Sometimes, I just need to eat out – and a trip to Olive Garden might be one of my favorite guilty pleasures when we travel to the closest “large town” – which is not really all that large…. I love the soup, salad, breadstick deal – but as we don’t travel that far, that much, making it at home was something I was very interested in. I’ve made this soup on the stovetop – but making it in my instant pot so super fast – easy, and done in about 30 minutes. Win/Win!
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
I love making soup in my instant pot - and this one is super fast, easy and tasty! I use evaporated milk which I think is pretty unique - but it tends to handle heating, and re-heating, better than regular milk, half-and-half, or cream.
Ingredients
- 4 ea Italian Sausage - I like mild - remove from casings
- 1/2 ea Large Onion chopped
- 1 tsp Oregano dried
- 3 ea Medium Cloves of Garlic pressed or minced
- 4-6 ea Medium Potatoes halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 6 cups Chicken Broth low sodium
- 3/4 C. Kale Chopped
- 1 15 oz Can Evaporated Milk
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
Instructions
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Set your Instant Pot (or pressure cooker of any brand) to Browning, add the sausage and chop up into small bits - brown until cooked through and remove to drain
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Add onion to fat that remains in your pot and brown. I don't actively "leave" fat in the pot, but there seems to be enough there to brown the onions. When the onions are transluscent, add in the garlic and brown lightly - do not burn.
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When the onion is cooked, add in the oregano and stir well, add back in the sausage, potatoes, and chicken broth.
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Place lid on your Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker. Set to "High Pressure" for 6 minutes and let it rip. When timer goes off, allow for a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release - then manually release the rest of the pressure.
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When you get the pot open, set the temperature to "Simmer" and then add in the chopped kale and the evaporated milk. Heat through, taste for salt, and let sit on simmer until the kale softens.
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Serve with crusty break and a salad - its like eating out, while eating in!
