This Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup is the perfect cure for your Olive Garden cravings! You can whip up this sausage and potatoes soup in your pressure cooker in under 30 minutes! Enjoy it for a weeknight meal or freeze it leftovers later.
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This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated.
I still love Olive Garden. There! I said it. I know we are all supposed to hate chain restaurants, but that one holds a special place in my heart. I use to inhale this during the unlimited salad, soup, and breadsticks!
Table of Contents
What Type of Potatoes to Use
I like to use Russet potatoes. You can also use red or Yukon gold. All of these options will require the same cook time.
What Type of Sausage to Use
This is an Italian sausage and potatoes soup and you will need ground sausage for the recipe. I like to use Italian sausage. It provides a lot of flavor.
You can also use ground turkey or chicken sausage if you wish.
How to Cook Zuppa Toscana Soup in Instant Pot
- Turn the Instant Pot on the saute function. Add the olive oil to the pot. Add sausage and break the sausage into small pieces with a large spoon.
- Add onions and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and stir. Cook until the onions are soft and fragrant.
- Add chicken broth, oregano, and potatoes to the pot. Stir. If the broth does not completely cover the potatoes, add a small amount of water. The potatoes will need to be fully covered with liquid.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Set the pot to Manual High-Pressure Cooking for 5 minutes.
- Allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes instead of a quick release.
- Remove the lid. Add the cooked bacon, whipping cream, almond milk, and kale to the pot. Turn the Instant Pot on the saute function. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the kale has wilted.
- Serve with shredded parmesan if desired.
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How Long Will the Soup Last in The Fridge?
The soup will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Freezer Tips
Yes! This soup will last for a few months in the freezer. Freeze the soup in an airtight container.
Recipe Tips
- I lightened up the recipe by using a lot less whipping cream than you will find in the restaurant version. I paired with a little bit of almond milk.
- Skim or whatever you prefer will also work just fine. This recipe still accomplishes the same great taste because the flavor heavily lies in the sausage and chicken broth.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Instant Pot Gumbo
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Spinach
Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Sweet Potato Soup
Instant Pot Tomato Soup
Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
More Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole
Instant Pot Green Beans
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Looking for a low carb version? Check out my Keto Low Carb Zuppa Toscana Soup.
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ pound ground sausage Italian Sausage works best.
- 2 pounds russet potatoes with the skin on Scrubbed and sliced into cubes about an inch thick.
- ½ cup chopped onions I used white onions.
- 2-3 minced garlic cloves
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 slices bacon or turkey bacon cooked and crumbled
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk You can use any desired milk
- 2-3 cups fresh kale stems removed
- parmesan for topping optional
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Turn the Instant Pot on the saute function. Add the olive oil to the pot. Add the onions and the sausage. Break the sausage into small pieces. Cook until the onions are translucent and fragrant and the sausage is no longer pink.
- Add the garlic and stir. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth, oregano, and potatoes to the pot. Stir. If the broth does not completely cover the potatoes, add a small amount of water. The potatoes will need to be fully covered with liquid.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Set the pot to Manual High-Pressure Cooking for 5 minutes.
- Allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes instead of quick release.
- Remove the lid. Add the cooked bacon, whipping cream, almond milk, and kale to the pot. Turn the Instant Pot on the saute function. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the kale has wilted.
- Serve with shredded parmesan if desired.
Slow Cooker
- Cook the sausage in a skillet on medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the onions and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and stir. Cook until the onions are soft and fragrant.
- Add the sausage mixture, chicken broth, oregano, and potatoes to the slow-cooker. Stir. If the broth does not completely cover the potatoes, add a small amount of water. The potatoes will need to be fully covered with liquid.
- Cook for 3-4 hours on High, 7-8 hours on Low. Add the cooked bacon, whipping cream, almond milk, and kale to the pot. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the kale has wilted.
- Serve with shredded parmesan if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Angela Tolsma says
Olive Garden was a favorite restaurant for my husband and I for years until we found some amazing nonchain places to go. That said I have never tried their soups! This looks so good!
Stephanie says
I've never had Zuppa Toscana before. My husband gets it when we go to Olive Garden sometimes, but I can't pass up the Chicken Gnocchi. I'll have to try it next time.
Marjie Mare says
It seems like you recreated the perfect zuppa. I am also a foodie, I take pleasure to try new recipes, I recently went to a Thai restaurant and my older daughter was surprised, that my attempt to make the Thai shrimp sauce I had there turns out as delicious as what she ate.
Ray Ruzzo says
So, you're my new hero. I love this soup and I love the instant pot.
April says
Oh my goodness this looks so yummy! I definitely am going to make this for dinner one night this week.
April |
Rose says
Looking forward to trying this recipe out. I already make this soup for my family but not with my crock pot. I love my crockpot and making dinner in it makes life a little easier.
Robyn says
This looks so delicious. I will have to make sometime soon because it is so cold. This would so warm me up.
jill conyers says
My husband loves his instapot. Especially when he is making soup.
Vy Nguyen says
It looks yummy. I also want to have a bite. Thanks for your ingredient.
Prajakta Sharma says
The soup looks absolutely delicious...loved it. Your photos look great too!
Keep the good work coming in!
XOXO
Prajakta
Eloise says
that looks like some good comfort food (which I could use these days!) Thank you for the recipe, I really want to try making it this weekend ; )
Yum!
Amanda says
I've never had the Olive Garden version, but this is just some good a** soup. I made mine with coconut cream and carton coconut milk instead of the heavy cream and almond milk and it turned out perfectly. And I doubled the bacon, because there's no such thing as too much bacon.
staysnatched says
haha I love that idea.
Deb Savage says
I am always looking for an amazing soup to try. This one looks like it is so simple to make.
Lisa Huff says
Wow, looks just like Olive Garden! We could go for some of this soup now especially since it's like 0 degrees here!
Edyta at Innocent Delight says
You can't go wrong with Zupa Toscana. I love all the flavors in it. I also like that you lighten it up a bit 🙂
debi says
This version of their soup looks so good. And I love the slow cooker!
Traci says
Brandi, this looks outstanding! I just want to grab a spoon and scoop this yumminess right up. Comfort food all the way. Another vote for the Instant Pot!
Patranila says
I love my slow cooker. Makes life so much easier. Set it and forget it!
Sarah says
I absolutely LOVE using my Instant Pot to make soups....can't wait to try this one! It sounds so delicious!!
Rebecca says
This. Is. Amazing!!! This was my very first attempt in the Instant Pot and I absolutely love it. My super picky 16 year old looked at it suspiciously (I mean, Kale!) had a taste and then ate two huge bowlfuls!!! Thank you!!! 😀
staysnatched says
This is so wonderful! I'm so happy you and your 16 year old enjoyed it. I hope you try more of my Instant Pot recipes.
Courtney says
My mom loves Olive Garden, but doesn't have one where she lives. I made this for her and it turned out amazing! It was so quick with the instant pot.
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
BarbaraJo says
I am low carb/keto. Can I make this without the potatoes? Maybe sub cauliflower?
staysnatched says
Hi there! The recipe works well with cauliflower! Steam the cauliflower.
Steve Hen says
WOW - this was delicious...tweaked it by using low-fat milk but the taste was still phenomenal. Definitely a hit. Insta pot used.
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you liked it!
Christine Mitchell says
Hi Brandi, I have a question, can this be made in a stove top pressure cooker ?
staysnatched says
I have never used one. I can’t provide any insight.
TS says
I love Zuppa Toscana & I have seen a few copycat recipes floating around. Just recently followed you and saw this pop up in your stories & decided to give it a try! It’s so good & the recipe is so easy to follow!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
meng says
My husband loves his instapot. Especially when he is making soup.
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Mariana says
Tried this tonight and it. was. delicious. Same flavor as Olive Garden but even better making it fresh at home! We used whole milk instead of almond and to feed our family of 5 we used an extra potato and a pound of sausage. The kale didn’t look great at the store so I used baby kale instead and it was just as good! Served with a crusty bread to dip and it was the ultimate comfort meal after another long day of working from home and virtual learning with the kids cuz pandemic.
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Tina says
This turned out so good! Love Brandi's recipes always on point!
staysnatched says
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Orvina says
Made this tonight for my meal prep for the week! No surprise how delicious this is!!!! I’ve never had it from Olive Garden but my parent’s chef makes a similar soup so I wanted to try it. My grocery store didn’t have the turkey sausage crumbles that I like so I tried it with turkey kielbasa. It still came out really tasty!!
staysnatched says
I'm glad it worked out with the additions!
Kayla says
Ok I’ll admit, i was skeptical at first. GIRL. This soup was amazing! Even my soup hating kids loved it. Def will make again!
staysnatched says
I'm glad the kids enjoyed it!
Sabrina says
I made this on the stove because I don’t have an instapot but it was delicious non the less!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Alexa says
Omg! I made this recipe for lunch and it was sooo good. Definitely will be making this again!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Hannah says
Made this last night and it was fantastic! Lots of flavor and even better than the Olive Garden version. Recipe was super easy to follow, I will be making this again.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm so glad to hear that. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Angela Barraza says
Delicious, crowd pleaser, the whole family had seconds. This is the 3rd recipe I've made from this site, all of them simple to follow and taste great!
Angela says
Delicious, crowd pleaser, the whole family had seconds. This is the 3rd recipe I've made from this site, all of them simple to follow and taste great!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm so glad to hear that!
Elizabeth Thornewell says
So good. So easy. Better than the restaurant's version in my opinion. Took like 30 min total, and I loved being able to add more kale than what you get at Olive Garden. Excited to try more recipes!
Elizabeth Thornewell says
So good. So easy, and better than the restaurant version. Took like 30 min tops and I liked being able to add more kale than what you get at Olive Garden. Can't wait to try more recipes!
staysnatched says
I love to add more kale, too!
Sheila says
This soup is so delicious!! Very creamy and so flavorful. Definitely will make again.
staysnatched says
So glad to hear you will make it again!
Jovan says
I love Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana and this was a perfect copycat recipe for it! I debated using chicken sausage but am glad I followed the recommendation of using pork sausage - it just really makes the dish. I also added a bit of extra salt but that's probably because I used homemade chicken broth and added extra water since mine came out a bit thick otherwise after cooking in the instant pot. I actually prefer this over Olive Garden since it tastes more fresh and not as heavy.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed this soup!
Marleigh says
This is THE BEST SOUP RECIPE I've ever made. My mom and I used to love getting all-you-can-eat soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden; we would both order several bowls of the Zuppa Toscana every time, and this remake is just as good (if not better) and gives me the same cozy vibes. The video was really helpful too. I combined this version with Brandi's low-carb version by doing 1/2 potatoes and 1/2 cauliflower and it turned out great! The leftovers were good too; next time I'll try freezing some. Highly recommend making this!
staysnatched says
Yes, this is perfect for freezing!
Sabrina Boucher says
I finally took Brandi's advice and bought an instant pot and this was the first recipe I tried in it. A-MAZ-ING, soo good and very easy to do!
staysnatched says
I'm glad your first recipe was a success.
Jamie says
Made this soup for lunch today. Loved it. Added some hot sauce and it was absolutely perfect. Super easy recipe with great instructions.
staysnatched says
Yum! That sounds so good!
Jasmine says
Sooo good! Super easy and quick. This was always my favorite soup at Olive Garden and it tastes just like it! Loved it!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Aisha says
Hey!!!!! This was a good recipe to try for my fav soup from the OG. I added a little extra seasoning for my flavor palate. The recipe is good and straight to the point.
staysnatched says
Yay, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Nek Collins says
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Extremely flavorful. Can’t wait to have it tomorrow. Meals are always heat the following day.
staysnatched says
Yes! Great for leftovers.
Heather says
This soup was so good! All my boys liked it, even the picky one. I can't wait to make it again and again.
staysnatched says
I love when I can impress a picky eater!
laclassedemademoisele says
Just delish, creamy savory, thank you Brandi I was getting tired of my tomato feta and broccoli cheese soup.
Never went to olive garden so can't compare. I don't doubt yours tastes better.
staysnatched says
haha thank you so much!
Lisa says
OMG! This soup was sooo amazing! It taste amazing! I don't think I will ever go to Olive Garden to get the soup again.
Definitely try this recipe!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Tori says
I absolutely love Zuppa Toscana soup and this recipe is by far the best one I've ever had. Honestly, this soup is so good I find myself having to pre-portioning it to make sure I actually have leftovers and don't eat it all in one sitting.
This recipe is quick enough for a week night, and I've found it to be quite forgiving when I have had to make substitutions based on what I had on hand. As mentioned in the recipe, the flavor mainly comes from the sausage and chicken broth so as long as you have these two things, the flavor profile is on point. I've substituted in various milk products and while that may change the consistency of my soup, the flavor is always perfect. This soup is in our regular dinner rotation at my house and we're never disappointed!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! So glad to hear it.
Kate W says
Another success! Just had this for dinner and it was delicious. I love the original and this is the next best thing! I didn’t have all the ingredients: used baby spinach instead of kale, full cream milk instead of cream/almond milk and left out the bacon and it was still marvelous. And bonus: so simple to prepare and cook! Thank you!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Melissa says
Easy to make and very delicious. Thank you for another great receipe.
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!