Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
” I have made this recipe 5 times. Hands down fave. “- Lauren
MADE THIS TODAY AND IT IS AMAZZZZIIIIING!! – Jenny
Comfort food heaven in the form of a soup, Zuppa Toscana, but made simply in the Instant Pot! Packed with sausage, bacon, a creamy base, and tons of flavor.
Table of contents
- What is Zuppa Toscana?
- Why you’ll love this Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot
- How to modify Instant Pot Zuppa Toscan for the Stove
- Tips & Tricks for Perfect Zuppa Toscana
- Recipe FAQS
- Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Can Zuppa Toscana be frozen?
- More Italian-inspired recipes to try…
What is Zuppa Toscana?
Zuppa Toscana essentially translates to “The Soup of Tuscany”. A traditional Zuppa Toscana embodies this perfectly! It’s made with Italian sausage, potatoes, kale, a creamy base, and topped off with bacon and parsley. Most Americans may recognize this soup from the Olive Garden menu, but it’s also incredibly simple to make at home.
Why you’ll love this Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
There’s absolutely nothing like a cozy soup, and Italian flavors are always just peak comfort food. Whether it be Italian Wedding Soup, or Gnocchi Chicken Soup, Italian food is just so perfect for when the weather cools down.
Zuppa Toscana is another one of those cozy classics, but one of the issues with comfort food is time. It can be so time consuming to prep a huge, warm meal, but this recipe is the best of both worlds: Comforting and Quick. Here’s why you’re going to love it…
- Quick and easy! This recipe is made in the Instant Pot for a quick and mostly hands-off approach.
- It’s flexible. While I do recommend making it in the Instant Pot, you can still make it on the stovetop if needed! You’ll just need a bit more time, and to babysit it a little more.
- Dairy-free swaps. This uses a dairy free swap to make a creamy soup without any dairy.
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
| Ingredient | What It’s For… | Potential Swap |
| Italian Sausage | This is the main protein in the recipe! You can use mild or spicy sausage, depending on your preference. | You can use ground turkey if you’d like a lighter option. If you’re intolerant to nightshade spices (learn more from my nightshade food list) you can easily make your own sausage at home using ground pork and herbs like dried parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder & salt. |
| Bacon | Bacon is used as a garnish, and the bacon fat is used to cook the onion and garlic for extra flavor. | I really recommend keeping it in for flavor, but you could also cook the onion and garlic in olive oil. |
| Onion & garlic | A must for rounding out the flavors of the soup. | You can also use dried versions if that’s all you have on hand. |
| White sweet potato | I prefer to use white sweet potato because of my own nightshade intolerance, but I also love the touch of sweetness that it adds to a savory soup. | You can use white potato if tolerated, or even rutagbaga. |
| Kale | Kale adds texture and some more nutrients! | Spinach |
| Chicken broth | The base of the soup. | Veggie broth |
| Coconut milk | This is a dairy free substitute for heavy cream. | You can use oat milk for another dairy free swap, or simply use heavy cream. |
How to Make Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Set the instant pot to sauté and add the bacon. Cook until crispy and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
Step two. Keeping the Instant Pot on sauté, add the onion and garlic to the bacon fat and cook for about 3 minutes, or until translucent.
Step three. Add in the ground sausage and sauté until cooked through.
Step four. Turn the instant pot off, sauté, and pour in the chicken broth, coconut milk, diced sweet potato, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Step five Lock the lid onto the instant pot and set to 13 minutes on high.
Step six. Remove the lid and add the kale and parsley, and allow to wilt in the hot soup until it’s softened. Serve topped with bacon and extra parsley.
How to modify Instant Pot Zuppa Toscan for the Stove
I love using the instant pot for fast, easy meals! However, if you don’t have an Instant Pot, the recipe is easily adaptable to a stovetop! Here’s how you do it…
- Use a large Dutch oven if possible. This is better at conducting and holding heat.
- Add more cook time: Sauté the initial ingredients as instructed. Then, double the cooking time of the soup on the stove, or wait until the potatoes are softened. Add the kale at the end and stir until wilted.
Tips & Tricks for Perfect Zuppa Toscana
- Modify the sausage to your liking. You can give this soup more of a kick with a spicy sausage, or make it more kid-friendly with mild sausage. You can even make your own spice blend and add it to ground turkey or ground pork!
- Add more toppings. You’ll want lots of parsley for this soup, and it already has bacon as a topping, but you can even add Parmesan or pecorino!
Recipe FAQS
Yes, this Zuppa Toscana is totally gluten-free! It’s made with potatoes as the main starch instead of pasta, and there is no flour to thicken the soup.
Zuppa Toscana is a rich and creamy soup with a pop of freshness from the kale, and a hint of spice from the sausage!
Traditionally, zuppa toscana is made with cream, but this version uses coconut milk instead for a dairy free and paleo swap.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Leftovers of this soup will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Reheat the soup on the stovetop for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
Can Zuppa Toscana be frozen?
You can freeze this soup! The kale holds up well, as does the rest of the soup. Simply freeze everything except for the bacon for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, reheat in a pot, and serve topped with fresh bacon.
More Italian-inspired recipes to try…
If you tried this Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana or any other recipe on my blog please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
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Ingredients
- 4 slices of bacon, chopped
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage , see notes for swaps
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups white sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 cups kale, destemmed and chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Equipment
Instructions
- Set the instant pot to sauté and add the bacon. Cook until crispy and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Keeping the instant pot on sauté, add the onion and garlic to the bacon fat and cook sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add in the ground sausage and sauté until cooked through. Remove some of the fat.
- Turn the instant pot off sauté and pour in the chicken broth, coconut milk, diced sweet potato, oregnano, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Lock the lid onto the instant pot and set to 13 minutes on high. After the instant pot comes to pressure soup is done, carefully quick
- Remove the lid and add in the kale and allow to wilt in the hot soup for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve topped with bacon and parsley!
Notes
This post first appeared on Unbound Wellness in October 2017 and was updated in 2025.
It was great and easy to make even in a regular stock pot! Also a good way to increase my bone broth intake…a win win!
I made the Toscana with the homemade Italian Sausage recipe that’s embedded in this recipe’s notes….the sausage turned out a little too bland for my taste. Next time I’ll double the herbs and 1.5xs the salt.
The Toscana was still tasty though, believe this tweak would make it even better. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you!!
Absolutely amazing, I’ve made it several times, my family loves it!
Yay, so glad!!
I have been making this recipe from your site for over 5 years now. The whole Italian sausage throws me every time (as that is not ‘sausage’ to anyone outside the US, its mince!) I have swapped out sweet potato for potato (when in countries that sweet potatoes are hard to come by. also they are the purple smaller ones, not the larger orange looking ones when I can get them, so not as sweet at all), but I always add 2 cups of coconut milk to make it ridiculously velvety. I have made this for so many people who initially smirk at my hype up over this recipe, but then agree that this is heaven in the bowl once I feed it to them! THANK YOU for posting this (and updating where needed). It is def one of my go to recipes I make a huge batch of and freeze.
The link isn’t working for the AIP alternative. What do you suggest? Ground pork?
You can also use ground pork and sausage seasonings like garlic, onion, oregano ,thyme, salt, etc!
LOVE this recipe. It’s delicious, freezes well, is hearty and tastes even better leftover. I like to use smoked turkey bacon that I precook to almost crisp, ground chicken, murasaki white sweet potatoes from Trader Joe’s and swap out coconut milk for a full can of coconut cream. The creamy sweetness contrasts so well with the smoky bacon flavor and the hearty greens.
Hello. Can you make this with another meat other than sausage and bacon? Everything else sounds great. I would really like to make it.
You can try to make it with ground turkey!
This is excellent! Made as written using homemade chicken bone broth. I forgot to buy fresh parsley, so used dried. I made the AIP sausage. I brought this to an event, so I made 1.5 times the recipe (which just maxed out my instant pot). Was very well received at a soup contest! Will definitely make again. I didn’t find it too sweet, but it helps to go in expecting sweet potato. The bacon on top is just perfect!
Wonderful, this looks fantastic, I really want to try this recipe. Can you repost the link for the AIP Italian Sausage, I am not able to get to that site or page.
I have made this recipe 5 times. Hands down fave. My husband hates when I do the Whole 30, but his whole face lights up when I say I am making this.
I have made it as is, switched out sweet potatoes for normal, or did a half and half, and replaced sausages with chicken instead. Still awesome.
This is my GO TO RECIPE to impress family (and they LOVED IT) and is amazing for winter nights as well!
Thankyou!
(Lauren from Australia)
So glad you enjoyed!!
Legit the BEST Zuppa I’ve ever had! I used red onions, omitted the garlic and pepper, but added an AIP approved Italian seasoning, and swapped chicken broth for a mix of Turkey & Beef broth. Wow! This will become a staple in our home!
YUM! So glad you have been enjoying it!
YUM!!!
Was looking for a recipe with Kale, found this one.. so amazing, all measurements and instructions are completely on point. Thx for another amazing go to!
So glad you enjoyed!
I will be making this for a family with a lot of allergies and they can’t have parsley. Is there something you will substitute or just leave it out al together? Thank you!
You can do basil!
MADE THIS TODAY AND IT IS AMAZZZZIIIIING!! I just started the AIP protocol this month, and your recipes have been blowing my mind! Yesterday, I made your broccoli and “cheese” soup, and THAT was amazing. I almost finished the whole pot in one sitting… there wasn’t much left for sharing. Oops!
We have some super cold days coming up, and I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to make the soup last until then! I’m going to need to make bone broth every week so that I can make all of your soups every week!
THANK YOU THANK YOU
YAY! So glad you are enjoying so many of my AIP recipes!
It looks like the AIP sausage link is broken, is there any chance you know of any good recipes for that?
You can also use ground pork and sausage seasonings like garlic, onion, oregano ,thyme, salt, etc:)
I was able to find a copy of the formerly linked sausage recipe: 1 lb. ground pork; 1 tsp each dried parsley, basil, & oregano; 1/2 tsp each thyme, garlic & onion powders, sea salt, & optional coarse-ground black pepper.
Yay! Thank you, Erin! Am planning on making this tonight and was at a loss without that link.