Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat
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So much tastier and cheaper than the restaurant and it’s on your dinner table in just 30 min!

Featured Comment
why i love this recipe
- Copycat favorite
- Tastier, faster and cheaper than the restaurant version
- Rich, hearty and full of all the sneaked in greens
- Tastes as if it’s been simmering for hours
- Only needs 5 minutes in the IP – quick, easy, effortless

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).

tips and tricks for success
- 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.
- 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!

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, or even turkey sausage!
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
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
Equipment
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.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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Love it and so easy!
DEFINITELY DAMN DELICIOUS! I should have left a review earlier, because I make this all the time. It was the first thing I made in my Instant Pot and is still a recipe that I make regularly. I sometimes use spicy sausage for a little kick, and always use baby spinach instead of kale. I always use extra spinach, because you know, greens that taste like sausage! 🙂 When using mild Italian sausage, I most often throw in some crushed red pepper flakes which brings the taste and zip over the top! Sprinkle a little bitof parmesan cheese on the top and…MWAH! Chef’s kiss. It’s even better the next day, and the day after!
Husband likes this better than olive garden now
I make this all the time for wife and me. I use hot Italian sausage and spinach instead of kale. This is one of our favorites. Especially during our Wyoming winters!
Love it! Easy and delicious. I like to use hot Italian sausage for a bit of a kick.
This was so good. It just melted in my mouth. The potatoes was so tender. There was so much flavor will make again soon.
How do youprepare this soup if you do not own an Instant Pot???
Hello,
Use a pot. Saute the sausage medium to medium high (step 1). For step 2, reduce to medium. For step 4, medium/low stir in potatoes and simmer until tender 15 minutes+. Then follow the rest of the recipe as is.
Excellent! Whole family loved this recipe. Quick and easy option for a weeknight.
I’m pretty sure I’ve left a comment on this before, but it’s so good I wanted to leave another! This is in regular rotation in my house and everyone loves it. So simple and so delicious!
Definitely needs more seasoning.
I use half Italian sausage and half chorizo. This will fix your spice problem. And make the best version you ever had. Your welcome.
Delicious! Thanks. I cut it in half because we’re down to two in my household. I also use Italian spices instead of oregano and I always add a splash of fish sauce to soup or stew. And no salt, because sausage seems to hold salt in, especially in the instant pot. Spinach instead of kale for me. I made a pot of it for a family who had a member recovering from difficult surgery. They said the second day they were fighting over the leftovers.
So delicious. Used whole milk in place of half and half and still very tasty.
I made this tonight and loved it! I used bratwurst instead of Italian sausage and omitted the garlic. Also used Italian seasoning instead of oregano. Served with side of bread. Delicious!
This recipe is awesome!! I make it every few weeks – I always double the recipe to freeze or to have extra to give to family or friends. If I am freezing I don’t add the kale Or dairy – I wait to add kale / half and half after it’s thawed and reheated. It’s just us great without the half and half – I’ve also substituted oat milk for a dairy free option – you can’t wrong with this recipe
We love this recipe so much, it is a delicious meal that comes together so quickly. Thank you for sharing!
Very delicious and full of flavour! I would definitely make this again. I used the whole “bunch” of kale because the other half would have just gone to waste if I didn’t use it up.
The recipe says it makes 6 servings and it was more like 8. I had enough soup to feed an army and I’m only one person meal prepping for myself for the week. I would probably halve the recipe if I made it again.
Tasty, but it doesn’t have the depth of flavor that Olive Garden’s soup does. Super easy though.
This recipe is delicious and easy! I substitute the sausage with Jimmy Dean’s mild sausage chub.
Absolutely amazing!
We veganized this recipe and it was so “damn delicious” my father in law kept asking “Can she eat this?” while slurping his own portion happily. Our slight alterations: we subbed Beyond Meat brand’s Sausage and coconut milk for the half&half.
The slight how-tos that people ask for details about: No need to remove any casings, it will all disintegrate…and coarser chunks make for good texture. No, there won’t be extra fat too drain off.
Sit unopened tin of full fat coconut milk in hot water when you start making the soup. This will soften the coconut cream to mix it in smoothly. Open tin when you would normally mix in half&half cream. Stir in the coconut milk. (No, It doesn’t have any coconut flavour at all.) You can reduce calories and fat content by using light coconut milk, but soup will not be as creamy.
What did you substitute the broth with?