Zuppa Toscana Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
If you’ve enjoyed Zuppa Toscana at the Olive Garden, you’re going to love this Zuppa Toscana Soup to make in the Instant Pot or on the stove! And my version of this amazing Italian-inspired soup is low-carb, Keto, and gluten-free, and the recipe is definitely easy to make!
PIN the Zuppa Toscana Soup to try it later!
For this week’s Friday Favorites pick, I’m reminding you about this amazing Zuppa Toscana Soup to make in the Instant Pot or on the stove. This tasty soup is definitely one of my personal go-to soup recipes for colder weather, and this has been a hit with lots of Kalyn’s Kitchen readers as well.
When I first had the idea for a Keto version of Zupppa Toscana Soup, I knew there would be other bloggers who had made this tasty soup. But I loved the flavors in this Italian soup so much I wanted to make my own version even if it wasn’t that original.
My Keto Zuppa Toscana Soup has bacon, spicy Italian sausage, onion, garlic, chicken stock, chopped cauliflower, red pepper flakes, chopped kale, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese to add at the table. How can anything with those ingredients possibly taste bad? (I know some people aren’t big on cauliflower or kale, but all these ingredients are a big YES from me!)
And because the onion, garlic, and sausage are cooked in the Instant Pot (affiliate link) before you lock the lid and cauliflower cooks in a flash in the Instant Pot, this soup is super quick! So when you need a quick dinner that’s easy, tasty, and low-carb, give this Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana a try!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- thick sliced bacon
- yellow onion
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link), garlic from a jar is fine
- hot or mild Italian Sausage (turkey or pork)
- cauliflower
- chicken stock or canned chicken broth (affiliate link)
- red pepper flakes
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- kale
- heavy cream
- freshly-grated Parmesan Cheese
What is Zuppa Toscana Soup?
In Italian the word Zuppa means soup and the word Toscana means Tuscan, so Zuppa Toscana Soup is a Tuscan soup recipe. The traditional version of the soup as it’s made in Italy will always have spicy Italian Sausage, bacon, spices, cream, garlic, kale, and potatoes. Some authentic versions will have beans or bread added for a thicker soup. To make a low-carb version of Zuppa Toscana, I simply switched out the potatoes for cauliflower, with delicious results!
How did Zuppa Toscana Soup get so popular?
There’s no doubt that it’s the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup that introduced so many Americans to this tasty Tuscan soup! And the version at the Olive Garden is definitely delicious, but I’ve actually had more than one person tell me they prefer my Keto Zuppa Toscana recipe to the version at the Olive Garden! If you’ve had the Olive Garden soup I hope you’ll try my version and compare!
Can you make this Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup on the stove?
After I got a few e-mails asking how to make my Low-Carb Zuppa Toscana Soup on the stove, I made it for a group of friends so I could share those directions. You can find stovetop instructions in the main recipe, right after the Instant Pot instructions.
How low in carbs is this Instant Pot or Stovetop Zuppa Toscano Soup?
This delicious version of Zuppa Toscano that switched out the potatoes for cauliflower has only about 6 net carbs per serving!
Love Your Instant Pot?
I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot for all my Instant Pot Recipes. Check out my growing collection of Instant Pot Recipes! You can see lots more Instant Pot / Slow Cooker Recipes on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site.
Want more Low-Carb Instant Pot Soup Recipes?
- Low-Carb and Keto Instant Pot Soups ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
- 50 Low-Carb Instant Pot Soup Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
How to Make Zuppa Toscana Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop):
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- (These are instructions for Instant Pot Zuppa Toscano Soup; check in the complete recipe below and look after Instant Pot instructions for how to make it on the stove.)
- Start by chopping bacon, onion, cauliflower, and kale.
- Set the Instant Pot (affiliate link) to SAUTE and HIGH temperature, add the bacon and cook until it’s crisp.
- Remove bacon with slotted spoon. If there’s a huge amount of fat you can remove some but leave at least a tablespoon of bacon fat to cook onion.
- Turn Instant Pot to SAUTE and NORMAL temperature; add onion and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Then add Minced Garlic and cook another minute.
- Squeeze Italian sausage out of casings into the Instant Pot and cook sausage while you break it apart with a plastic or wooden turner. I used this Hamburger Meat Chopper (affiliate link), which I love. Cook until sausage is fully browned.
- Then add chopped cauliflower, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, salt, fresh-ground black pepper, and cooked bacon.
- Lock the lid and set to MANUAL and HIGH temperature, TWO MINUTES.
- After the cooking time of two minutes is up, use QUICK RELEASE to release the pressure.
- Set Instant Pot back to SAUTE and HIGH temperature, add the kale, and simmer the soup 4-5 minutes (or until kale is done to your liking.)
- Turn heat down to LOW (and let the soup cool down a bit if it’s bubbling).
- Then stir in the cream and heat it through. (Don’t boil after the heavy cream is added.)
- Serve hot, with plenty of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese to add at the table.
More Low-Carb Soup in the Instant Pot:
Weekend Food Prep:
This delicious recipe for Zuppa Toscana Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop) has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Zuppa Toscana Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
If you're a fan of Instant Pot soup, you're going to love this low carb version of Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup! And this recipe also has instructions for making Zuppa Toscano on the stove.
Ingredients
- 3 thick slices bacon, cut into short cross-wise slices (Use more bacon if you prefer.)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped small
- 1 T minced garlic (garlic from a jar is fine for this)
- 1 19.5 oz. package hot or mild Italian Sausage (see notes)
- 4 cups chopped cauliflower (one small head)
- 6 cups chicken broth (4 cans chicken broth is slightly more than 6 cups, but it will be fine)
- pinch red pepper flakes
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 1 cup heavy cream (see notes)
- freshly-grated Parmesan to add at the table
Instructions
- Slice the bacon crosswise into short rectangular strips.
- Chop onion, cauliflower, and the kale. (I would use large pieces of kale, cut the kale away from the ribs, and then chop. But you could use pre-chopped kale or baby kale if you prefer.)
- Set the Instant Pot (affiliate link) to SAUTE and HIGH temperature, add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon.
- Remove some bacon fat (or not) but leave at least a tablespoon of bacon fat to cook the onion.
- Turn Instant Pot down to SAUTE and NORMAL temperature; add chopped onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook another minute.
- Squeeze the Italian sausage out of the casings into the Instant Pot and cook the sausage while you break it apart with a plastic or wooden turner (not metal, which might scratch the pot.)
- Then add the chopped cauliflower, chicken stock, red pepper flakes, salt, fresh-ground black pepper, and the cooked bacon.
- Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to MANUAL and HIGH temperature, TWO MINUTES.
- After the time to cook to pressure and cooking time of two minutes is up, use QUICK RELEASE to release the pressure.
- Set the Instant Pot back to SAUTE and HIGH temperature, add the chopped kale, and simmer the soup 4-5 minutes (or until kale is done to your liking.)
- Turn heat down to LOW (and let the soup cool down a bit if it's bubbling). Then stir in the cream and heat it through. (Don't boil after the heavy cream is added.)
- Serve hot, with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese to add at the table.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Use the same ingredients and prepare as above, but add 1 cup more chicken stock and 1/4 cup more cream for the stovetop version.
- Cook the bacon in a large soup pot over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon to a plate, and remove some of the fat from the pot as desired.
- Add chopped onion to the soup pot and cook a few minutes, until starting to brown, then add the minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Squeeze out sausage into the soup pot and cook until browned, about 10-15 minutes. Don't rush this because browning adds flavor.
- Then add the chopped cauliflower, chicken stock, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, fresh-ground black pepper, and cooked bacon. Let the soup come to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is done to your liking.
- Add the chopped kale and turn the heat up to medium; cook the soup 5-10 minutes more, depending on how soft you like the kale.
- Let the soup cool a few minutes if it's bubbling before you add the cream. Then stir in cream and heat it through over very low heat. (Don't let it boil after you add the cream.
- Serve as above.
Notes
Use homemade chicken stock if you have some. (4 cans chicken broth is slightly more than 6 cups, but it will be fine)
I first used Turkey Italian Sausage for this soup, but you can use pork sausage if you can't find that.
Use half and half or milk if you prefer that over heavy cream.
Recipe adapted by Kalyn and Kara after a few experiments with various amount of ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 185Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 44mgSodium 908mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Zuppa Toscana Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop) is a good soup for any low-carb diet, including Keto. Soup with bacon and heavy cream would be outside the approved fat guidelines for the original South Beach Diet or for a low-glycemic diet, but I bet you could make a pretty tasty soup using lower-fat ingredients if you’re a South Beach fan.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot Recipes to find more soups to make in the Instant Pot! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for Zuppa Toscana Soup made in the Instant Pot or on the stove was posted in 2019. It was last updated with more information in 2024.
65 Comments on “Zuppa Toscana Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)”
Can this be frozen?
Soup with cream doesn’t freeze well. You could make the soup up to the point of adding the cream, freeze half, and add half the amount of cream to the part you are eating right away.
It will keep in the fridge for several days though, so I would probably just do that.
OMG! This Yummy Zuppa Toscana Soup ๐ฒ is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! ๐คฉ๐คฉ๐คฉ๐๐๐
The Hubbs & I canโt stay out of it!
I love hearing you are enjoying it so much! Thanks for taking time to tell me.
With an extreme dislike for kale, I wonder if or what I can use in it’s place. Love the recipe, but the kale just doesn’t light my fire.
Spinach, Napa cabbage?
Love to hear your/and or the community’s thoughts on substitutions.
Eat well,
Bobnsandi
You can use any other type of leafy greens like spinach, collards, or swiss chard, but some of them (especially spinach) will need a bit shorter cooking time.
Hi, can you freeze leftovers? Thanks!
Soup with cream doesn’t freeze that well, the cream will separate. I haven’t tried it myself though so I don’t know if it will really be bad or just not quite as good as when it is freshly made.
You could make the soup up to the point of adding the cream, remove some to freeze without cream, and then add the cream a cook a bit more when you thaw it.
I have literally been making different variations of this recipe for years. This one is by far the best Iโve found. So glad I found it last year. I make this weekly! Itโs my fav and my boyfriends as well. Next level with the grated parmย
So glad you are enjoying it! Thanks for the nice feedback!
Can I use frozen cauliflower? Would that change cooking time? Thanks!
I’m on vacation so I just saw this comment; sorry if it is too late to be helpful.
I haven’t made this with frozen cauliflower, but if you did I do think the cooking time would be a bit shorter.
Is there no need for deglazing the pot after sautรฉing the bacon, onion, garlic, and sausage?
I didn’t need to but you can certainly do it if you feel it’s needed because a lot of stuff is stuck on the pan. Otherwise I think this will be plenty flavorful without doing that.
If I can make this, anyone can! Directions are clear, ingredients are few, taste is amazing! I used mild, instead of spicy, Italian sausage. OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS! Thank you! ๐
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it so much!
I used spinach instead of kale. Added a bit of zucchini in with the cauliflower plus a few mushrooms with the spinach (what can I say, I love my veggies). It was incredible! The broth & seasonings made this! Thank you!
I like your variations! So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this soup today and Iโm loving it. I have a question though. It say it makes eight servings. How much would make one serving? 1 cup? Iโm counting my carbs closely.ย
I don’t measure out the amount that is one serving. I input the total ingredients into the recipe plug-in, and then enter the number of servings I am estimating it will make (based on what I consider an average-size serving because of course everyone eats a different amount.) Then the program divides the ingredients by that number to calculate nutritional information. So when it is eight servings, one serving is one-eighth of the total amount. If you need it to be more specific than you will need to measure it out and see.
I made this for supper tonight. It was so so good! I am certainly going to make this again!
So glad you enjoyed it!
We love this soup! I always recommend it to people with a new IP! We prefer this low-carb recipe over the original version. Its pretty quick, easy, and delicious!
I love hearing you like it better than the higher carb versions. Thanks for letting me know. Glad you have been enjoying it!
I tried to find how to make the Instant Pot Low Carb Zuppa Toscana Soup on video. It says watch the video, but I could not find out how to do that. I am not a natural cook so watching videos always helps. I did subscribe and you already have my email but I will enter it below as well.
The video is set up so that it should start automatically when someone opens that post and scrolls down. So if that is not happening there has to be something in your computer or phone settings that is preventing it. I wish I knew more to help you figure out what that might be, but I am afraid I don’t know. You can use the step-by-step photo collage which will also show the steps for making the recipe.
How big is a serving size? I have a 3L instant pot so I’m not sure if I have the capacity.
I don’t know exactly what the volume of a serving is, but your Instant Pot is slightly less than half the capacity of the 6 Quart one I used, so I think you would need to cut the recipe down. Maybe make 2/3 of the amount.
Do you think leaving out the bacon will matter much? I am planning to make this using spicy chicken sausage, so it seems like it should still have plenty of flavor.
I think it will still taste great. Just be sure to use olive oil or some kind of oil to saute the onions to replace the bacon fat.
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t even miss the potatoes ๐
So glad you enjoyed it!
Could spinach be substituted for kale?
Yes, but the spinach will cook MUCH more quickly so be careful with that!
I just now made this and it’s delicious. I taste no difference between this low carb version and the regular one with potatoes. I looked up the ingredients on Yummly and I got 317 calories and 7g of carbs per serving but since there is no mention of how much a serving is I am guessing 1 to 1/2 Cups. Also where exactly is the Yum button on your site. I can’t seem to find it. Thank you for the recipe. I’m starting my low carb diet today and this soup is a delicious start. ๐
So glad to hear you enjoyed it. I don’t know the exact amount of a serving but I’d say a little bit over a cup. The nutritional information on Yummly is not always accurate, but usually it’s close.
The YUM button is right under the recipe title in the row of social media buttons. It’s orange.
This soup is positively addictive. I’ve made 2 batches of it in the last 2 weeks. First batch used your proportion of pork sausage and turkey sausage. Delicious. I forgot to add the cream, but it was fine without. Altogether Fabulous. Oh, I also sliced the cauliflower to make it more like Olive Garden’s, which uses small slices of potato. 2nd batch I used all turkey sausage with some added fennel and dried oregano. And only used the cream for occasional bowls of it. Not quite as good, but still delicious. I can’t believe I’ve been eating this nearly every day for the last 2+ weeks (I made double batches of both) and I’m not tired of it. Thank you, Kalyn. Great recipe.
How fun hearing your adventures with the soup. So glad you are enjoying it! And fun hearing from you; I hope you are well!
I suggest how many servings I think it will make, but I have no way of knowing how much the average reader will actually eat.
Wow this is amazing, followed recipe as is, tastes restaurant quality, thank you!
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it!
I was looking for a soup to cook for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
Thanks Kate! So happy to hear that everyone enjoyed it!
hello,
I am loving this instant pot low carb zuppa toscana soup recipe. I made this today
Glad to hear you liked it!
KALYN!!! When I tell you that was THE. BEST. SOUP! I am not exaggerating. Sooo flavorful, hearty, and relatively easy. I’m telling folks that they need an electric pressure cooker just to cook this soup. YUUUMMMMMIE!!
Carlene, best comment ever! So glad you enjoyed the soup!
This looks awesome. Could you use frozen cauliflower for this instead of fresh?
I wouldnโt use frozen cauliflower, I think it it will completely dissolve in the Instant Pot.
I have used frozen cauliflower and it worked well. You do not need to pressure cook at all — just heat through! I usually use fresh, but honestly, the time I used frozen it took less time and was just as good.
Good to know, thanks for sharing that!
I made this last week and I’m making it again this week. DELICIOUS! Thanks so very much for your wonderful recipes. You’re the best.
So glad you liked it and thanks for the nice feedback! Glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
This looks delicious! Any idea of how it would freeze and reheat?
I haven’t frozen it so I can’t say from experience. But when I googled it, I read that heavy cream (with at least 40% fat) freezes well. Love to hear how it goes if you try it. I am making some tonight, but I doubt I’ll have any left to freeze!
We shared zuppa toscana soup. Everyone in the family loves it! Every sip burst with happiness, itโs like the heaven opened its gates. This is so good, so thumbs up!
That is quite a review, glad you enjoyed it!
I just served this DELICIOUS soup for dinner. My hubby, who doesn’t usually love low carb, loved this. Thanks so much for this easy and nourishing recipe. I will be making it often on cold winter days.
So glad it was a hit!
I am loving this instant pot low carb zuppa toscana soup recipe. I made this today. My kids love it and they won’t stop eating. Thanks for this. Happy New Year! Xoxo.
Glad you like it!
What size Insta pot is needed?
I used a six quart Instant Pot.
I can’t wait to try this one! You’ve got me craving it now & it’s not even lunch time!ย
Hope you enjoy Heather!