Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat
by Chungah
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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
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
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
Did you make this recipe?
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I am about to try making this non-dairy using 1/4 cup cashew butter pureed with cooked potato and a little broth, then stirred back into the soup. I’m giving this an aspirational 5 stars because I think it’s going to be great!
What can I sub for potatoes?
Cauliflower florets work well.
I add rutabaga
This soup is delicious and I think one of the best things I’ve made in my IP!
I wasn’t sure how well it would freeze with the half and half in it. So, before adding the half and half, I split the soup into two halves and froze one sans cream. I added the half and half in when I re-heated it from the freezer and it worked beautifully! So good! Thanks for another great recipe!
Great soup! I cut back on the sausage, added a bunch more kale, and omitted the half-and-half for a more climate-friendly meal. The potatoes make for a creamy texture on their own. Delicious addition to my winter repertoire.
This is absolutely delicious!!! A big hit with my family and I want to make a big batch at Christmastime. Can I double it in my 6 qt instant pot?
I love simple meals when we’ve had a busy week. This is always a favorite with my kids and husband. I’ve even used coconut milk when I didn’t have half and half and it’s been good too.
I love that this soup has very few ingredients, and is just so good. Will make again and again.
Dying to make this! Can you pleeeease help with cooking time if you don’t have a pressure cooker? Thanks! 🙂
I haven’t done it in a crockpot but have done it on the stove. Follow the directions as given and then cook everything w the chicken stock. Since everything is cooked, it doesn’t take too long. At the end, add spinach or kale until it’s how you like it, and then the half n half. Sorry I couldn’t answer how long in crockpot. As others have said, adding beans is great.
Best soup I have ever had!
What can you substitute for the Italian sausage. Unfortunately my husband isn’t a fan of Italian sausage because of the “seeds” in them?!
You can substitute a different kind of sausage to your husband’s liking. 🙂
This is easy and delicious. I used hot sausage and soy milk because my daughter is allergic to dairy. It came out great!
what brand of soy milk did you use? I tried to sub for blue diamond almond milk and it was weirdly sweet and spicy and just wasn’t what I remember from olive garden…
I am going to try and make this and am allergic to dairy and soy. I plan to use Ripple, which is a 1/2 and 1/2 dairy free creamer that is not sweet at all! I use in mashed potatoes and other savory dishes that need some richness.
I’ve been using this recipe for years. I also add in bacon bits when I add the kale.
This is delicious. As another cook mentioned I used spinach because that’s what I had and used milk for the same reason. I made a salad along with garlic toast. It sure was an easy recipe and will make it again.
I personally don’t like this. Not a fan of Italian sausage, but my S.O. Will eat the whole pot. 1st time I made it with the half and half and kale. The kale didn’t wilt well. This time milk and spinach and he said it was even better than before. This one’s a keeper!
I have an 8 quart instant pot and plan on making this for a big group, do you think I can double the recipe and still fit it all in the pot?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! Good luck! 🙂
It’s delicious, going to make for the 2nd time tomorrow night for some friends. I did double this in the 8 quart, used a 5 lb bag of potatoes minus two of them. .. however I was not able to add all of the 12 cups of broth. I just filled it up to right before the max fill line, left the cook time as instructed and added the rest after it was done pressure cooking along with the half and half and almost a whole bag of pre cut kale (I tore of any big ribs because I don’t like them) It all fit in the pot. Love this recipe.
Thank you for this review about doubling it. That’s what I came to the comment section looking for. I needed to double for a big group. This was perfect, hoping it turns out well. Thanks for sharing,
First Instant Pot recipe we tried. Awesome. We have the mini version and we just cut the recipe by 2/3 and it was perfect.
I love Zuppa Toscana at OG. And this is a real winner. I had to use up some mild Italian sausages but added red pepper flakes. Was perfect. Thanks so much.
Wow man. This soup is amazing and has so much flavor. Did not have to add any salt either. PERFECT and the kids loved it. It’s a keeper at my house.
Yummy, easy and fast.
Where are these spoons from? I love them!
West Elm. 🙂
Can I use chicken sausage? Is it just as good?
Chicken sausage is just as good, if not better. I use the spicy chicken sausage from Sprouts and have never had leftovers after making this.
Best ever my family loves it, lots of flavor.