Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana is an aromatic Tuscan soup with a rich creamy broth, spicy ground sausage, and hearty kale. Make your own cost-effective, super delicious version at home, anytime. If you don't own an Instant Pot, don't worry, I'll include stovetop instructions for you.
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❤️ Why this recipe works
- Zuppa Toscana is an Italian Tuscan soup that is full of flavor and pure comfort food.
- I've taken my Mom's version of this soup and made it even easier by using an Instant Pot to make the soup.
- Instant pot zuppa toscana soup is pure comfort food.
- Using the pressure cooker locks in the flavor so quickly and the end results are mouthwateringly delicious.
🔪 Ingredients
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- ground Italian mild sausage - spice ground sausage can be used for the soup.
- yellow onion
- Russet potatoes - yellow potatoes can also be used for the recipe
- kale - we use fresh kale but spinach and escarole are also great choices for this soup.
- vegetable broth - chicken broth is also a great option for the broth
- half and half - adds a nice creaminess to the soup. Whipped heavy cream is another choice.
- Italian seasoning
- salt
- black pepper
🍲 Equipment
- 6 quart Instant Pot
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Measuring Spoons and Cups
- knife
- Cutting Board
- Vegetable Peeler
⭐ How to store, reheat, and freeze
- Refrigerator: Once the soup is made, leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in a covered airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: This is a great freezer-friendly soup. Feel free to make an extra batch to keep in the freezer. The soup can be kept for about 3 months in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat either on the stove or microwave.
💭 Expert Tips
- When browning the ground sausage in the instant pot, be sure to scrape up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pot when adding the liquids to the soup.
- When the sausage is browned, if there is a lot of excess grease, drain it off and discard it so the soup broth is not greasy.
📋 Frequently Asked Questions
While kale is awesome, we love to use fresh spinach, escarole, or Swiss chard in the soup.
Yes. If you want to make this a keto-friendly and low-carb Zuppa Toscana soup, instead of potatoes, use cauliflower florets.
Absolutely, use coconut milk instead of heavy cream to make this a dairy-free soup.
While I don't consider this a copycat recipe, many of my friends and family say it is better than the soup they have had at the restaurant. So if you love their soup, you will really love this one.
📖 Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe? Here are some ways that you increase the flavor of this dish.
- Protein: Change up the mild Italian sausage for spicy sausage or hot sausage, ground chicken sausage, or ground turkey sausage can also be used in the Tuscan Italian soup.
- Diced pancetta or bacon can also be used in another tasty variation.
- Greens: Replace the kale with either spinach, escarole, or Swiss chard.
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes or sweet potatoes are both tasty options for variations to this soup.
- Creaminess: Heavy cream can be an alternative to the half and half.
- Broth: Chicken stock can replace veggie stock as the base.
- Seasonings: Add a kick to the soup by adding red pepper flakes when adding the ground sausage to the pot.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
- Homemade Hawaiian sweet rolls are deliciously dipped into the creamy broth.
- Yeast rolls are light and fluffy and perfect with any soup.
- A loaf of warm crusty French bread is always a treat to enjoy with the soup.
- Arugula Salad is the perfect pairing for a great soup and salad meal.
- Classic Wedge Salad is one of my favorites to have alongside any soup for lunch or dinner.
- Optional garnishes for the zuppa toscana soup are topping with cracked black pepper, chopped fresh parsley, and parmesan cheese.
🍽 Similar recipes
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup is a great choice for an easy dinner full of flavor.
Another winner is our Instant Pot Chicken Chow Mein recipe. Easy and so delicious.
Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is a take-out fake-out that my family requests all the time.
Looking for pure comfort food, Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings are one of my family's favorites.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
Step 1: Set your instant pot to sauté mode. Spray your inner pot with cooking spray. Add the sausage and onion to brown. Then add in garlic.
Step 2: Add potatoes, stock, and Italian seasoning to the pot.
Step 3: Close the lid and push the valve to seal. Set pot to high pressure for nine minutes. Once the time is up, do a quick release by pulling the valve toward you and releasing the pressure.
Step 5: Give your soup a good stir, and then add in your cream and chopped kale. Simmer the soup for an additional 5 minutes to wilt the greens.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
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Eileen xo
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Equipment Needed:
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 pound mild or spicy Italian ground sausage Note 1
- 1 small yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 3 Tablespoons garlic peeled and minced Note 2
- 4 cups Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and chopped Note 3
- 32 ounces vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups fresh kale, chopped Note 5
- ½ cup half and half Note 4
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
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Instructions
Instant Pot Instructiions
- Set Instant Pot to sauté mode. Spray inner pot with cooking spray. Add the sausage and onions to the heated inner pot. Saute and break up the sausages and onions so the meat is browned and the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and saute for about 15 seconds to bloom the flavor of the garlic..
- Add in the potatoes, stock, and Italian seasoning
- Lock the lid on your instant bought by twisting it closed and close the valve. Set Instant Pot to high pressure for nine minutes. Once the time is up, do a quick release by pulling the valve toward you and releasing the pressure.
- Press cancel, then hit the saute button. Stir into the soup, the cream, chopped kale, salt, and pepper. Simmer and let the flavors blend for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Taste the broth, if needed, add additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Transfer the soup to your favorite soup bowl. Serve and enjoy.
Stovetop Instructions
- Spray the bottom of a large soup pot or Dutch oven, place over medium heat. Add the ground sausage to the pot. Brown your meat. Once fully cooked, remove the sausage, set aside.
- If needed, spray your pot with a little bit more cooking spray. Add in the diced onion. Sauté your onions for about 3 to 4 minutes, until they start to soften. Then, add in your garlic. Sauté both onion and the garlic for an additional minute.
- Place the sausage back into the instant pot. Add in the potatoes, stock, and Italian seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low.
- Simmer the stock about 15 minutes. The potatoes will almost be cooked. Add in the chopped kale and cook about another 5 minutes. Potatoes will be fork tender and kale tender.
- Add in cream to warm, about another 2 minutes.
- Taste broth for seasoning. If needed, season to taste, with salt and pepper.
