Olive Garden Copycat - Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot

Why go out to eat when you can make it yourself at home? You're just going to love this Olive Garden Copycat INSTANT POT Zuppa Toscana. That's right, INSTANT POT! It doesn't get easier than this.

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Shifting into soup mode.

It's officially fall now and I am shifting into soup mode.

The salads of the summer are gone, the leaves have begun to fall, I've busted out my MacIntosh apple candle, and pumpkin-flavored-everything is on store shelves. It's finally fall and it's finally time to get your soup on. Maybe it isn't fall where you are (or when you're reading this), but it can be fall in your heart when you serve up some of this delicious soup. The best part? This Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana is made in our favorite appliance: the Instant Pot!

So many Instant Pot recipes are "dump and go" and we love them for it! It's great having one of those recipes you can just throw together and know you have supper ready in a matter of minutes. Sometimes though, it's nice to spend a little time developing that flavor! That's what we do in this recipe for Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana. Onions and garlic taste so much better when they are given the chance to sweat a little bit, and we make use of the saute function of the Instant Pot to do just that!

Also, Kale

Kale is an extremely nutrient dense vegetable, meaning the nutrients to calorie ratio is super high. The problem is, it can be a hard vegetable to work into your rotation since it doesn't appeal to everyone. My husband in particular is not fond of kale, but he absolutely loves this soup! I am never one to give up trying new ways to prepare the same old vegetable in hopes of finding something that works, and I'm glad I finally made the Zuppa Toscana everyone was telling me about! I was even happier when I was able to adapt it to become Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana, because who doesn't love the instant pot?

Anyway, I encourage you to give this recipe a go, even with kale-haters in your household. They just may be converted and become kale-lovers (well, as long as it is also served with sausage, potato, bacon, and Parmesan of course).

What Do I Need to Make Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana?

• Instant Pot: The most important thing, of course, is an instant pot! I love using this 8qt model for soups. I also love using it for homemade yogurt.
• Ground Italian Sausage: I use "hot" in this recipe, but you can use mild if you have tender tastebuds. If you can't find the ground packs, you can buy the whole uncooked sausages, split the casings, and turn the meat out.
• Onion and Garlic: You just can't have soup without the foundation of onions and garlic!
• Russet Potatoes: These hold up during pressure cooking because of their dense, dry texture.
• Chicken Broth: You can use homemade bone broth, or store bought broth. Whatever you have on hand is fine!
• Seasoning: Just simple salt and pepper is all you need here, since the ground sausage contains plenty of seasoning.
• Bacon: This recipe just isn't the same without bacon!
• Kale: A bunch of kale, trimmed and stemmed (I like using this herb stripper) is added to the soup after cooking. This is THE way to eat kale. In fact, it's the ONLY way I've been able to get my husband to eat kale.
• Heavy Cream: This adds a richness and creaminess to the end product. You can use half and half if that is what you have on hand.
• Parmesan: Just a bit of Parmesan goes a long way in this soup! You're going to want fresh Parmesan for this recipe (no green can for you).
  

Please note that some of my blog posts here at Little Home in the Making may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. See our disclaimer for more information.