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Zuppa Toscana

This better than copycat Zuppa Toscana recipe will make a delicious addition to your at home soup menu. The combination of Italian sausage with fresh kale and tender potatoes in a rich and flavorful broth, is guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out.

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What You’ll Need to Make Best Zuppa Toscana

This Italian soup recipe is made in using an Instant Pot. That said, do not fret I’m including stovetop directions, too. So, to make the recipe as written, you’ll need an Instant Pot, chopping board and knife, potato peeler, a large spoon, measuring cups and spoons, a potato masher or meat chopping utensil, soup bowls and a ladle for serving. Should you decide to top it off with grated Parmesan you’ll need a grater, too.

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How to Make Easy Zuppa Toscana Recipe

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make: Olive Oil, Turkey Sausage, Onions, Garlic, Flour, Italian Seasoning, Salt, Black Pepper,  Potatoes,  Chicken Stock or Broth, Kale, half and half or cream.
  • Please note, you may use whole or 2% milk or low fat half and half.
  • You can make this soup using turkey or chicken sausage in place of pork sausage, if preferred.
  • You may skip the bacon and use olive oil, instead. I’ve made this soup both ways and it’s always delicious.
  • You can store any leftover Zuppa Toscana soup in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Is Zuppa Toscana really Italian? Zuppa Toscana Soup is a traditional Italian Tuscan soup that originated in Tuscany. It’s a popular menu item at the Olive Garden restaurant. If you don’t have an Olive garden near you, you can enjoy this soup at home.
  • Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?  I don’t recommend freezing this soup as the texture of the kale and potatoes would likely change and not be as appetizing. Freezing soups that include dairy can result in a grainy product once the soup is defrosted and the stock can separate.
  • How can I reheat Zuppa Toscana? Reheat Zuppa Toscana in the microwave at 1 minute intervals, stirring occasionally so it heats evenly. You can also heat leftovers on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the soup is heated through.
  • What can I serve with the Zuppa Toscana? This soup is excellent served with breadsticks or garlic bread and a simple side salad with your choice of dressing..
  • What if I don’t have an instant pot? You can use whatever brand of multicooker you own as long as it has a saute setting and a high pressure setting. You can also make it on the stovetop. See how-to instructions in the Cook’s note of the recipe card.
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More Easy Soup Recipes to Make

The varieties and options for making soup knows no limits. It’s one of those comforting meals in a bowl. Checkout the recipes for soup you may like to try:

olive-garden-zuppa-toscana

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Zuppa Toscana

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian Inspired
Keyword: copycat-zuppa-toscana, instant-pot-zuppa-toscana, zuppa-toscana-recipe
Servings: 6 servings (may vary)
Calories: 665kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 strips regular cut bacon (You may skip bacon and use 3 Tbsp olive oil instead)
  • 20 oz hot or mild Italian sausage casings removed
  • 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 4 large cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt (may adapt to taste)
  • 1 tsp black pepper (may adapt to taste)
  • 8 cups low sodium chicken stock (May use 6 cups stock and 2 cups water)
  • 4 cups cubed russet potatoes 1/2 inch cubes (around 5-6 medium potatoes)
  • 6 cups chopped kale
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • Turn on the saute function of the Instant pot. Once the pot is preheated, add the bacon. Cook until crisp then remove to a platter and crumble.
  • Add sausage to drippings. Cook using saute function until most of the pink is gone, about 2-4 minutes. Use a meat chopper utensil or potato masher to break up the meat.
  • Stir in the onion and garlic and cook for 3 more minutes or until the onions have softened. Add the flour, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir until flour is fully incorporated.
  • Add the chicken stock and potatoes using a large spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Hit ‘cancel’ to stop the saute function and place the lid on the pressure cooker, making sure the valve is set to sealing. Press the manual/high pressure setting and set the cook time for 5 minutes.
  • After the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure and remove the lid.
  • Turn the Instapot back on using the saute button and stir in the chopped kale. Let cook without the lid for 2 minutes. Stir in cream, continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off the instant pot and serve.
  • Please note: At the end of cooking, you may thicken further using a cornstarch slurry. Equal parts cornstarch dissolved in cold water then whisked into the soup to thicken to your taste. Likewise, you can thin further by adding more chicken stock.
  • See Cook's note for stovetop instructions.

Notes

Stovetop Instructions:
  • In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, cook bacon until crisp over medium-high heat, then remove with a slotted spoon to paper towel lined platter to drain, then crumble. Reserve 3 Tbsp drippings in pot. (Alternatively, you may skip the bacon and begin with 3 Tbsp olive oil.)
  • Add sausage, cook over medium high heat until no pink remains. Remove to a paper towel lined platter to drain fat. 
  • To drippings in pan add onion, cooking over medium-high for 3-4 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute longer. 
  • Add flour, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, stirring until fully absorbed and onion is coated. 
  • Stirring constantly, add chicken stock to pot. Bring to a boil, add potatoes. Cook with lid offset, for 12-14 minutes or just until potatoes are fork tender. 
  • Once potatoes are fork tender, add kale and sausage back to pot, bring to a light boil to wilt the kale. Cook fore 5 minutes. 
  • Add cream. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Cook gently bubbling for 3-5 minutes until fully combined. Mix bacon back into soup, or serve on top. 
  • Serve immediately. May garnish with grated Parmesan, if desired.  

Nutrition

Serving: 6serving | Calories: 665kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 1675mg | Potassium: 1351mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6866IU | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 276mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

4 Comments

  1. Is the kale from the original Olive Garden recipe? Just wondering. I’ve ordered it before but didn’t notice if the green was kale.

    1. Yes it’s kale. That said, when making it at home, you could use spinach. Just note it will wilt much more than other greens so you may need more.

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