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.
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Delicious! I followed the recipe using 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage and 1/2 pound mild chicken sausage and used spinach. Delicious!
I’ve made this several times and it’s always a family favorite. Imagine my surprise when it was just as delicious tonight with lean turkey sausage and no cream.
This is a Huge hit with my family! I think even better than OG’s. Added a pkg of thick cut bacon cooked, put the kale in from the beginning, and then lots of Parmesan Romano cheese on top and it’s the bomb!! Thank you!
Today with it being chilly here in Florida by our standards, I wanted to make soup for lunch. I had been craving Zuppa Toscana. I made the recipe today and omgeeee, I am in love. This recipe is so simple and so yummy. Didnt have to change anything about it at all. I served it with a couple garlic butter breadsticks and it was a hit. Thank you for posting this recipe its going into our favorites file for sure.
I use 1/2 hot & 1/2 mild sausage, peel and dice the potatoes in smaller cubes, double the kale and add the kale before pressure cooking so it’s more tender. This is one of my favorite soups and get so many compliments on the recipe. Thanks so much!
When they say copycat they mean copycat it is spot on delicious made this several times and gonna make it again tonight!!
Oh yeah, you gotta cook 4 slices bacon with the sausage and onions. It soooo makes the whole taste. Delicious!!
Awesome recipe. Delicious. Thanks for doing this. Hubby said this is the best one I have tried yet. Yummy.
Question about the kale. If I were using frozen kale rather than fresh, how much should I use to approximate ‘1/2 a bunch’?
This seems to be a common practice now……..all most all recipes will say so many servngs but not what a serving is.
Having never actually tasted Olive Garden’s soup, I can honestly say my family won’t ever enjoy it as much as this homemade version! My kids come home from college begging for it, so it’s the bomb!!
This is was my first time making this soup and it’s amazing!! Can’t get enough. The only thing I swapped was oat milk & butter for the half and half.
I add a whole pack of bacon, and use spinach leaves instead of kale. Delicious.
Added Boulder hot Italian sausage and bacon
Made this soup a few times now. 2 days ago I doubled the recipe, hoping to freeze half. It never made it to the freezer. The whole family couldn’t stop eating it. Damn delicious indeed.
Any recommendations on how to make this if you don’t have an instapot?
Just google it for stove top and it gives great recipes for it .
Just do the same but simmer until the potatoes are cooked and the kale is tender on your stovetop.
Excellent , and my family LOVED it, thank you so much for sharing.
Kelsey
Awesome recipe! I added 1/2t of red pepper flakes for a tiny kick!
I used to eat this on my breaks when I worked doubles at OG – dead ringer. Now, you got a copycat for the breadsticks? Hint: Lotsa butter; lotsa salt 🙂
I’ve made this recipe several times now, and it’s always a group favorite. Great instant pot meal. I add some lemon and sometimes pesto, and add red peppers.
BRILLIANT. I take my mentor kid to OG and we both loved the Zuppa Tuscana, so I’ve made this 6 or 7 times, I’m losing count bc it’s just so Great!
I always read the comments too:
Yes to 1 tsp red pepper flakes or using hot sausage.
Also, use the full 12oz bag of Aldi’s kale – I do an extra wash and debone it and cook it with everything else for best texture. I tried spinach instead and it’s too floppy, I like the firmer kale better.
And I like to fill up my IP –
I add another 4 cups of chicken broth, 3 more sliced potatoes.
it saves well and freezes perfectly, even with the half & half added.
Thanks for this! Such great leftovers for lunch and later nite snacking.
So I did make one little change, as I’ve never been a big fan a kale ( thanks to growing up as it being used mainly as garnish), but I substituted spinach it it’s place. ..needless to say if the kids don’t complain about me sneaking it in it was a hit!!
Easy recipe to follow! I’ll be making this for dinner tomorrow. Thank you.
I have made several copycat recipes for this soup and this was by far the best and easiest! This will be on our family rotation from now on!
I topped with Parmesan and my hubby and I added red pepper flakes for a little heat but this recipe needs no adjustments
OMG! i have never liked this soup. This was definitely DAMN DELICIOUS!! I don’t eat Kale either, so I cooked from beginning and 3 minutes longer…Kale melted in your mouth! THANK YOU!!!
I just barely got an Instant Pot for Christmas and this was the first meal I made in it. Delicious! Great way to christen my new appliance. Thank you for sharing.