(Slow Cooker Instructions Included)
Paleo Pizza Soup for the Instant Pot delivers the delightful flavors of your favorite pizza toppings to your spoon!
Sausage and pepperoni are considered Paleo-friendly when they are free of sugar and artificial preservatives. I’ve found uncured pepperoni and minimally processed sausage relatively easy to find at my local grocery store.
In Dr. Ede’s book “Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind”, her brain-healthy paleo recommendation does not include cassava or nightshade vegetables.
Tomatoes, being a nightshade vegetable, are not part of this recommended list of vegetables. (Nightshade vegetables include tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, sweet peppers, bell peppers, and chili peppers.)
Even though zucchini may not be among your favorite go-to pizza toppings, its flavor and texture make it a tasty substitute for tomatoes in this soup.
Some other tomato substitutes include cauliflower, carrots, or a purée made with carrots, celery, onions, and garlic.
Dive in, this paleo pizza soup is sure to please!
Paleo Pizza Soup for the Instant Pot
Paleo Pizza Soup for the Instant Pot delivers the delightful flavors of your favorite pizza toppings to your spoon!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Pressure Build: 10 to 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes sauté/high pressure
- Total Time: 40 to 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Method: Instant Pot
Ingredients
1 tablespoon avocado or coconut oil
3/4 lb. ground sausage
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 ounces sliced pepperoni, uncured
1 cup cubed ham (optional)
5 cups beef stock
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained (14.5 ounces each) or 2 cups diced zucchini
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Crispy pepperoni slices for garnish (optional)
Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. Press SAUTÉ on the instant pot.
2. Add 1 tablespoon avocado or coconut oil.
3. When heated oil shimmers, add the ground sausage, ground beef, and chopped onion
4. Cook with lid off. Break meat apart with a large spoon and continue to stir occasionally. Continue cooking for 5 minutes or until meat has browned.
5. Add 5 cloves minced garlic, 3 ounces sliced pepperoni, and 1 cup cubed ham (optional).
6. Next, add 5 cups beef stock, 1 lb. sliced mushrooms, and 2 cans diced tomatoes.
7. Finally, add 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and 3/4 teaspoon sea salt.
8. Stir to combine.
9. Press CANCEL. Secure the lid and seal the vent.
10. Press PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL.
11. Set to cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 20 minutes.
12. When finished, quick-release the pot’s pressure and remove the lid.
13. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with crispy pepperoni slices and fresh basil leaves (optional). You can make pepperoni slices crisp by heating them in a skillet with a little oil.
Notes
For paleo, look for sausage and pepperoni free of sugar and artificial preservatives.
If you’d rather not use tomatoes in your pizza soup, you can use 2 cups of diced zucchini in this recipe instead.
Paleo Pizza Soup for the Slow Cooker Instructions
1. Add 1 tablespoon avocado or coconut oil to a skillet. When heated oil shimmers, add sausage, beef, pepperoni, and chopped onion to the skillet. Stir occasionally, and sauté until meat is brown.
2. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. If desired, drain off excess fat. Add cooked mixture to slow cooker.
3. Add remaining ingredients (1 cup cubed ham[optional], 6 cups beef stock [instead of the 5 cups used for the instant pot recipe], 1 lb. sliced mushrooms, 2 – 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, and 3/4 teaspoon sea salt).
4. Stir contents to combine.
5. With lid on, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with crispy pepperoni slices and fresh basil leaves. (garnish optional)
