This hearty zuppa toscana recipe with sausage and smokey bacon is an Olive Garden copycat for weeknights. Packed with 5 kinds of veggies and silky coconut milk, it’s an effortless dinner with Italian flair.
When the weather starts getting chilly, this sausage-bacon zuppa toscana recipe will fill your kitchen with a potful of fragrant and creamy flavors. Made with sweet carrots, tender peppers, cauliflower, and onions, it’ll also help you sneak more vegetables into dinner time. Don’t forget a handful of kale! Sautéed and pressure cooked for a quick meal, every spoonful is perfectly rich, herby, and spicy.
Why You’ll Love Zuppa Toscana
If you’re a soup person, this Instant Pot zuppa toscana recipe infused with thyme and basil will be your new go-to dinner.
- Italian-inspired. Juicy sausage, fragrant garlic, onions, thyme, and basil give this soup plenty of Italian flair.
- Quick. This simple recipe only takes 30 minutes!
- Little clean-up. You only need to worry about washing the Instant Pot once you’re done.
- Great for chilly weather. There’s nothing as warm and comforting as a bowl of freshly-made soup when it’s cold outside.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s everything you need (as well as some useful ingredient swaps) to make this creamy zuppa toscana recipe. The recipe card at the bottom of the post has exact ingredient amounts.
- Mild sausage – Feel free to use Italian sausage.
- Bacon – You can use regular or thick-cut bacon.
- Yellow onion – White onion works too.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is best, but otherwise use 3/4 teaspoon garlic paste.
- Carrots – You can use leftover baby carrots for this.
- Red pepper – Any color is fine.
- Cauliflower – Fresh or frozen (thawed) is okay.
- Chicken stock – I prefer low-sodium chicken stock or veggie broth.
- Thyme – Go for fresh or dried.
- Basil – Make sure it’s green Italian basil, not purple or Thai basil.
- Red pepper flakes – Feel free to use cayenne pepper instead.
- Kale – Baby spinach is a good swap.
- Coconut milk – It must be unsweetened. Sweetened or vanilla-flavored coconut milk will make the soup taste like dessert.
How to Make Zuppa Toscana
The “Sautée” and “Pressure Cooker” settings on your Instant Pot make this zuppa toscana recipe extra easy. Scroll down to the recipe card when you’re ready to start cooking for more detailed instructions. You’ll be done within 6 steps:
- Sautée the sausage. Set the Instant Pot to “Sautée”. Add the sausage and cook it for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Use a wooden spoon to break it up into smaller chunks. Remove it from the heat and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Cook the bacon. Stir it into the Instant Pot and cook it for 3-4 minutes or until browned.
- Sautée the onions. Mix in the onions and garlic, sautéing them until soft and translucent. Don’t let the garlic burn. Return the sausage to the Instant Pot.
- Add the veggies. Stir in the carrots, red pepper, cauliflower, chicken stock, thyme, basil, and red pepper flakes. Cancel the “Sautée” mode.
- Pressure cook it. Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to “Pressure Cooker”. Cook for 10 minutes and then do a quick pressure release. Open the lid carefully. Set it to “Sautée” mode again.
- Make it creamy. Gently mix in the coconut milk, stirring until well combined. Add the kale and sautée for 5 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Variation Ideas
These are some tips and tricks you can use to take this herby zuppa toscana recipe to the next level, including using up veggie leftovers:
- Add pasta. Cook 1-2 cups ditalini or pastina pasta according to package instructions. Strain well. Incorporate it into the soup during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Use leftovers. Chop up leftover Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Air Fryer Green Beans. Stir them in during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Thicken it. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1/4 cup chicken stock or water until completely smooth. Pour the slurry into the soup during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Stir until slightly thickened.
- Skip the Instant Pot. Prepare the recipe as usual in a pot over medium-high heat. Instead of pressure cooking, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all the veggies are tender. Stir in the coconut milk and kale at the very end.
- Garnish it. Top the soup with croutons, crispy fried shallots, grated parmesan, or chopped fresh parsley for extra flavor and texture.
- Add protein. Shred leftover Roasted Turkey Breast or Air Fryer Chicken Breast and stir it into the soup. I like to add 2-3 cups.
Serving Suggestions
This zuppa toscana recipe with garlicky Italian charm is a comforting dinner. I love pairing it with toasty baguette slices or garlic bread for dipping. You can also serve it with New York Strip Steak with Balsamic Reduction or Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin. My Garlic Herb Crock Pot Chicken is another great option. For veggie sides, try my Air Fryer Asparagus and Roasted Brussel Sprouts.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
Leftovers must be fully cooled before storing to prevent spoilage, especially because of the coconut cream in the recipe.
- Fridge: Place it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Discard immediately if it tastes sour.
- Freezer: Pour it into freezer bags in serving-size portions. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- To reheat it: Microwave it in 20-second increments, stirring between each one, until warm. You can also use a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat for 7-9 minutes.
More Soup Recipes to Try
Print Zuppa Toscana Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This copycat zuppa toscana recipe is loaded with sausage, bacon, and fresh veggies for a comforting Instant Pot dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. mild sausage, removed from casing
- 4 strips bacon, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 carrots, sliced into coins
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups chopped up kale
- 1 can coconut milk
Instructions
- Turn your instant pot onto the sauté setting.
- Add sausage to the pan and brown for 3-4 minutes. Breaking up with a wooden spoon so the sausage is in smaller chunks.
- Remove sausage from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- Next add bacon to the pan and saute for 3-4 minutes, until browned.
- Once browned add onion and garlic to the pan. Saute until translucent. Then add sausage back to the pan along with the carrots, red pepper, cauliflower, chicken stock, thyme, basil and red pepper flakes. Give it a stir.
- Cancel the Saute Mode.
- Put the cover on and turn to Pressure Cooker Mode. Set for 10 minutes. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
- After the cooking cycle ends do a quick pressure release for the steam. When the pin in the lid drops, open the lid.
- Cancel the Pressure Cooking mode. And turn on Saute mode.
- Add coconut milk and kale to the pot. Stir everything together and saute for 5 minutes uncovered.
- Serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 261
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 665 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
65 comments on “Zuppa Toscana Recipe”
This is seriously my favorite soup ever. Cannot tell you how many times I’ve made it! Thank you for this recipe and all of the thought you put into your creations! 💛
Awe thank you so much!
Our absolute favorite recipe! I use hot sausage instead and have made this time and time again! So delicious!!
YES! So glad to hear!! Love that you use hot sausage too!
Saving to do in the slow cooker. I may sub low-fat evaporated milk for the coconut milk and spinach for the kale for our taste preferences. Thanks!
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Always LOVE this recipe. It’s become a year-round staple in our home. You can definitely catch me eating this even on a hot summer day because it’s that good. Thank you for making an amazing dairy free version! Quick question–is the red pepper a bell pepper or different kind of red pepper? Thanks!
This is one of the best compliments I can get! A recipe that becomes a staple! Yes, it is a red bell pepper!
This was a big hit at our house. Didn’t have kale, so subbed in fresh spinach. We will keep this in rotation.
This soup is a staple in our house! I am glad it was a hit in yours!
Zuppa Toscana is one of my favorite soups that is so easy to make, but it’s so unhealthy! lol I recently started cutting back on my carbs, so coming across this recipe was golden! I tweaked your recipe; I only use lean ground turkey, seasoned with Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes, onions, garlic, veggie stock, coconut cream, kale, and I roast my cauliflower before adding it into the soup. I season with salt to taste and nutritional yeast in the end to get that nice cheesy flavor. Thank you so much for your low carb recipe!!!
I am so happy this recipe fit what you were looking for!! Thank you for the 5 Star Review!
Hello, love this recipe! Do you know if it freezes well? Thank you!
Oh yeah. So glad you love it! I haven’t frozen it yet. But honestly because there’s coconut milk in it I don’t think it will. As least the texture won’t be the same and the kale might get kinda slimy upon reheating.
This is an extremely tasty recipe but for me the pressure cook time was too long – the carrots, pepper and cauliflower turned to total mush and I’d prefer to have a bit of substance left in them. Will definitely make again but with a few minutes off of the pressure cook time!
Glad you liked the flavor and are able to tweak to your liking. 🙂
Very good. I made it tonight and made a few alterations because I didn’t want to run out to the grocery store. I skipped the red pepper cuz I didn’t have one; subbed 1/4 c dried minced onions (rehydrated) for chopped yellow onion cuz I didn’t have one. I also subbed 16 oz baby spinach, lightly chopped, for the kale.
I love when you can adjust a recipe to what you have one hand!
This soup is one of the best soups I have ever had! I didn’t have cauliflower, but I added some sliced golden baby potatoes. I made it on the stove because I haven’t joined the IP train yet! Thanks for the wonderful recipe! Everything I’ve made from your site I have loved!! Great job!!
Love your substitutions and made it work! Thank you for coming back for more recipes to try out!
I made this today and it is DELICIOUS! Have you tried freezing it? I have 2 full quarts that I know I won’t get to all of it in the next couple of days. I hate to waste it – do you think it will freeze well?
Hey Tricia, So glad you LOVE it! I would recommend not freezing it. The combo of the coconut milk and kale and not going to reheat very well. But you could definitely try it and see how it goes.
So easy, so tasty. The mild sausage version is great…but I tend to use spicy Italian sausage just to give the soup a little more heat. One of my favourite soups to make.
Love the idea of spicy sausage! I love a touch of heat!
Can you use a crock pot or regular pot if you don’t have an instant pot?
Yes you can definitely do that. You’ll just have to cook the meat before adding it to the crockpot
We’ve made this several times. This will be in our rotation of meals forever. I cook most of the time, but never dreamed of us preferring this version over a potato one. We love this and it’s full of flavor!
Soooo much flavor! I love it when a new recipe is added to the rotation!
Can this soup be frozen?
I would recommend not freezing it. Reheating it will change the texture of the kale (mushy) and it also has coconut milk which might get lumpy.
nice and tasty soup it is. thanks for sharing this soup recipe.
BEST SOUP I HAVE EVER HAD. And I eat and make A LOT of soups!!!
My two favorite kitchen appliances are my air fryer and IP, so, I always on the hunt for healthy AND flavorful recipes to make in them. In planning my meals one day, I knew that the holidays usually pack on the pounds for me, so I wanted to find a good soup for lunch that would be healthy and filling and I discovered this recipe. THIS SOUP IS DELICIOUS!! Even my most picky eaters (including my steak and potatoes husband) loved the soup! This will definitely a staple in my home. Thanks for sharing!!
I omitted the red pepper because I didn’t have any. And use low sodium chicken broth so I could add (or not) my own salt. I also used spicy Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, heavy whipping cream instead of coconut milk, and I bought cauliflower florets in a bag from the produce section and used 1/2 the bag.
This so
Hot Italian sausage kicked it up a notch. Hubs loved it. Our new favorite soup. ❤️❤️
woohoo!! Yup we just made it the other day. Love this one!
I bought sweetened condensed coconut milk is that the right stuff?
NO! Just plain coconut milk. You can find it in the international or asian food aisle.
This is delicious, I like it better with the cauliflower than the Olive Garden soup with potatoes. I was concerned that the coconut milk would give it a coconut flavor but it is delicious and I did not detect any coconut flavor, just creamy deliciousness. I will be making this again
I know right!! It’s like magical what happens in that instant pot!
Can this be modified for slower cooker?
It looks amazing 😉
Yes, definitely. You’d just have to saute the bacon and sausage before hand then add everything into the crock pot and cook on HIGH for probably 2-3 hours
Can this be modified for slow cooker? It looks yummy 😋
Yes, absolutely. You’d just saute the meats on the stove and then throw everything in the slow cooker. I’d cook for 2-3 hours and then add the coconut milk and kale, cook an additional 30 minutes.
I made this recipe and it’s some of the best soup I’ve ever had! The cauliflower goes perfectly with this recipe. This is my second time making it. The hubs loves it too.
Love the soup!!
Could I use frozen caulirice? Would I add it at the end?
yes, you definitely could and yes add it in at the same time you would the kale
How many oz is the can of coconut milk?
the can is 13 oz.
I made this a modified it a bit, added fennel and swiss chard and subbed the coconut milk for heavy cream and it was amazing!!! I took the leftovers to work to share and everyone was raving about it! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!
I just made this recipe, and it is amazing! I put a little extra red pepper flake for an extra kick. 😉 I can’t get enough!
Thanks for sharing your version of this soup – I am excited to try it, but will make a few modifications myself (e.g., my husband doesn’t like coconut milk, and I may do 1/2 sliced potatoes). 2 things to point out – First, good for you for adding the kale at the end, if you cook soup with the kale it may be more bitter. Second, I was unable to print the recipe because there are these buttons on the left side that block everything. Maybe you can correct this for future visitors?
Hey Sandra! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe and hopefully you were able to print. I have since updated the sharing button location to be not as obtrusive. Sorry about that.
Is it possible to make this without the coconut milk or is there something I can substitute?
Yes, you could sub it with regular milk, half and half or even heavy cream if you’d like. I would use 1 cup.
I am trying low carb foods for my daily meals. This one looks really good. I will try this.
This looks incredibly delicious! I love this! looks so good!
I am loving that this soup is healthy, yet hearty! Perfect for when those fall temps finally hit here. 🙂
I love using my instant pot for soups! I can’t wait to try this out!
yessss! This is the perfect recipe for me. Looks VERY tasty!
Seriously one of our favorite soups! This looks amazing!
This looks delish…but sadly no insta pot for me yet. How long to cook in a crock pot after sauteing do you think? 4 hours on low setting, or 2 hours on high?
Thanks!
Hey Jules, yes you could do this in the crock pot for sure. I would cook the meats on the stove and then throw everything into the crockpot (minus the coconut milk and kale) for 2 hours on high. Then add them in the last 30 minutes.
I seriously want to eat my screen right now! This soup looks phenomenal and I love that I can use my IP to make it!!
I love that this soup is keto friendly. It sounds like a hearty, healthy, and delicious soup.