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Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe)

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45 minutes
23 Comments
5 from 9 votes
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Make your favorite soup recipe at home with this amazing Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat) recipe. It will make you feel like you are eating in a restaurant rather than your own kitchen.
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe)

This Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Olive Garden Copycat soup recipe is one of my favorite soups to make. It has so much flavor and is easy to make in the Instant Pot.

Shows the Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana in bowls ready to serve with a side of breadsticks

While it is nice to go out to eat, it’s also great to make a tasty home cooked meal, not to mention it is easier on the wallet too. This Zuppa Toscana recipe is one of our favorite Olive Garden copycat recipes, everyone in our family loves it.

To round out this soup, you can always pair it with your favorite salad and breadsticks and you’ll definitely feel like you are at Olive Garden. We have a few breadstick recipes to try like our Easy Garlic Breadsticks, Sheet Pan Garlic Breadsticks, or why not another copycat recipe, such as our Olive Garden Breadsticks Copycat Recipe. All the recipes are perfectly dippable for this soup recipe.

Looking for more Instant Pot soup recipes? Click here for our top 100 Instant Pot Soups, Chilis, and Stew recipes!

​Ingredients needed to make Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Recipe:

Raw ingredients for Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana: chicken broth, kale, onion, garlic, potatoes, sausage, bacon, and cream.
  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Italian Sausage casings removed
  • Cloves garlic minced
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Chicken Stock
  • Russet Potatoes
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Heavy Cream
  • Kale Stems
  • Crispy Bacon

How to make Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup:

Recipe ingredients (sausage and diced onions) in front of the Instant Pot, ready to be cooked.
  • Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. Add the oil to the inner cooking pot. When the pot is hot, add the onion and sausage and sauté for 5 minutes, breaking up the sausage. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and mix.
A shot inside the instant pot with the sausage, onions, garlic, potatoes, red pepper flakes, broth, salt and pepper - ready to be cooked.
  • Add in 2 cups of chicken broth and stir to release any onion pieces that may have stuck to the bottom. Stir in the potatoes. Add in remaining chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Place the lid on top and lock into place. Turn the valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL (or High Pressure Cook). Set the cook time for 15 minutes.
  • When cooking ends, carefully turn the valve to VENTING for a quick pressure release of the pressure.
Chopped kale ready to go in the Instant Pot
  • Unlock and remove the lid, then stir in the cream. Heat through, then stir in the kale and the bacon.
Adding the bacon and chopped kale to the instant pot

How to turn this great recipe into a freezer meal:

  • Cook the sausage and onion and place in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. Let the bag cool down (if still hot from the cooked ground sausage).
  • Add in the garlic, red pepper, potatoes, salt and pepper, kale, and cooked bacon into the bag. Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last up to 90 days.
  • When ready to use, dump ingredients from bag into Instant Pot (if it won’t come out, run the bag under hot water so that you can remove/peel off the frozen bag). Add 6 cups of chicken broth in with the frozen food. Place the lid on top, move the valve to SEALING, and press the MANUAL button. Set timer for 30 minutes. Do a QUICK RELEASE when the timer is done. Remove the lid and stir in the heavy cream. Serve and enjoy.

Helpful Kitchen Items for this Olive Garden Recipe Copycat:

  1. Instant Pot
  2. Wooden spoon (THIS is a great one)
  3. Liquid measuring cup
  4. Knife
  5. Cutting board (THESE are nice)

​Make this Hearty Soup your own:

​To make this soup your own you can use your favorite type of sausage! 

  • Turkey Sausage
  • Spicy Sausage
  • Hot Italian Sausage
  • Mild Italian Sausage
  • Pork Sausage
  • Spicy Italian Sausage

For a short cut you can use bacon bits. If you want to change up the seasoning we suggest adding Italian seasoning to this recipe.

The heavy cream will give you a creamy broth, but you can switch that out for coconut cream. Don’t forget to top your tuscan soup with parmesan cheese!

This post was included in our 10 Fall Instant Pot Recipes video – for more inexpensive and delicious recipes like this one, click here to check it out!

​Easy Instant Pot Recipes:

Delicious Soup Recipes:

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Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Recipe with a spoon ready to serve

Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe)

5 from 9 votes
Make your favorite soup recipe at home with this amazing Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Copycat. It will make you feel like you are eating in a restaurant rather than your own kitchen.
Serving6
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Pressurize Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, add more for additional heat
  • 6 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 3 large russet potatoes, halved and cut into 1/4" slices
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Equipment

Instructions

  1. Press the SAUTE button. Add the oil to the inner cooking pot. When the pot is hot, add the onion and sausage and sauté for 5 minutes, breaking up the sausage. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and mix.
  2. Add in 2 cups of chicken broth and stir to release any onion pieces that may have stuck to the bottom. Stir in the potatoes. Add in remaining chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Place the lid on top and lock into place. Turn the valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL (or Pressure Cook). Set the time for 15 minutes.
  4. When cooking ends, carefully turn the valve to VENTING for a quick release of the pressure.
  5. Unlock and remove the lid, then stir in the cream. Heat through, then stir in the kale and the bacon.

Notes

How to turn this into a freezer meal:
  • Cook the sausage and onion and place in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. Let the bag cool down (if still hot from the cooked ground sausage).
  • Add in the garlic, red pepper, potatoes, salt and pepper, kale, and cooked bacon into the bag. Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last up to 90 days.
  • When ready to use, dump ingredients from bag into Instant Pot (if it won’t come out, run the bag under hot water so that you can remove/peel off the frozen bag). Add 6 cups of chicken broth in with the frozen food. Place the lid on top, move the valve to SEALING, and press the MANUAL button. Set timer for 30 minutes. Do a QUICK RELEASE when the timer is done. Remove the lid and stir in the heavy cream. Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 606 kcal · Carbohydrates: 40 g · Protein: 18 g · Fat: 43 g · Saturated Fat: 19 g · Cholesterol: 113 mg · Sodium: 1449 mg · Potassium: 1315 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 2839 IU · Vitamin C: 57 mg · Calcium: 117 mg · Iron: 3 mg
Cuisine: Italian
Course: Soup
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana in a serving bowl, with a side of breadsticks and ingredients showcased around the bowl.

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Published: November 7, 2023Updated: September 6, 2024

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Questions & Reviews

  1. Dawn M says:
    How much chicken broth does this recipe use? I see 2 cups, plus more. What is the total? Thanks!
  2. Momma Cyd says:
    It's 6 cups! Sorry about that typo! It's been fixed.
  3. Kathleen West says:
    My husband and I consumed all in one meal. Each mouth full was better than the next. Since I fought to buy kale instead used fresh baby spinach leaves, adding roughly half of large bag. Going to try kale next, than possibly add mixed vegetables. So many different vegetables to add.

    5 stars

  4. M Tucker says:
    Your fb post of this from 1 week ago calls for an additional 4 cups (6 cups total). I’m extremely confused!
  5. Dawn M says:
    I used 2 cups, but noticed right away it wasn't enough broth, so I ran to the store for more broth and added an additional 4 cups as you noted and it worked out well. Soup was delicious and would have been better without waiting for me to run to the store! (I normally keep broth on hand, I just was out!)
  6. Steph Loaiza says:
    We are so sorry about the confusion. It is definitely 6 cups! The recipe has been updated.
  7. Denise J says:
    This is a great recipe! So glad I tried it! I live alone so I have leftover I don't want to go to waste. Is this ok to freeze? I know Cream does not typically bode well in the freezer.
  8. Momma Cyd says:
    Soups with cream or milk don't freeze well. You can freeze it, but the texture may be a bit grainy when thawed and reheated.
  9. Sarah says:
    Wow. I consider myself a soup aficionado and I can't believe how good this soup is! Next time I'll drain the sausage after browning and add more veggies like carrots.

    5 stars

  10. Amanda says:
    Would this fit in the 3qt ip or should I cut the recipe in half? I'm new to the ip life!
  11. Momma Cyd says:
    You'll need to cut it in half for the 3 quart instant pot.
  12. Bebhinn says:
    Holy moly. Legit. So good. Keeper. Will be making every winter from now on. Here are my little suggestions: 1. Made with homemade stock and that made a WORLD of a difference. So freaking bold in flavor. 2. Doubled the red pepper flakes because we like spice. 3. 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 4. I don't have an instant pot, so I made this on the stove in a 12 quart pot (don't need one that big). Let it simmer for 2 hours and it cooked perfectly. Happy cooking y'all!

    5 stars

  13. Momma Cyd says:
    So glad you loved the soup. It's one of our favorites. Merry Christmas!
  14. Jessica says:
    I am so pleased with the way this turned out! My husband kept going back for more. I didnt have quite enough cream so i added a little milk to make up the difference .it was still very creamy! I served this with a little parmesan ontop. So yummy!

    5 stars

  15. Luke says:
    This was absolutely DELISH!

    5 stars

  16. Tina says:
    I have substituted canned full fat coconut milk for the cream and it tastes great.
  17. Christy Chester says:
    Can this recipe be used as a "freeze ahead meal" to go from frozen to cooked using the Instant Pot?
  18. Becky says:
    I love this recipe but my husband counts calories and I can't give him an accurate count because there isn't one on here. Saying it serves 6 isn't super helpful because then you'd have to weigh the whole pot and divide by 6? Whats the actual calorie count in this?
  19. Momma Cyd says:
    Scroll down to the recipe card and you'll see the nutritional information for this recipe.
  20. AMadRob says:
    It was a hit!! This was so good!! Saltier than we normally eat in my house, but it was from the sausage, so not much I could do about it, and certainly not the recipe developers fault. I didn't need to add the salt as suggested. I doubled the recipe, so I could have enough for leftovers for a homeless family we help out. I was given a huge bag of kale and potatoes, so I knew exactly what I was going to make. I've had the original at Olive garden, but hubby hasn't, he also doesn't care for kale. He devoured his soup. I will make this again, for sure! Just need to figure out the sodium better next time. I also think some shredded or diced carrots might be a good addition to this.

    5 stars

  21. Amber says:
    This is amazingly my favorite recipe right now. I followed the directions here then added: 1 extra cup of water 1.5 cups frozen corn 1.5 cups green beans 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 more extra cup of kale 1 tsp Italian seasoning Super delicious, thank you for sharing. :)

    5 stars

  22. Bonnie says:
    If you haven't you should do a video on this one. It's a fall staple for us. I always make a double batch and freeze half using your freezer directions. Even though there are only 2 of us who eat it, hubby insists making the whole amount and eats it at work all week.

    5 stars

  23. Adrienne says:
    This is my family’s favorite winter meal! It’s so tasty.. I add extra chili flakes, taters and kale. Everyone always gets seconds and it just warms you up so much!

    5 stars

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