And Italian sausage and vegetable soup recipe is often referred to as zuppa toscana because it’s a popular soup at Olive Garden. This copycat zuppa toscana soup is better than the original. Instructions included for making this spicy Italian soup recipe in the Instant Pot, crockpot and stovetop.
What Is Zuppa Toscana?
Zuppa Toscana is one of the most well known soups at the Olive Garden chain restaurant in the United States. It translates as Tuscan soup. In Italy it would be called “Minestra di Pane” meaning “Bread Soup”.
Why You’ll Love This
- Flavor: Spicy and delicious. This soup is packed with nutrients and sausage.
- Nutrition: A good source of fiber, protein, vitamin C and vitamin A.
- Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
- Total Instant Pot Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Stovetop Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Crockpot Cook Time: 3.5 hours to 8.5 hours
- Equipment: Use an electric pressure cooker or a dutch oven/soup pot
- Diet: Gluten Free (check broth to make sure it’s gluten free)
TRY THIS: If you love a hearty soup recipe, try this White Chicken Chili Recipe.
What To Serve With Italian Soup?
We love to eat Italian sausage soup as a meal on it’s own. You can serve it as an appetizer, side dish or main course. Everyone in the whole family loves it. But if you don’t want to eat it alone, serve with one of these:
- Bread: Serve with a nice soft roll or a crusty bread. Try these Lion House Rolls or this Garlic French Bread.
- Salad: Make any salad with complimentary tastes. Try a delicious kale caesar or a simple Italian salad.
- Pasta: Serve this with a light or creamy pasta dish.
- Meat: A simple cut of your favorite type of meat pairs well with this spicy soup.
Ingredients
For a full printable Italian sausage soup ingredients list and instructions for this are in the recipe card below.
- 1 lb ground hot Italian sausage (mild or spicy pork sausage)
- 32 oz chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced (2 tablespoons)
- 5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-size pieces
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used Montreal steak seasoning)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 5 strips of cooked bacon, diced into bits
- (optional) ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes : Add this when you saute garlic.
Optional Garnish:
- fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded
- fresh herbs (parsley or thyme)
- extra bacon bits
Substitute for Italian seasoning:
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Substitute for seasoned salt:
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
Copycat Zuppa Toscana Variations
Chicken Sausage Soup: Substitute ground chicken sausage for pork sausage. You can also make turkey sausage soup.
Spinach Soup: Simply substitute chopped fresh spinach for the fresh kale. I prefer the taste of kale in this soup but some people prefer to use spinach.
Ground Beef: If you don’t like spicy soup, substitute ground beef for the Italian sausage.
Pasta: Add small pasta noodles to soup. If you’re making it in the Instant Pot, add the dry tiny pasta pieces (½ cup) to the pot when you add the potatoes. If you are cooking on the stovetop add after simmering the soup for 15 minutes. You want the pasta to be cooked al dente, not mushy. Try acini de pepe or ditalini pasta.
Instant Pot Instructions
Full step-by-step instructions for making your spicy Instant Pot Italian sausage and vegetable soup are in the recipe card below. You can print or save to Pinterest for later.
Prep: Cut up your vegetables and measure your ingredients. Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function.
Sauté: Place the sausage into the instant pot and stir until browned, about 3 minutes. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour sausage into the strainer to drain the grease. Return the meat to the pot. Do not put grease down the drain. Add onion and garlic and saute for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Turn the saute function off.
Pressure Cook: Add the potatoes, Italian seasoning, onion powder, seasoned salt, and chicken broth. Secure the lid and lock in place. Set pressure valve to sealed. Pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. When timer goes off carefully turn pressure valve to open and do a quick release to release the pressure. Once fully released, remove lid. Test potatoes with a fork to make sure they’re tender. If they’re still hard, reseal and cook on high pressure for 5 more minutes.
Finish Soup: Set Instant Pot to sauté setting. Stir in the chopped kale. Stir occasionally. Allow to wilt for about 2-3 minutes. Turn off saute setting. Slowly stir in heavy cream. Add bacon bits. Stir for about 1 minute.
Serve: Serve to individual bowls. Sprinkle with more bacon bits and fresh parsley, if desired.
Stovetop Instructions
Make Italian vegetable soup on the stovetop easily. It is a hearty soup that doesn’t take long to make, even on the stove.
Prep: Cut up your vegetables and measure your ingredients. Heat dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
Sauté: Place the sausage into the dutch oven and stir until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour sausage into the strainer to drain the grease into the bowl. Return the meat to the pot. Do not put grease down the drain. Add onion and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
Cook: Add the potatoes, Italian seasoning, onion powder, seasoned salt, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Finish Soup: Stir in the chopped kale. Allow to wilt for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Turn off heat. Slowly stir in heavy cream. Add bacon bits. Stir for about 1-2 minutes.
Slow Cooker Instructions
Make crockpot zuppa toscana easily. Start it before work and finish when you get home.
Prep: Cut up your vegetables and measure your ingredients. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Sauté: Place the sausage into the skillet and stir until browned, breaking it into pieces. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour sausage into the strainer to drain the grease into the bowl. Return the meat to the skillet. Do not put grease down the drain. Add onion and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
Slow Cook: Add the sausage mixture, potatoes, chicken stock (or vegetable stock), Italian seasoning, onion powder and seasoned salt. Stir and cover. Set to low heat for 5-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours
Finish: Remove the lid. Add kale, bacon and heavy cream. Cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until the kale is wilted and soft.
Tips For Delicious Italian Soup
- Drain the sausage. It’s tempting to cook the soup without draining the meat but I recommend not skipping that step.
- Use a fork to test if the potatoes are tender before adding kale. If the potatoes are not tender, cook until they are before adding kale and cream.
- Don’t add the cream until the kale is wilted, unless you’re cooking in the crockpot.
- Taste finished soup and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
TRY THIS: Make a delicious Italian Lasagna to eat with your zuppa toscana.
Storing
Store leftover soup in a gallon-size Ziploc bag or an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze soup leftovers in a gallon-sized Ziplock bag in individual servings. Allow it to cool completely then lay flat in the freezer to freeze for up to 3 months. This is the most space saving way to freeze soup.
Reheating
Defrost copycat zuppa toscana in the refrigerator. Reheat soup slowly over low heat in a pot on the stove. Enjoy your delicious soup!
FAQ
Yes! Cook your bratwurst by grilling them then slice into bite-sized pieces.
Saute time is about 7-10 minutes. Since the meat and onions are already cooked, all you need the Instant Pot to do is tenderize the potatoes. 5 minutes on high pressure is enough time to cook bite-sized chunks of potatoes. Time to wilt the kale is about 3 minutes on saute setting. Total cook time is 20 minutes, plus pressurizing time so total time is 30 minutes.
More Classic Italian Soup Recipes
The best Italian soups are also easy Italian soup recipes. There’s nothing better than a warm bowl of soup in cold weather. These soups are comfort foods. After you try this copycat zuppa toscana, try one of these Italian recipes:
- Italian Wedding Soup: Omit the Italian sausage and use this recipe to make mini meatballs. Add cooked small meatballs and 1 cup of dry orzo pasta to the soup. Or follow this Italian wedding soup recipe. This is perfect if you like rich soups.
- Pasta e Fagioli: Pasta fagioli, or “pasta and beans” is a delicious Italian bean soup. Use white beans or cannellini beans and tiny pasta to make this. Follow this Pasta Fagioli recipe.
- Pasta e Ceci: Italian chickpea soup is vegan and full of flavor. Made with macaroni pasta, chickpeas and tomato paste, this is an easy recipe. Try this Instant Pot Pasta e Ceci.
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup: This creamy soup is full of baby spinach, chicken and potato gnocchi. You can usually buy gnocchi in the grocery store if you don’t want to make your own. Perfect for anyone who loves potato soup. Make this stovetop gnocchi soup recipe.
- Minestrone Soup: Minestrone soup is a tomato based soup with tiny pasta, kidney beans, cannellini beans, greens, green beans, carrots and other fresh vegetables. Try this delicious minestrone.
- Chicken Noodle Soup: Try my crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe.
- Tortellini Soup Recipe: If you love Instant Pot soup recipes try this tortellini soup.
Italian Sausage Soup Recipe (Zuppa Toscana)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage mild or spicy
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 3-4 cups kale chopped
- 6 cloves minced garlic (2 tablespoon minced)
- 5 medium potatoes peeled, diced
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (see post for substitute)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (see post for substitute)
- 5 strips cooked bacon cut into bits
Optional Garnish
- fresh parsley
- bacon
- Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function.
- Place the sausage into the instant pot and stir until browned, about 3 minutes. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour sausage into the strainer to drain the grease. Return the meat to the pot. Do not put grease down the drain. Add onion and garlic and saute for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Turn the saute function off.
- Add the potatoes, Italian seasoning, onion powder, seasoned salt, and chicken broth. Secure the lid and lock in place. Set pressure valve to sealed. Pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. When timer goes off carefully turn pressure valve to open and do a quick release to release the pressure. Once fully released, remove lid. Test potatoes with a fork to make sure they're tender. If they're still hard, reseal and cook on high pressure for 5 more minutes.
- Set Instant Pot to sauté setting. Stir in the chopped kale. Stir occasionally. Allow to wilt for about 2-3 minutes. Turn off saute setting. Slowly stir in heavy cream. Add bacon bits. Stir for about 1 minute.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
- Place the sausage into the dutch oven and stir until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour sausage into the strainer to drain the grease into the bowl. Return the meat to the pot. Do not put grease down the drain. Add onion and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Add the potatoes, Italian seasoning, onion powder, seasoned salt, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the chopped kale. Allow to wilt for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Turn off heat. Slowly stir in heavy cream. Add bacon bits. Stir for about 1-2 minutes.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Cut up your vegetables and measure your ingredients. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Place the sausage into the skillet and stir until browned, breaking it into pieces. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour sausage into the strainer to drain the grease into the bowl. Return the meat to the skillet. Do not put grease down the drain. Add onion and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Add the sausage mixture, potatoes, chicken stock (or vegetable stock), Italian seasoning, onion powder and seasoned salt. Stir and cover. Set to low heat for 5-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours
- Remove the lid. Add kale, bacon and heavy cream. Cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until the kale is wilted and soft.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Sandra Katherine says
I had a long time living in Italian and have a chance to enjoy this food in a Italian restaurant. OMG, it’s so great. I love this taste. I also have a luck to know smash karts.
whelia says
Your recipe is delicious i try it at home.
Madeline says
A tasty soup. Next time I’ll double it.
Zoe says
This was really yummy! I think next time I’ll try without the cream.