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?
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I veganized this soup and it was easy and delicious! Subbed vegan sausage, veggie broth, and sunflower crème. Big hit with my family ~ will make again often. Thank you!
Soooooo good, made it yesterday and then again today!
I Love your recipes! You have made me a Rockstar in the kitchen! I’m an OR nurse so working long days and my days off during this Pandemic so being a picky eater I enjoy cooking and eating at home…especially now. I’ve taken in a homeless person that I went to high school with and he’s my #1 fan, every time I cook he says it’s the best he’s ever had…thank you! Made the beef stroganoff last night…so damn delicious! Just wondering if you would consider copycat recipes for Olive Gardens…Pasta e Fagioli and Carrabba’s…Mama Mandola’s Silicilian chicken soup. Two of my favorites but can’t wait to try this one as well!
I make this for my roommates and parents all the time! I’ve even made it for a party and everyone was asking me for the recipe. It’s pretty spot on to Olive Garden and goes great with bread.
I love this soup! Our family keeps it in our biweekly rotation, and I always look forward to the left overs. I use the whole bushel of kale, and add a can or two or white beans for extra protein. So delicious! Thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe. I am hooked!
Can I use heavy cream instead of half and half?
No
This is a favorite in our household. Thanks for this recipe! Love your blog!!
yes you absolutely can if you don’t mind the extra fat, it will taste even better.
You can totally make your own half-and-half. Use 3/4c. heavy cream and 3/4c. milk. I did and it worked great 🙂
I used heavy cream because I didn’t have half and half. Tasted great.
Love this recipe. Thank you!
Yes, I do, and it’s great!
Used 1 bunch kale instead of 1/2, hot sausage, and full fat coco milk instead of half and half. Delicious!
this was sooooo perfect! I did add cremini mushrooms and a can of pureed canalinni beans. Thank you so much for the recipe
Love this, been using this recipe for a year now. Suddenly the recipe is not visible on this page (only the video is available)…will you be putting it back up? Specifically I don’t know if we are doing a Natural Pressure Release or a Quick Release.
Please advise, Thanks!
Hi Moses! There was a system glitch last night but all recipes have been restored. I recommend clearing your cache to view the recipe. SO SORRY for the inconvenience!
Whoo hoo! Its back up, thanks!
Directions say quick release
Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐… will make again. I went heavy with garlic and Italian seasoning (instead of only oregano), and used red potatoes instead. We loved it!
This is the best soup! I make it all the time. If you are ill or had surgery this is what I bring. I also made a vegan version no meat vegetable broth and almond milk …it was.. Damn delicious also! thanks for sharing your talents. Monique
This Zuppa was absolutely amazing. The recipe is a 5* keeper!
My husband and I really enjoyed this. We added a dash of hot sauce to our bowls and found it perfect. My daughter wouldn’t eat it because she is 5 and will not eat anything. She said it was “spicy” because she is allergic to flavor. The fact that she thought it was spicy means that it does have a very nice flavor and is not bland. Next time I will add more potatoes and kale because we had a lot of broth left.
Hvaen’t tried it yet but wondering if anyone has done it with vegetarian Italian sausage? Wondering how I should change the recipe if we substitute that. I know part of the flavor comes from the fat that cooks out of the sausage so don’t know what to sub in for that. Let me know if you have any ideas. I love the taste of this soup but my stomach doesn’t like real Italian sausage.
Did anyone respond to this? I’m going to try vegan sausage tomorrow.
Yes made it with vegan sausage and it was really good, we aren’t even vegetarians.
This recipe is FAB!!! I followed the directions directly as stated. The Kale basically taste very similar to spinach, therefore either option is great. Easy to make. Great for family dinner or an entertaining option (Has a nice presentation). My husband is from Louisiana, and therefore robust flavor is required in all recipes. This recipe was added to the “approved list!”
It was good, but not enough flavor. When I make it again, I would use the spicy italian sausage instead
Perfect replica
I have made this soup twice now. Once as written and once with substitutes. Hillshire farms makes a roasted garlic chicken sausage, and substituted spinach for the kale, we also added some shredded carrots because I had them and they needed to get eaten. – ALSO a winner! my family ate it up. This is going to become a staple in our house during cold Kansas winters. Thank you so much for sharing!
great recipe for first time using insta pot. doubled the oregano, added basil and red pepper flakes. turned out great!
Turned out great! Tastes close to olive gardens. I have found that different brands of sausage can make a huge difference. We also add extra potatoes and kale.
This recipe is spot on! Absolutely delicious and super easy to prepare.