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Italian Sausage Soup
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5 from 1 vote

Italian Sausage Soup

This Italian Sausage Soup is super easy to put together with just a few ingredients that you have in your pantry and fridge, and makes for a flavorful, hearty, and comforting dinner!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian-American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 730kcal
Author: Briana

Equipment

  • large dutch oven (or any large stock pot)
  • wooden spoon
  • skimmer
  • large soup pot (for cooking pasta seprately)

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds Italian sausage (we used a mixture of hot and mild)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, cut into rounds or half moons
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 medium bell peppers, diced
  • 1.5 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons ground fennel (optional)
  • 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes to taste
  • 10-12 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 head of garlic)
  • 5 - 6 cups chicken broth (to reach desired consistency)
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce (about 1 can)
  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (about 1 can)
  • Parmesan rind (optional)
  • 16 ounces orzo (optional, and can sub any small pasta of choice like Ditalini)
  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves (optional and to taste)
  • 1 cup half and half (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and break into chunks, cooking until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the bottom.
  • Add more olive oil if needed, followed by the diced onion, bell peppers, carrots, and celery with a large pinch of salt. Cook until the veggies are beginning to soften, stirring occasionally, for about 6-8 minutes.
  • Add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, the garlic, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons of fennel, and 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (to taste) and sauté stirring often to prevent burning until the tomato paste has deepened in color (about 3 minutes) and the garlic is fragrant.
  • Pour in 5-6 cups of chicken broth, the basil, the tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Add a parmesan rind if you have one, and return the cooked sausage to the pot. Season to taste with salt.
  • Bring to a simmer then cover, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer 5 - 10 minutes until the veggies have softened.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta 2 minutes under the package directions for al dente. Drain, and set aside. We like to cook the pasta separately to help it avoid getting soggy in the soup.
  • After the soup has simmered for a while, reduce the heat to low, and add in the optional cup of half and half, and 5 ounces of spinach. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally to wilt the spinach. Do not let the soup boil. After the spinach has wilted, remove from heat. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  • Add the cooked orzo to serving bowls, then ladle in the soup. Serve warm, top with ricotta cheese, parmesan, and fresh basil if desired. Enjoy!
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the pasta separately from the soup to prevent it from getting soggy.

Notes

  • Add spicy ingredients to taste. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with a smaller amount of red pepper flakes and add more if desired. Remember, you can always add more spice, but it’s challenging to correct if you add too much initially.
  • Avoid soggy noodles. While it’s possible to cook this soup all in one pot, we recommend cooking the pasta separately for best results. This allows you to control the texture much more when you add it to serving bowls later. 
  • Storage. If you plan on having leftovers, store the pasta separately from the soup to prevent it from becoming too soft. 
  • Add a parmesan rind! This is an optional step, but if you have a parmesan rind sitting around in the fridge, add it to the pot with the liquids so the flavors can infuse the soup while it cooks. It also gets nice, soft, and melty to eat as a pre-dinner snack.
  • If using half and half, don’t let it boil. We add creamy ingredients near the end of cooking to prevent the half-and-half from becoming curdled in the soup. Allow it to warm up by simmering.
  • To cook the pasta in the soup. We recommend keeping it separate if you anticipate having any leftovers so that the pasta will retain its shape, but if you plan to eat it all at once, or don't mind soggy pasta, go for it! If adding the pasta to the soup, add it while simmering the other ingredients (before adding the cream and spinach) and allow it to cook alongside the other ingredients for about 8-10 minutes.
  • To freeze. If you plan to freeze leftovers, leave out the half and half if possible for best results. Also be sure to keep the pasta out of the soup if freezing. Freeze for up to 6 months and defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat gently on the stovetop.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 730kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 2248mg | Potassium: 1108mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5786IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 5mg