This lightened up version of the Olive Garden cult-fave “Zuppa Toscana” is made with cauliflower swapped in for half of the potatoes. Its an easy way to sneak some veggies into your diet plus its easy to make in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Ok, I’ll admit it. This is one of my favorite hearty winter soups. In high school and college I can remember going to The Olive Garden with my mom and sister after trips to the mall, where we would would get bowl after bowl of Zuppa Toscana as part of their bottomless soup lunch special…or whatever that was called. We probably ate our weight in breadsticks too.
I don’t make it to Olive Garden much these days. The wait times alone scare me away (seriously, that place is ALWAYS packed). So, I started making my own version of my favorite Zuppa Toscana soup years ago. I’m the first to admit that the “Tuscan” part of the name is a loose affiliation at best, but boy is it ever tasty.
Lightened Up Family Favorite
Even better, my entire family loves this on a chilly night. Soups are one of my favorite ways to sneak extra veggies into my kids’ diets and Zuppa Toscana is no exception. Years ago I started tinkering with ways to lighten this up — halving the quantities of bacon, sausage and cream. Then I started adding veggies. I swap in cauliflower for half of the potatoes (you could also go all cauliflower or go back to all potatoes if you prefer). Next I add in a hearty helping of wilted kale and use an immersion blender to achieve a creamy consistency with just the slightest amount of half n half.
Instant Pot Magic
Then I turned to my Instant Pot to cut the cooking time down tremendously. My Zuppa Toscana 2.0 is just as hearty, creamy, comforting as the original but my version is far more nourishing. Plus its easy to make in the instant pot or slow cooker. This soup is a cold-weather slam-dunk.
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Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup with Cauliflower
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Soup
Description
This lightened up version of the Olive Garden cult-fave “Zuppa Toscana” is made with cauliflower swapped in for half of the potatoes. Its an easy way to sneak some veggies into your diet plus its easy to make in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound mild bulk Italian sausage
- 3 slices raw bacon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 russet potatoes, chopped
- 2 cups cauliflower florets, chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup half and half
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Add olive oil, bacon and sausage. Cook, stirring frequently, until bacon and sausage are lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Add garlic, onion and oregano. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in potatoes, cauliflower and chicken broth; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Being extremely careful not to over-blend, use an immersion blender or handheld potato masher to just slightly break up potatoes and cauliflower to create a creamy consistency.
- Stir in kale until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you prefer your soup chunkier and less creamy, you can skip the immersion blender/masher step.
- If you’d prefer to use ALL potatoes or ALL cauliflower, simply double the quantity of the one you want and eliminate the other.
Keywords: Instant Pot, Potato Soup, Cauliflower Soup, Zuppa Toscana, Soup
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Excited to make this soup! If I am making in a slow cooker, how long do I cook on low? And do I follow the browning instructions of the meat before adding to the slow cooker? Thanks!
Hi! Tell me how you like it! Yes you’ll want to brown everything in a skillet before putting in the slow cooker. If you’re cooking on low I’d plan for 6-8 hours to ensure the potatoes cook through. Then smash the potatoes slightly with a masher and add the kale in the last 20 min or so to wilt it.