Cold, rainy evenings call for a pot of something warm and filling, and this Italian Sausage Soup is exactly the kind of dinner that fixes a rough day.
It’s got juicy browned sausage, tender little pasta, soft vegetables, and a tomato broth that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.
The truth is it only takes about 50 minutes from start to finish, and most of that is hands off simmering time.
I make a batch of this almost every week once the weather turns cold, because it reheats beautifully and my family never gets tired of it.
This Italian Sausage Soup pulls its flavor from browned Italian sausage, a classic mirepoix of onion, carrot, and celery, and a rich tomato and chicken broth base finished with parmesan and fresh basil.
It’s the kind of one pot meal that feels like a hug in a bowl.
| Quick Recipe Summary | |
|---|---|
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35 minutes |
| Total Time | 50 minutes |
| Servings | 6 servings |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
Why You’ll Love This Italian Sausage Soup Recipe
This soup earns its spot in the weekly rotation for a lot of reasons.
It’s a genuine one pot dinner, so cleanup takes about five minutes.
The sausage does most of the seasoning work for you, which means this soup tastes rich and developed even on a weeknight.
It also freezes and reheats well, so a double batch turns into several easy lunches later in the week.
If you love a cozy soup with sausage in it, my Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup is another one worth bookmarking.
- Ready in under an hour, start to finish
- Just one pot to wash
- Freezer friendly for easy meal prep
- Naturally kid approved thanks to the mild sausage and small pasta
- Easy to make lighter, spicier, or dairy free with a few swaps
Ingredients
Everything here is easy to find at a regular grocery store, and most of it is probably already in your pantry.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed if using links (mild or hot)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup ditalini pasta, or another small pasta shape
- 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving
- Fresh basil, chopped, for garnish
This same tomato and broth base is what makes my Italian Marinara Sauce so versatile too, so it’s worth having a jar on hand.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
You really only need a handful of basic tools to pull this soup together.
- A large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot
- A wooden spoon for breaking up the sausage
- A sharp chef’s knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- A microplane grater for the parmesan
- A ladle for serving
Read Also: Tortellini Soup Recipe
Recommended Products for This Recipe
These are a few products I personally reach for when I make this soup, based on years of testing versions of it in my own kitchen.
1. Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
A heavy enameled Dutch oven holds heat evenly, which means the sausage browns properly instead of steaming.
It also goes straight from stovetop to table, so you can serve family style right out of the pot.
2. Barilla Ditalini Pasta
Ditalini holds its shape well in broth and never gets mushy the way larger pasta shapes can.
It’s also small enough to fit comfortably on a spoon with the vegetables and sausage.
3. San Marzano Style Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Fire roasted tomatoes bring a subtle smokiness that plain diced tomatoes just don’t have.
It’s a small swap that makes the broth taste like it simmered for hours.
4. Parmigiano Reggiano Wedge
Freshly grated parmesan melts into the hot broth in a way that pre-shredded cheese never quite manages.
A wedge also lasts a long time in the fridge, so it’s worth keeping on hand for pasta night too.
Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make Italian Sausage Soup
Here’s exactly how to build this soup layer by layer so every ingredient earns its place.
1. Brown the Sausage
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat.
- Add the Italian sausage to the pot, breaking it into smaller crumbles with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned all over and no pink remains.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving about a tablespoon of the rendered fat behind in the pot.
2. Sauté the Vegetables
- Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot with the reserved sausage fat.
- Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the onion turns translucent.
- Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if using, and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant.
3. Build the Broth
- Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir it into the vegetables, cooking for about a minute so it darkens slightly and loses its raw flavor.
- Pour in the fire roasted diced tomatoes along with their juices, then add the chicken broth and the bay leaf.
- Return the browned sausage to the pot, stirring everything together.
4. Simmer the Soup
- Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pot and let the soup simmer gently for 15 minutes so the flavors have time to come together.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed.
5. Cook the Pasta
- Stir the ditalini pasta directly into the simmering soup.
- Cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is tender.
6. Finish and Serve
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chopped baby spinach until it wilts into the hot soup, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a scattering of fresh basil.
The same low and slow simmering technique is what gives my Italian Wedding Soup its deep flavor as well.
Tips for The Best Italian Sausage Soup
A few small details make a noticeable difference in how this soup turns out.
- Don’t drain all the sausage fat. Leaving a little behind adds flavor to the vegetables as they cook.
- Cook the pasta separately if you’re planning to freeze leftovers, since pasta softens too much after freezing and reheating.
- Taste before adding extra salt. Both the sausage and the broth already carry plenty of seasoning.
- Use a heavy bottomed pot so the bottom doesn’t scorch during the simmer.
- Add the spinach at the very end so it stays bright green instead of turning limp and dark.
Read Also: Parmesan Tomato Tortellini Soup
Serving Suggestions
This soup is hearty enough to stand alone, but a few sides round it out into a full meal.
Crusty bread is the obvious pairing since it’s perfect for soaking up the broth.
- Warm garlic bread or a crusty baguette
- A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette
- Extra parmesan and crushed red pepper on the side
- A glass of dry red wine for the adults at the table
- Pair it with Italian Meatballs for an even heartier Italian style spread
Variations of Italian Sausage Soup
Once you’ve made the base recipe a couple of times, it’s easy to riff on it.
- Swap in hot Italian sausage and extra red pepper flakes for a spicier version.
- Stir in a can of drained cannellini beans along with the broth for a heartier, more filling soup.
- Finish the soup with a splash of heavy cream just before serving for a creamy tomato version.
- Use gluten free pasta or swap the pasta for cooked rice to make it gluten free.
- Add sliced zucchini or kale in place of, or alongside, the spinach.
If you like sausage cooked a completely different way, my Sheet Pan Sausage And Potatoes is another easy weeknight option.
Storage and Reheating
This soup holds up well in the fridge and freezer, with one small caveat for the pasta.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze the soup for up to 3 months, ideally without the pasta added, since pasta gets soft after thawing.
- Reheat on the stovetop over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
- If reheating from frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge first for the most even results.
- Add a splash of extra broth when reheating if the soup has thickened too much.
My Meatball Soup follows the exact same storage rules if you want to batch cook both at once.
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition will vary depending on the exact sausage and broth you use, but here’s a general estimate per serving, based on 6 servings.
- Calories: approximately 380
- Protein: 20 grams
- Carbohydrates: 28 grams
- Fat: 21 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Sodium: 890 milligrams
Read Also: Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Health Benefits of Key Ingredients
Beyond tasting great, a few of the ingredients here actually pull their weight nutritionally.
Spinach is loaded with iron, vitamin K, and folate, and it barely changes the flavor of the soup.
Carrots and celery add fiber along with vitamin A and potassium, and both hold up well through a long simmer.
- Spinach: rich in iron, vitamin K, and antioxidants
- Carrots: high in vitamin A and beta carotene
- Garlic: contains compounds linked to immune support
- Tomatoes: a good source of vitamin C and lycopene
- Lean protein from the sausage helps keep the soup filling
If you’re building out a whole menu of comforting sausage dinners, my Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner is a lighter option worth trying too.
FAQs About Italian Sausage Soup
1. Can I use ground Italian sausage instead of links?
Yes, ground Italian sausage works perfectly and actually saves you the step of removing casings.
Just brown it the same way you would sausage links.
2. What’s the best pasta to use if I don’t have ditalini?
Any small pasta shape works well here, including small shells, elbow macaroni, or orzo.
Just keep an eye on the cook time since smaller shapes cook faster than ditalini.
3. Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?
Yes, brown the sausage and vegetables first, then transfer everything except the pasta and spinach to the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6 hours, then stir in the pasta during the last 20 minutes and the spinach right before serving.
4. Why is my soup too thick?
The pasta continues to absorb liquid as it sits, especially in leftovers.
Just stir in extra broth or water when reheating until it reaches the consistency you like.
5. Can I make this soup dairy free?
Absolutely, simply skip the parmesan garnish or use a dairy free parmesan alternative.
Everything else in the recipe is naturally dairy free as written.
Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage casings removed if using links, mild or hot, about 450g
- 1 medium yellow onion diced, about 1 cup or 150g
- 2 medium carrots diced, about 1 cup or 130g
- 2 celery stalks diced, about 1 cup or 100g
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 fire roasted diced tomatoes 28 ounce can, about 790g, with juices
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth about 1.4 L
- 1 cup ditalini pasta or other small pasta shape, about 170g
- 3 cups baby spinach roughly chopped, about 90g
- salt and black pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese freshly grated, for serving
- fresh basil chopped, for garnish
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot
- Wooden spoon for breaking up the sausage
- Chef’s knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Microplane grater for the parmesan
- Ladle
Method
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains. Transfer sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pot.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and onion is translucent. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste to the pot and cook for about 1 minute until it darkens slightly. Add fire roasted tomatoes with juices, chicken broth, and bay leaf, then return browned sausage to the pot and stir everything together.
- Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer gently for 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Stir ditalini pasta directly into the simmering soup and cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in chopped baby spinach until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Nutrition
Notes
- Don’t drain all the sausage fat – leaving a little behind adds flavor to the vegetables as they cook.
- Cook pasta separately for freezing – if you plan to freeze leftovers, cook the pasta separately so it doesn’t get mushy when reheated.
- Taste before adding extra salt – both the sausage and broth already carry plenty of seasoning, so adjust carefully.
- Use a heavy bottomed pot to prevent scorching during the long simmer.
- Add spinach at the very end to keep it bright green instead of turning limp and dark.
- Spicy variation – use hot Italian sausage and add extra red pepper flakes for a spicier version.
- Heartier variation – stir in a can of drained cannellini beans along with the broth.
- Storage – refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Add a splash of extra broth when reheating if the soup has thickened too much.
- Slow cooker method – brown sausage and vegetables first, then transfer everything except pasta and spinach to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours, then stir in pasta during the last 20 minutes and spinach right before serving.
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Conclusion
This Italian Sausage Soup Recipe is the kind of dinner that turns a plain weeknight into something worth looking forward to.
It comes together in one pot, uses ingredients you probably already have, and tastes like it took a lot more effort than it actually did.
Give it a try this week and let me know how it turns out in the comments below.
I’d also love to see your version, so feel free to share your photo with me and share this recipe with a friend who needs a cozy dinner idea.
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