Italian Sausage Soup
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.
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
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
Instructions
- 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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 20gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 890mgPotassium: 780mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 85IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 15mg
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