Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Sausage & Potato Soup)
Pressure Cooker, Soups
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 lbs Hot Italian Sausage, Use 1 hot and one mild if you don't like spice
3 Strips of Thick Cut Smoky Bacon, chopped
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 tsp Oregano or Italian seasoning, dried
5 Cloves of Garlic, minced
4-6 Medium Potatoes, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
1 Bunch of Kale** chopped, with rib removed
1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
salt, to taste
Optional Substitute for the Kale
1 Pkg Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed) or fresh Baby Spinach
Directions
Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode, and when it says Hot, add the olive oil.
Add the sausage and brown it, stirring a few times. If you can get a good browning on it the flavor will be even better!
Add the chopped bacon. Stir.
Add the onions, then stir them in.
Add the oregano/Italian seasoning.
When the onions start to look translucent, add the minced garlic, or add using a garlic press, and stir.
Pour in the broth, stirring, and make sure you scrape the bottom of the pot to get up any brown bits.
Add the potatoes, checking to make sure the contents don't go over the Max Fill line marked on the inner liner.
Close the lid and set the steam release knob to Sealing.
Set to Manual (or Pressure Cook), and choose 5 minutes* at High Pressure.
After cooking cycle ends, allow a 10 minute NPR (Natural Pressure Release).
Manually release the rest of the steam. When the locking pin drops, open the lid.
Add in the kale, (or thawed spinach, if using) and stir well. Cover and let heat through for 5 minutes or so to soften the kale.
Stir in the heavy cream. Add salt, to taste.
Thicken the soup with potato flakes or a cornstarch slurry, if desired.
Serve!
Notes
*Cook time is time the soup cooks once it is at pressure (and time sautéing). Full pots of soup can take several minutes to come to pressure.
**You can use spinach in place of the kale. Use fresh baby spinach or thawed frozen chopped spinach.