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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!
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.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 487 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
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.
{This post is sponsored by Instant Pot. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
This post was originally published on November 21, 2019
I’ve made this one for the second time tonight and after more than a year (of the pandemic) making lots and lots of HBH recipes, this one just may be my favorite. I don’t really like sausage. Or Kale, for that matter. But this soup is so, so, so delicious. The combination of flavors are…yum. I don’t have the vocab to describe how much I like this soup, but it’s really that good. It was perfect for a blustery, snow/rain mix April day.
Hey Tatum,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a fantastic week! xTieghan
This was fantastic! Loved by a family with 4 small boys. Felt like we were eating at a restaurant!
Hey Callie,
So so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
This was INCREDIBLE! I thought this was going to be just okay because come on it’s soup, there’s kale, you know. But no!! I could have taken a straw to the pot! It was amazing!! This will be something I make all the time! Thank you!!
Hey Sarah,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! ☘️ xTieghan
I have made this several times now and it’s delicious every time. So easy and I’ve made it for my extended family and they loved it too! I normally don’t like stews/ soups but this is so delicious.
Hey Chelsea,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! ☘️ xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious. Will certainly make this again and I shared this on my FB page❤️
Hey Jean,
I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for giving it a try. Have a great week! xTieghan
Made this in the slow cooker yesterday, and oh.my.goodness! So delicious!! I used mild Italian sausage because that’s what I had and forgot to add the bacon, but it was still amazing. Perfect for a cold, stormy day. And leftovers today were even better.
Hey Marcie,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that the recipe was enjoyed! Have a fantastic weekend! xTieghan
Delicious! I made it w/ store bought pesto the first time and didn’t drain the meat, I found it to be too oily, but it was still very good. I made it with the homemade pesto the next time, using a bit less oil and drained the turkey sausage (closet to chicken my grocer had) and was delicious! I love this recipe! So good!
Hey Jazzlyn,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan
One of our favorite dishes! It’s soooo good! I like the fresh TJ vegan pesto. It’s a lighter less oily pesto.
Hey Danika,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Umm… WOW! I made this as my first attempt using the Instant Pot (if you don’t count the water test! ?) and it was INCREDIBLE. All I was hoping for was a recipe similar to the Olive Garden soup but this was such a home run on flavor and texture that even my 5 kiddos said they only want to have this homemade version from now on! As you can tell, I couldn’t be more thrilled with the result! Thanks for the new gem of recipe in our house! ♥️
Hey Miranda,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I made the stovetop version, and my family loved it! The flavor combination is wonderful. This recipe is a keeper.
Hey there,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan
I’m making this soup for guests. Would you suggest a salad on the side? Or just bread?
Hey Heidi,
I think a salad and bread would be fantastic! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
I made this recipe last night, and it was incredible! Super easy, great flavour and very satisfying!
Hey Alana,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
Such an amazing recipe! I love the tang from the lemon and the pesto adds so much flavor! It’s also quick and easy in the Instant Pot. I couldn’t ask for more. Delicious!
Hey Tara,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
I just love this soup! It’s interesting and flavorful and different – not to mention easy! I just make the stove top version!
Thanks so much Caitlin!! xTieghan
This soup is easy to make and delicious! I’ve made it several times and it turns out consistently perfect each time.
Hey Meg,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan