I know some people are big “texture” eaters, so I like to mention it. 🙂 Hope that helps!
Do you have the calories, carbohydrates, fat and protein breakdown per serving?
Hi Krista! I updated the recipe card to show nutrition information. However, the nutrition information is automatically calculated and may not be entirely accurate, since it doesn’t take into account draining the grease after cooking the sausage, whether you use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, etc. So it’s just an estimate based on the ingredients listed, but it at least gives you a rough idea. I hope that helps! 🙂
Thanks!
This is my favorite soup at Olive Garden. Was so happy to find your recipe for the instant pot. I always use HOT Italian sausage when making this, because I am pretty sure it’s whats used in the OG soup. Let me tell you, the first time I made this, I was so happy that it tasted EXACTLY like the soup I get at OG! So, so easy to make your recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Laura–thank you so much for your sweet comment! I’m so happy to hear that you are loving the recipe–it’s one of our favorites, too! 🙂
Have you ever froze the soup after cooking? How did it thaw out and reheat?
Hi there! Yes, I have. If you freeze the soup, the texture changes a bit because the potatoes break down some during freezing/thawing. So it won’t be quite the same, but the flavor is still good. I do think it’s best when it’s fresh, but you can freeze it and reheat it, especially if texture isn’t a big deal to you. I hope that helps!
It’s a really good recipe but I feel like cook time should be less. Our potatoes always fall apart once it’s done.
Hi Sara! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe–yes, you can definitely decrease the cook time a bit if you prefer the potatoes firmer, and that should do the trick! 🙂
Hello! How long do you sauté the sausage to ensure that it’s cooked fully?
Hi Natalie! It doesn’t take long–I brown it for a few minutes (probably 3-5 minutes total), cooking it just until it isn’t pink anymore. From a food safety perspective, it doesn’t have to be totally cooked all the way through while sauteing, since it will cook some more during pressure cooking. But from a flavor perspective, I like to saute it until it’s browned because that enhances the flavor. Hope that helps! 🙂
This was super fast and super easy! Excellent flavor as written, but I did add a touch more seasoning and some canned mushrooms. I only had a little heavy cream so I mixed it with milk – perfect. This sounds crazy, but I also zested a little nutmeg on top to set off the flavors – yum!! I may peel the potatoes next time since some of the skins detached and were floating around. I appreciate this no fuss recipe for a pretty elegant dinner!
Hi Lori! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Your tweaks sound delicious–especially the nutmeg! I will definitely have to try that next time. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I made this soup and it was a crowd hit. Can I double it? I’m making it for a dinner party next weekend and there are 13 guests.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Winnie! I haven’t tried doubling it–I think it would probably be too much to double in a 6-quart IP (I think it would likely exceed the maximum recommended fill line). If you have an 8-quart IP, you might be able to double it in that, but I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it.
Thank you so much for responding…and sorry for my below comment (I spaced…I forgot I asked you already! ) I will make it twice and store it in a simmering pot! Thanks again for the great recipe. Its amazing!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you are enjoying it! 🙂
Can you double this recipe?
Just made this tonight it’s actually in the instant pot waiting on everyone to come in an eat dinner but I tried it when it was done it is so good I just need everyone to hurry up lol
Haha! Hopefully you didn’t have to wait too long. 🙂 I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Kimberly!
This was amazing! My brother had never had the ‘real’ Zuppa at Olive Garden so he was really curious and VERY happy with the outcome, he went back for seconds!
I did splurge and get all my ingredients from Whole Foods for this one (Thank You Amazon delivery!!). So I got their spicy sausage from the butcher, their organic kale, some white potatoes (they were out of russet but it worked just fine, of course). We were so anxious to eat it that we didn’t even give the kale proper time to really wilt, so I’d say it was al dente but that was actually a really great texture, I recommend it. Has to be sturdy kale, of course.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’ve already shared with a few friends who are excited to try it. I think that it is just a half dozen ingredients and really simple makes it even more awesome and for sure a future go-to for this family!
Hi Grace! Thank you for such a glowing review! I’m so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed it as much as we do! And thank you for sharing it with your friends–I so appreciate it. 🙂
Just wanted to say thank you, because this has been a go-to in our family since I discovered it. It’s easy to make with items on hand or that store well if I use sausage and greens out of the freezer (and it tastes just as good!), so it’s been in heavy rotation while we limit trips to the store. Thank you again!
Hi Em! Thank you so much for your kind comment–I love hearing that this is a favorite in your family’s rotation. Great tip to keep sausage and greens in the freezer so you can enjoy it any time the inspiration strikes! 🙂
Hey Chrysti I made your Zuppa Toscana and it was delicious the only thing that I did was added a half of a Boursin Cheese and it was amazing. Great recipe.
Hi Cornell! What a fabulous addition–I love Boursin cheese. I bet that made it extra flavorful and creamy–thanks for the suggestion! 🙂
Delicious! Think this is the third time I’ve made it. So quick and easy! It’s a favorite of hubs too
Thank you, TJ! So glad you and the hubs enjoy it as much as we do! 🙂
Whoa 5 Stars!!! Really loved this recipe. I found that the timing and 1/4″ cut potatoes made for the peels to come off (nooooooo!) so next time I will either cut the potatoes chunkier or reduce cooking time. So much flavor in this soup and I don’t know where it came from!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The Italian sausage really does add so much flavor! Yes, sometimes the peels do come off, so you’re right that cutting them a little thicker or reducing the cook time should help (or you can peel the potatoes if you prefer).
This is my most favorite soup and so much better than the Olive Garden version! I make at least 1-2 time a month. The only change I have started doing is using a package of baby kale instead of green kale. It’s still very flavorful but no hard stalks to struggle with. My family approves and it is now the only kale I use every time I make this recipe. In fact, it is in the IP now. Yum!
Hi Carol! Thank you so much for your kind words–I’m so glad it’s on regular rotation in your home. And that’s a fantastic idea to use baby kale–thanks for the tip! 🙂