Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup
This soup is packed with hearty ingredients and a creamy, slightly spicy broth. A sure crowd pleaser!
Servings: 6
Calories: 1467kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound thick cut bacon diced into lardons
- 1-2 pound ground Italian sausage mild or hot*
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 5-6 small potatoes or 2-3 large russets (about 5 cups total)
- 1 bunch kale chiffonade
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the Instant Pot on High Saute. Saute bacon until crisp. Scoop the bacon out and set aside. Drain most of the fat out of the pot (all but about 2 tablespoons.)
- Add the sausage, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Saute until the sausage is about all the way cooked and the onion is translucent (5-8 minutes.)
- While sautéing, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, then again into quarters (as if you were slicing long steak fries that were 1/4 of the potato). Slice into thin triangles and add to the pot.
- Add 1 cup of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Scrape the cooked bits off the bottom of the pan into the liquid thoroughly. The soup will burn if not properly deglazed. Add the rest of the chicken broth.
- Lock the lid, turn the knob to Sealing, and cook on manual high pressure for 1 minute.
- Wash and strip the kale off the thick stems, roll up in a big bundle, and slice into thin ribbons about 1/4 inch. This is called a chiffonade. Break up any large pieces. Massage the kale with you hands for a minute to soften it up.
- When the pot beeps and it has completed pressure cooking, carefully release the pressure in short bursts. If you just flip the knob to venting, soup can spew out everywhere through the venting knob, so be careful and do it in bursts at first. After most of the pressure is out, you can flip the knob straight to venting to release the rest of the pressure. It will take a couple minutes for it to fully release pressure.
- If you use hot sausage, there will be a red film on top of the soup. You may skim it off if you like. Set the pot to Saute again. Add the bacon and kale. Push the kale into the broth so it is covered. Be careful not to stir too much, or else the potatoes will break up. Simmer until the kale is wilted and cooked through, just 5 minutes or so.
- Add heavy cream. Taste the broth, and add additional salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- *If you'd like a meatier soup, use two pounds of sausage. Add an additional 2 cups of chicken broth and an additional 1/2 cup heavy cream.
- If you would like a keto/high protein/low carb version, replace the potatoes with cauliflower florets and change the cook time to 2 minutes.
- I use my 6 quart, but you can scale this in half and make it in your 3 quart Instant Pot. I also have a single portion of this recipe in my new cookbook (below)
- Freeze the bacon for 20 minutes before slicing to make it easier to slice.
- The flavor of your soup depends greatly on the type of sausage you use. I find it makes a big difference using a higher quality sausage like Jimmy Dean brand. Taste your broth and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- If you like the kale to be really soft, you can add it at the same time as the potatoes and pressure cook the entire thing at once.
- Since I make this for my whole family (kids), I sprinkle my own bowl with additional crushed red pepper to up the spiciness.
- If the flavor is still a little "watery," whisk one tablespoon of Better than Bouillon into 1/2 cup of the soup broth and mix it into the rest of the soup.
Nutrition
Serving: 6g | Calories: 1467kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 67g | Fat: 113g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 66g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 266mg | Sodium: 4401mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g