Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat
by Chungah
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So much tastier, cheaper + healthier than the restaurant-version! On your dinner table in just 30 min, a quick weeknight family favorite soup!
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why you’ll love this zuppa toscana copycat recipe
- Olive Garden favorite. Yes, we can make restaurant-quality soup right at home. This copycat recipe is much more tastier, faster and cheaper than the restaurant version!
- Has that simmered-all-day flavor. With the help of the Instant Pot, the soup tastes as if it’s been simmering for hours on end, allowing all the flavors to fully infuse the broth in just a few short minutes in the pressure cooker.
- Quick, easy and effortless. There is zero babysitting here! We’re talking convenient hands-off cooking where the IP does all the work for you, yielding a rich, hearty, cozy soup, full of all the sneaked in greens (perfect for picky eaters) with only one pot to clean up.
WHAT IS ZUPPA TOSCANA?
Zuppa toscana is a soup from northern Italy in Tuscany. Translated word for word, zuppa toscana literally means Tuscan soup, also known as minestra di pane in Italy (bread soup).
Why make zuppa toscana in the Instant Pot?
Cooking this Olive Garden favorited soup in the Instant Pot offers convenience and hands-free cooking while locking in all the flavors as if it’s been simmering all day in just a fraction of the time.
How to make olive garden zuppa toscana in the instant pot
- Crumble the sausage. Using the sauté function in the Instant Pot, crumble the sausage until browned, draining the excess fat but leaving just enough for flavor.
- Add aromatics. Add in onion, garlic and oregano, stirring until the onions are translucent. Sautéing the onions and aromatics in the sausage fat will build a rich flavor base for the soup.
- Pressure cook. Stir in potatoes and chicken broth, stirring well, and pressure cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the finishing touches. Stir in kale (or any other leafy greens) until wilted before adding in half and half or heavy cream.
- Serve. Garnish generously with fresh Parmesan and serve warm with crusty bread and a simple side salad.
what to serve with Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat: Frequently Asked Questions
Mild or spicy Italian sausage is great for bold authentic flavors. Turkey sausage is also a solid option.
Spinach, cabbage, swiss chard and collard greens are all great subs.
Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the half and half (cream soups tend to separate when frozen) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding half and half when serving.
No Instant Pot, no problem! We have a favorited stovetop version here.
Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 russet potatoes, chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Add olive oil and sausage. Cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in potatoes and chicken broth; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Stir in kale until wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Use mild or spicy sausage. The sausage is a key ingredient in zuppa toscana. Be sure to use high-quality mild or spicy Italian sausage for authentic flavors, crumbling the sausage until browned.
- Russet potatoes serve as a natural thickener. The potatoes will release starch into the broth to create that velvety, restaurant-quality richness. They will also soften under pressure absorbing all the flavors of the broth, becoming extremely tender and “buttery”.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Kale, spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options. Always add the leafy greens at the very end to avoid mushy greens.
- Finish with half and half or heavy cream. Half and half will yield a lighter version whereas heavy cream will yield a richer, velvety consistency.
- Make it dairy-free. Need a dairy free option? Substitute coconut cream or skip the half and half.
- Add garnishes. Garnishes are always optional but a fresh sprinkle of grated Parmesan or some crispy bacon will certainly take your soup to the next level, adding more flavor, texture and contrast.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
I can’t say how many times I’ve made this recipe. I love it, everyone I’ve fed it to loves it. It’s easy, it freezes well. Yes yes and yes!
Instant classic as far as I’m concerned. Also, looking at the other posts…When did half and half become the devil? Lol
This is my all-time favorite soup. I’ve been making it for years and it’s delicious.
Easy and so delicious, I make it all the time!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was great. I just did it in a big pot on the stove because I had the extra time. Two modifications: I added carrot because I had lots and I omitted the cream. Delicious and will definitely make it again!
I make this at least once a week during the fall/winter months!!
My niece made this for dinner tonight. We all loved it. I will definitely have to make it.
This soup is very tasty and will be a keeper. We don’t eat at the Olive Garden, so I’m not sure how it compares, but It’s a very thin soup. Next time I’ll add more potatoes and maybe blend some afterwards to add back into the soup. Will definitely be making this throughout the winter!
Simple and delicious! I used hot Italian sausage because that’s what we prefer, and added a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes for color. To cut down on calories a little, I used about 1/2 cup half-n-half, but I’m sure it would be delicious as written. Thanks for a quick, easy crowd-pleasing recipe!
4 Stars, won’t let me change down from 5.
This was so yummy! However, as an Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana connoisseur, wayyyyy too much half & half. For next time will probably use 1/2 cup or even less. We don’t have lactose issues, but the gas this gave us could probably be heard from the next state over lol. We switched out for Chorizo for a little extra spice/flavor, it was so good!
Delicious! Very easy to make and the family loves it.
Made this tonight and it was a total hit with the whole family. So quick to make and delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and served it with crusty sourdough bread. Kids and adults ate it all up
Easy and delicious! Thank you!
Excellent recipe and easy to make. Only change I made was to add about 1/3C of heavy cream.
I made this soup it’s better than Olive Garden!!
Will definitely make again and again
Can you modify this for a slow cooker? Thank you!
Soooooo much better than the restaurant!!! We tend to double the amount of Italian sausage and do a bit more potatoes for a hearty version. Comes out super good. I also put a bit of dried red pepper flakes and shredded parmesan when serving.
I used hot Italian sausage and oat milk since it’s what I had on hand and it was AMAZING!! And easy too!
I think you forgot the half and half km the recipe instructions babe lol
The half and half is in step 6. 🙂
6. Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Just made this, so delicious!
I made 1/2 of this Delicious recipe for my small pressure cooker. Only thing that I changed, was I added Italian Seasoning and a small piece of Parmigiana rind to add to the depth of the flavor. This is one of my favorite soups. Now I have a perfect size recipe for my one person home. Thank You so much! Another great recipe from you ❤️