Say hello to the ultimate comfort food, Italian sausage soup!
If you need a fantastic one-pot dinner that’ll warm your bones, this is it.
It blends Italy’s greatest hits, like smoky sausage, beans, and fresh veggies, in a tomato and beef broth.
And the cherry on top? Grated Parmesan cheese.
Is your mouth watering yet?
The only thing missing from this classic Italian sausage soup recipe is the garlic bread! Or maybe a few homemade ranch oyster crackers.
Either way, dig out those stock pots, and let’s whip it up.
Italian Sausage Soup
Let me start by saying: this isn’t your average sausage soup.
It explodes with flavors in every bite and is hearty enough to make it a whole meal.
And it’s packed with protein from the sausage and beans, plus a secret punch of nutritious veggies.
The recipe calls for carrots, onions, and zucchini, but feel free to add more!
The last time I made it, I threw in leftover mushrooms, peppers, and peas, and it was a hit.
Oh, and if you want it extra hearty, try throwing in some penne or tortellini to make Italian sausage pasta!
Ingredients
- Sausage – Opt for a spicy Italian sausage to bring on the heat or a more mild savory sausage. Or keep things light with chicken or turkey sausage.
- Great Northern beans – For a protein kick, Great Northern beans add lovely flavor and texture. They’re meaty and hearty, ensuring no one goes to bed hungry.
- Beef stock – It adds deep, meaty flavors that pair well with sausage and Italian seasoning spices. Use a premade or throw some beef bouillon cubes with water.
- Italian stewed tomatoes – Unlike marinara or tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes are meatier and add a more rustic feel to this soup.
- Veggies – Carrots, onions, and spinach are just the start. Not only do they add more depth of flavors, but they also make this soup so colorful and pretty!
- Minced garlic – Is it even Italian if it doesn’t incorporate garlic? Jarred garlic works in a pinch, but as every Italian nonna knows: fresh is always best!
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is the cherry on top of this Italian dinner. While it’s completely optional (the soup is flavorful on its own), I love the salty kick.
- Spices – This recipe calls for a simple salt and pepper to enhance the ingredients. But feel free to add more. For example, if you go for non-spicy sausage, a dash of red chili flakes wouldn’t hurt!
How to Make Italian Sausage Soup
1. Cook the sausage. If using links, remove the casings. Add crumbled sausage and garlic to a large stock pot on medium-high heat. Cook it until browned, frequently stirring it for 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the liquid. After the sausage browns, pour the beef stock, carrots, and tomatoes into the pot. Lower the heat to medium, cover it, and cook it for around 15 minutes until carrots become nice and tender.
3. Add the beans and zucchini. Beans and zucchini don’t need as much time to cook. Add them to the pot, cover them, and cook everything for another 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat. Turn off the heat, and take the pot off the burner. Add in the spinach, and cover it until it’s wilted and tender.
5. Garnish. Before serving, garnish the soup with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Add Pasta: Use small noodles like Ditali. And be sure to keep the pasta separate for leftovers so it doesn’t turn to mush.
- Prep the Sausage: Remove the sausage links from the casing before browning. Avoid overcrowding the pot.
- Use bulk sausage: Skip the links and get bulk ground meat. It’s much easier to work with.
- Add Veggies: Use canned spinach or clear out your vegetable drawer. Mushrooms, peppers, celery, potatoes, and kale work well.
- Make it Creamy: Add a splash of half and half for a creamy texture. Adjust to taste.
- Go Vegan: Use vegan sausage (my favorite is Beyond spicy sausage)or extra beans. Then, replace the beef stock with vegetable stock.
- Spice It Up: Add red pepper flakes or use spicy sausage for heat. Adjust to taste.
How to Store and Freeze
This recipe makes a big pot of soup, so there will likely be leftovers.
Place the leftover soup in an air-tight container to store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you want to make a big batch to freeze, it’s an excellent candidate for freezing!
Let your soup cool completely (or store it in the fridge) before popping it into the freezer.
Place the soup in a freezer-safe container, and store it in the freezer for up to 5 months.
Just be sure that if you add pasta, you keep it separate from the soup. Because while the sausage and broth freeze well, pasta doesn’t.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
7-Can Soup
Zuppa Toscana Soup
Sausage Potato Soup
Cowboy Soup
Italian Sausage Soup (Easy Recipe)
6
servings10
minutes40
minutes385
kcalThis Italian sausage soup should always be in your recipe arsenal! Made with beans, sausage, tomatoes, veggies, and beef stock, a bowl of this is like a warm hug!
Ingredients
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound Italian sausage, crumbled
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 small zucchini, cubed
1 (14.5 ounce) can Great Northern beans, undrained
2 cups spinach, rinsed and torn into small pieces
Instructions
- Place a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and crumbled sausage, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the sausage browns.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and add the beef broth, carrots, stewed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Place the lid back on the pot, and cook for 15 minutes or until the carrots are nice and tender.
- After 15 minutes, stir the soup, and add the chopped zucchini and beans. Simmer over medium heat for another 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the spinach. Let it simmer for a few minutes until the spinach begins to wilt. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed.
- Portion the soup into bowls and garnish it with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Dig in!
Notes
- If using links, remember to remove the casings before cooking.
This is another recipe that I’ve copied! It looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Lucy, I sure hope you enjoyed it!
Any idea what I can replace the zucchini with?
Hi Milli, you can replace it with green beans, and the soup will still be delicious!
Save the hassle of removing the casing on the sausage by buying bulk sausage!
Hi Michael, that’s a great tip! I’ll have to remember it the next time I make this soup.
Have made this several times. So very good. I add red wine. My favorite soup this winter.
This is such a tasty, hearty base of a soup! I added a bunch of stuff to it but as written, it’s still so good. I like to add potatoes, onions, celery, and kale instead of spinach (if you want to bulk it up). This was a hit with the family, even my picky grandma LOL
Yay! I, too, have a picky gramma. So I can get behind that win! <3