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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
My local store does not carry spicy Italian sausage. Would you sub reg Italian sausage and increase the red pepper flakes?
Hey Lindsay,
Yes, that would work just fine:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
We made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious and easy to make. I used pork as I couldn’t find chicken and threw in a bit of penne for our toddler. It was delish, I never would have thought about putting pesto in soup. I would recommend this.
I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Shannon! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This was amazing!!!! I am loving all of your soup recipes for fall and winter (even though its a random 75 degrees today!). This one was so hearty and delicious! I wasn’t much of a cook when I was younger, but I have developed a liking for it in the last few years. Your recipes make great cooking easy! Thank you!
You are so kind! I am really glad you have been loving this and other recipes of mine, Liz! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I just made this for my boyfriend for his birthday. We both LOVE it! it was perfect for the weather, it’s cold and rainy. I also gave some to my housemate and she also said it tastes very good. 🙂
So sweet of you! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Ana! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan. This may be a silly questions, but would it be ok to use ground chicken or turkey instead of sausage meat? I’ve never been able to find chicken sausage at my grocery store. Thanks!
Hey Lisa,
Yes, either of those would work as well as ground sausage. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Best soup I’ve ever made in my 50+ years on this planet!! Make it. You won’t regret it. Well done, Tieghan. Thank you for making my soup season complete! ❤️
Thank you Michelle!! I am really glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
So delicious! My whole family loved it. Thanks, you’re amazing!
Thank you so much Priya! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I slow cooked it on high for 5 hours and it came out great. Rich without being too heavy!
Amazing! Thank you Deb! xTieghan
So delicious! Currently eating leftovers for lunch and it’s still just as good, if not better. I’ve made other zuppa toscana recipes and I love the addition of lemon juice and pesto in this one! Used sweet italian cgicken sausage pinks and just sliced them and added extra red pepper flakes… so good!
Thank you so much Abbey! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This soup is so delicious!!! A perfect recipe for the fall and winter. I replaced the chicken sausage with regular Italian sausage (it’s all I could find) and replaced the potato with butternut squash. It’s super comforting, warm, slightly spicy… and even a kale hater loved it. I think this recipe is very adaptable and you could probably add in tons more vegetables if you wanted.
Love to hear that! Thank you for trying this one, Dom! xTieghan
Made this with the stove top method tonight and it was delicious! Didn’t have kale so I used fresh spinach and it turned out great.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Cassie! xTieghan
Do you have complete nutrition info? I am making this for dinner and have one diabetic child. Always nice to have the nutrition info so I dont have to guess it. Thanks
Hi Diana! I am sorry, but I do not have the nutritional information for this recipe. I find it easiest to put all of the ingredients into an online food calculator! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Just made this! So simple and delicious!
Thank you Renae! xTieghan
Very good I put my own spin on it some I used loose Italian sausage, and at the end added some cheese tortellini
And I did the stovetop method
Thank you Marie! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Loved this recipe! You were the cook, blogger, recipe creator of our cooking club and all recipes made were well loved. The questions for this recipe are about subbing coconut milk and or beans instead of potatoes, any thoughts or recommendations ifattempted? ?
Hey Robin,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I think these subs would be great, just add them in as directed. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan