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This super simple Instant Pot Pesto Zuppa Toscana is the perfect cold-weather dinner…great for nights when I’m craving Italian, but want something warming too. Spicy Italian chicken sausage simmered in a creamy basil pesto broth with potatoes, kale, a little lemon, and even a little bacon. Finish each bowl off with a sprinkle of cheese and serve with crusty bread. It’s hearty, full of greens, and so delicious. Great for just about any night of the week. And the leftovers the next day make for the best lunch!
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This Italian soup is a recipe I’ve been wanting to create for a while now. I’m not sure what took me so long to test this out, but I’m so happy I finally did, because wow, this is hands down a new family favorite.
Technically this is soup, but it’s definitely hearty enough to serve for dinner on these cold November nights (it’s been snowing here since yesterday…and I could not be happier about it). But the best part? This is SO EASY.
I worked with my Instant Pot to create this creamy soup in just about 30 minutes. I’m sure you guys have noticed, but I’ve been loving my Instant Pot this fall. I’ve found it so useful during this insanely busy time with the launch of HBH Super Simple and all things holiday 2019. It’s really been a lifesaver and I’ve already remade this soup three times since returning home from Chicago last week.
The backstory…
As with a lot of recipes, this idea came from my brother. This time though? It was my oldest brother, Creighton.
He was telling me about one of his favorite soups that he used to get at the Olive Garden – Zuppa Toscana. I’d never heard of it, so of course, I did a little Googling and discovered that the recipe actually sounds quite delicious. A lot of times Creighton can throw some rather interesting recipes at me, but this soup was one I knew I needed to put my own spin on. It took me a while to finally create the recipe, but here it is, and I think you’ll find it’s delicious.
And yes, it’s inspired by the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden…next up…their breadsticks.
The Details…
As you might guess, this recipe is pretty straightforward and simple.
Start with your Instant Pot on sauté and cook off the bacon. Then add in spicy Italian sausage (I always prefer to use chicken sausage, but pork sausage is great too). Next add in some onions, garlic, celery, and all the usuals.
The key to a good Zuppa Toscana is the spicy sausage and the potatoes. Once you add in the potatoes, stir in some basil pesto. This may not be traditional but it really adds so much to this hearty soup. I’ve found that both the addition of pesto and fresh lemon really lighten things up and truly enhance the Italian flavors.
At this point, simply seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure…just eight minutes. Then release the steam using the quick release.
Once the base has finished cooking, simply stir in some cream, parmesan, and kale.
And that’s it, just 30 minutes later you’ll have a creamy bowl of classic Italian soup. AND, you’ll have only used ONE pot and likely made very little mess. Oh, and be sure to have extra parmesan, fresh thyme, and crusty bread for serving. They really do complete the soup.
See, Super Simple yet so much flavor. This will be great for serving guests over the holidays, or just your family on a cold night. The leftovers reheat well and are delicious the following day for lunch or dinner. I haven’t had a chance to serve this to Creighton just yet, but I know that once he arrives on Friday he’ll be begging me for it. So yes, I will be making this yet again. No complaining here though…love this soup!
Looking for other warming HBH soups? Check out the soup section on HBH’s recipe page.
If you make this Instant Pot Pesto Zuppa Toscana, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Instant Pot Pesto Zuppa Toscana.
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 3/4 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 4 small yukon gold or russet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 bunch Tuscan or curly kale, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
- fresh thyme, for serving, (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot
- 1. Set Instant Pot to sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. Add the chicken sausage and onions, and brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, and potatoes, and cook 2 minutes. Turn the Instant Pot off.2. To the instant pot, add the broth, pesto, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.3. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Stir in the kale, cream, and parmesan. Cook until the kale is wilted, about 10 minutes. Turn the Instant Pot off. Stir in the reserved bacon.4. Serve the soup topped with additional parmesan and fresh thyme, if desired.
Stove-Top
- 1. Cook the bacon in a large soup pot set over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. Add the chicken sausage and onions, and brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, and potatoes, and cook 2 minutes. Add the broth, pesto, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. 2. Stir in the kale, cream, and parmesan. Cook until the kale is wilted, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the reserved bacon. 3. Serve the soup topped with additional parmesan and fresh thyme, if desired.
Slow Cooker
- 1. Cook the bacon in a large soup pot set over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. Add the chicken sausage and onions, and brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken sausage to the bowl of your crockpot. 2. To the crockpot, add the the garlic, celery, potatoes, broth, pesto, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5. 2. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the kale, cream, and parmesan. Turn the heat to high and cook until the kale is wilted. Stir in the reserved bacon. 4. Serve the soup topped with additional parmesan and fresh thyme, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
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Okay, I’ve been stalking you recipes for quite some time now and this is the first I’ve tried. Wow! So much flavor! This one really hit it out of the park.
Hey there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! ? xTieghan
Cooking with the Instapot and kale are both fairly new concepts for me. This soup was AMAZING! My whole family ate it up. I served it up in bread bowls just to be extra 🙂 Will definitely be making again!
Hey! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it out and Happy Halloween! xTieghan
Hello! Do you have any non-dairy alternatives that you would recommend instead of milk/cream?
You could try coconut milk
Loved it! Adding the pesto makes such a difference. Will definitely be adding this to the normal winter rotation. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
This is soooo good! I used hot Italian sausage and just a couple tablespoons of the pesto (brilliant idea to use the pesto!). So quick and easy, but SO flavourful! Will definitely add this to the rotation. Thank you!!!!
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was super delicious! I didn’t have kale so used spinach, but I won’t do that again, it was way too limp in this hearty soup. I added a couple diced carrots and I thought that was successful.
Thank you for another 5 star meal ?
Hi! I really appreciate you taking the time to give this recipe a try! I hope you loved it 🙂 xTieghan
Tried this out in the instant pot, it was delicious! I used premade Barilla rustic pesto, next time I think I’d use a little less than the recipe called for.
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I hope it was delicious! xTieghan
This is on the top of my list. Following through with the comments on spicy Chicken Sausage. That’s not available near me and I’m very interested in your response that you make your own. Do you have that recipe posted somewhere, or will you share? I just know that if anyone can pull off a great recipe for it, you can! Eagerly awaiting your answer…
Hey Jan! Here is what I use:
Ground Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage: I buy ground chicken sausage at Whole Foods. If you can’t find it, you can make your own by adding the following spice mix to 1 pound ground chicken:
1 tablespoon each of fennel seed, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper; 2 teaspoons each of cayenne (or less, if you don’t want it too spicy), paprika, and garlic powder; and 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes.
Enjoy! xTieghan
I like to add a can of Cannellini beans when I make Zuppa Tuscana. I’ll have to try the pesto trick. I also use some chopped fennel bulb with the onion.
I made this a couple of nights ago (stove
top). Oh my goodness … this is an incredibly delicious soup. We all loved it (and the leftovers were even better the following night!)
Thanks, Thiegen, for offering us home cooks such delicious recipes.
My wife made this soup, minus the kale Omg…. This is a absolutely delicious and hearty soup…. As we say when we have found a recipe this good….. This is a do over and over….
I made this soup last night. It is Amazing!! My husband and I both loved it.
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! xTieghan
I always struggle finding “ground Italian chicken sausage”. Any suggestions on where to buy it?
I usually buy it in sausage form, in the casing. Then remove the ground italian chicken sausage from the casings.
Hi there! I always have a hard time finding it too, which is why I usually just make my own spice mixture to give ground chicken that italian flavor! 🙂 xTieghan
Hi-
This recipe sounds amazing and I want to try it. I have to start the instapot and then leave for 1.5 hours. Do you think the potatoes would survive the time on warming setting or do you think they would turn to mush?
Thanks!
Hi Maggie,
I probably would turn the instant pot off for that period of time. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is another great recipe. I made it last weekend and had to substitute spicy Italian ground sausage because the markets in the small town we just moved to don’t have any spicy chicken sausage. I’ll buy some and freeze next time I visit the city. I also substituted spinach for kale.
It was a big hit. Easy recipe to make that tastes very good! Thanks and keep them coming.
Hey David,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I live in a small town and can’t access spicy Italian chicken sausages, what can I use instead to make sure there plenty of flavour?
Hey Angela,
You could just use spicy Italian sausage as opposed to the chicken sausage. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan