This Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana recipe is the perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and salty, with comforting hints of chicken bone broth, potato and cream. It does not take long to cook and is just right for those still-chilly spring evenings.
Why You’ll Love Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
If you haven’t yet experienced Zuppa Toscana, I encourage you to pull out your Instant Pot and give it a try. But be warned, you will probably be asked to make it again and again! Here's why:
- Delicious - This recipe is the perfect blend of savory Italian sausage, hearty potatoes, and kale in a comforting and creamy stock.
- Easy - Don't let the fancy name fool you! Thanks to the Instant Pot, this soup is easy to make with just 10 minutes of hands-on time.
- Frugal - Soup is a frugal way to creatively combine ingredients you have on hand into rich, flavorful and nourishing dishes. Our family loves seasonal soups like this asparagus soup recipe or this Greek lemon chicken and rice soup. But it's also great to have recipes on hand that use ingredients from your food storage, like bread soup, quick and easy Instant Pot tomato soup, versatile pantry soup and of course, this Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana recipe.
Ingredients Needed:
A full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Sausage - You can use sliced sausage links or ground sausage according to your taste preference.
- Potatoes - New potatoes with tender skins work best.
- Chicken Broth - Learn how to make Instant Pot bone broth here.
- Onion - Yellow, white or red onion works great. Learn how to grow onions from seed here.
- Garlic - Learn how to grow garlic here.
- Kale - Remove the kale stems and roughly chop the leaves.
Substitutions and Variations
Like many soups, Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana can be adapted in several ways. Here are a few customizations to consider.
| Customization | Note |
| Heavy Cream | If you don’t have cream, you can substitute six tablespoons of whole milk and two tablespoons of butter. |
| Potatoes | If using canned potatoes, add the potatoes with the kale. |
| Dairy Free Option | Skip the cream. Blend cooked white beans, like Great Northern, into the broth for creaminess. Coconut milk works, too; just simmer it gently over medium heat to avoid curdling. |
| Vegetarian Option | Use lentils or cannellini beans in place of sausage. |
| Sweet Twist | Try sweet Italian ground sausage instead of smoked sausage links. A bit of brown sugar or a diced apple adds warmth without overpowering the kale. |
| Spicy Kick | Use hot Italian sausage or jalapeño sausage links for a spicy twist. Add red pepper flakes or hot sauce for more heat. |
| Finishing Touch | Grate fresh Parmesan cheese just before serving for an added touch. |
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep your ingredients. Wash and chop potatoes into bite-sized pieces, peel and dice the onions, peel and mince the garlic cloves, wash the kale and remove the leaves to roughly chop, and slice the sausage.
Step 2: Following the manufacturer’s instructions, turn the multicooker onto its sauté mode. Add cooking fat and allow it to coat the bottom of the insert. Brown sausage in the bottom of the insert, then add the onions and cook until browned and softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the spices, then add the potatoes and broth to the multicooker.
Step 3: Following the manufacturer’s instructions, seal your multicooker and set it to pressure cook for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, follow the manufacturer's instructions to depressurize your pressure cooker and remove the lid. Remove the bay leaf. Make a slurry by whisking the cornstarch into the heavy cream. Add the slurry to the multicooker. Turn the cooker back to sauté mode and add the chopped kale leaves.
Step 4: Cook the soup, stirring, until the kale has wilted and the soup has thickened. Serve hot with crusty bread.
The Homestead Kitchen
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Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
Equipment
- Instant Pot You can use an Instant Pot or any other brand of electric pressure cooker.
- Measuring Utensils
- knife
- cutting board
- Mixing Utensils
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 Pound Sausage ground or links
- 1 Whole Onion chopped
- 4 Whole Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Whole Bay Leaf
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
- ⅛ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 2 Pounds Potatoes diced
- 6 Cups Chicken Broth
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 Cups Kale stems removed and roughly chopped
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients. Wash and chop potatoes into bite-sized pieces, peel and dice the onions, peel and mince the garlic cloves, wash the kale and remove the leaves to roughly chop, and slice the sausage.
- Following the manufacturer’s instructions, turn the multicooker onto its sauté mode. Add cooking fat and allow it to coat the bottom of the insert.
- Brown sausage in the bottom of the insert, then add the onions and cook until browned and softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in the spices, then add the potatoes and broth to the multicooker. Cancel the sauté function.
- Following the manufacturer’s instructions, seal your multicooker and set to pressure cook for 10 minutes.
- Once the time is up, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to depressurize your pressure cooker and remove the lid. Remove the bay leaf.
- Make a slurry by whisking the cornstarch into the heavy cream.
- Add the slurry to the multicooker. Turn the cooker back to sauté mode and add the chopped kale leaves.
- Cook the soup, stirring, until the kale has wilted and the soup has thickened.
- Serve hot with crusty bread.
Notes
| Customization | Note |
| Heavy Cream | If you don’t have cream, you can substitute six tablespoons of whole milk and two tablespoons of butter. |
| Potatoes | If using canned potatoes, add the potatoes with the kale. |
| Dairy Free Option | Skip the cream. Blend cooked white beans, like Great Northern, into the broth for creaminess. Coconut milk works, too; just simmer it gently over medium heat to avoid curdling. |
| Vegetarian Option | Use lentils or cannellini beans in place of sausage. |
| Sweet Twist | Try sweet Italian ground sausage instead of smoked sausage links. A bit of brown sugar or a diced apple adds warmth without overpowering the kale. |
| Spicy Kick | Use hot Italian sausage or jalapeño sausage links for a spicy twist. Add red pepper flakes or hot sauce for more heat. |
| Finishing Touch | Grate fresh Parmesan cheese just before serving for an added touch. |
