Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
This Zuppa Toscana is serious comfort food! It’s a classic copycat made gluten-free, paleo, whole30, and AIP.
What is Zuppa Toscana?
Zuppa Toscana essentially translates to “The Soup of Tuscany”. When I traveled to Tuscany when I was 21, I was expecting everything to be swimming in only Marinara sauce. Much to my surprise, Tuscany features a lot more rich, savory flavors like cream sauces, white beans, and rustic bread. A traditional Zuppa Toscana embodies this perfectly! It’s made with Italian sausage, white beans, tomato, onion, potato, kale, Italian bacon, and olive oil. The American version (which you’ll probably remember from Olive Garden) adds cream and usually omits the tomato.
So really Zuppa Toscana it’s just a nourishing soup and the perfect comfort food dish that can be enjoyed on all types of healing diets… if you prepare it right and use good ingredients! This version is paleo, whole30, AIP, and can be made in the instant pot.
The Ingredients you’ll need for Zuppa Toscana
- Italian Sausage. Italian sausage gives this soup a ton of flavor! Traditionally this soup is made with a spicy Italian pork sausage with the casing removed. If you’re like me and can’t have nightshade spices, or are following an autoimmune protocol, you can easily make your own sausage at home using 1 lb ground pork and spices like dried parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt.
- Bacon. Gotta have the bacon, right? Bacon is used as a garnish in this soup.
- White sweet potato.
- Onion.
- Kale. See? I told you this soup was healthy 😉 You’ll use a whole head of kale in this soup.
- Chicken broth.
- Coconut milk. This is the substitute for heavy cream.
How to Make Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot
- Cook the bacon: Set the instant pot to sauté and add the bacon. Cook until crispy and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Saute the onion and garlic: Keeping the instant pot on sauté, add the onion and garlic to the bacon fat and cook sauté for 5-6 minutes or until translucent.
- Cook the sausage: Add in the ground sausage and sauté until cooked through.
- Add the broth and sweet potato: Turn the instant pot off sauté and pour in the chicken broth, coconut milk, diced sweet potato, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cook: Lock the lid onto the instant pot and set to 13 minutes on high. After the instant pot comes to pressure soup is done, allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Add the kale and serve: Remove the lid and add in the kale and parsley and allow to wilt in the hot soup. Serve topped with bacon and extra parsley.
Can you make this recipe on the stovetop?
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! See the notes of the recipe for instructions.
Is Zuppa Toscana Healthy?
“Healthy” is always a subjective term and means something different for everyone. However, since this soup is homemade and packed with vegetables like sweet potato and kale, I’d call this soup pretty wholesome.
How long is Zuppa Toscana good for in the fridge?
Leftovers of this soup will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge.
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.
How do you reheat Zuppa Toscana?
Reheat the soup on the stovetop for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
Can you use something other than white sweet potato?
Though this soup traditionally has white potato and white beans, I’m using white sweet potato to keep it nightshade-free and AIP compliant. The sweetness of the potato really adds something to the soup, but you can also use regular white potatoes if you tolerate them. If you’re not into sweet potato, you can also sub parsnips or rutabaga.
Can you make this soup without coconut milk?
Traditional Zuppa Toscana really isn’t as creamy as the American version, but let’s be real… creamy is good! Using coconut milk helps keep this soup dairy-free, and with so many other flavors, you don’t really taste the coconut. However, if you can tolerate nuts and don’t do coconut milk, you can try another dairy-free milk to make this soup creamy.
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Paleo Zuppa Toscana (Whole 30 & AIP)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: one pot meals
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Zuppa Toscana is serious comfort food! It’s a classic copycat made gluten-free, paleo, whole30, and AIP.
Ingredients
- 6 slices of bacon, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage (use this for AIP )
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups white sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 bunch of kale, destemmed and chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley (plus extra for garnish)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
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 5-6 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, 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, allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Remove the lid and add in the kale and parsley and allow to wilt in the hot soup.
- Serve topped with bacon and extra parsley.
Notes
If not using an instant pot, follow all of the instructions exactly the same, using a large dutch oven or pot to sauté the initial ingredients. Then, double the cooking time of the soup on the stove, or wait until potatoes are softened.
For AIP Italian Sausage: 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.
All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 827
- Fat: 65g
- Carbohydrates: 34.6g
- Fiber: 4.9g
- Protein: 27.5g
Recipe by Michelle, Unbound Wellness. Photos by Eat Love Eats
This post first appeared on Unbound Wellness in October 2017 and was updated in 2022.
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.