Italian Sausage Soup

4.66 from 35 votes
1 hour 10 minutes
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Here is everything you love about Italian cuisine in a hearty, soul-satisfying soup with sausage! This Italian Sausage Soup recipe is loaded with vegetables and pasta in a wine-infused tomatoey broth. So good–just like my Sausage Spinach Tortellini Soup! Artichoke Focaccia is perfect on the side!

“Make this soup!!! It’s fantastic and hearty.”

Italian Sausage Soup in white Dutch oven garnished with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

There’s something therapeutic about making a pot of soup which is why it’s one of my favorite things to make when I could use some comfort. Other than a great chicken vegetable soup, what’s more comforting than an Italian soup with sausage recipe?

It’s also satisfying to clean out an entire vegetable drawer in the process and not have things go to waste or end up in your compost bin.

How about heading to the pantry and being able to pull out half the ingredients?

This Italian Sausage Soup hits all those notes!

  • It’s versatile! Vary the veggies and clean out that veggie drawer. No pasta? No problem. Use beans instead for extra protein. You can also use turkey, chicken or vegan Italian sausage if you prefer.
  • It’s easy!
  • This soup with sausage recipe is a real crowd-pleaser, so it’s perfect for a potluck!
  • It’s freezer-friendly and can be made ahead.

Let’s make this sausage soup recipe!

Bowl of Italian Sausage Soup with soup spoon scooping some out.

How to Make an Italian Sausage Soup Recipe:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Italian Sausage Soup recipe along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredients for Italian Sausage Soup in glass bowls.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

  • Italian Sausage: Italian sausage in soup adds so much flavor! I used Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage. Being from Wisconsin, it’s a brand we’re partial to. However, use any brand and you can use turkey, chicken or vegan Italian sausage if you prefer.
  • Red Wine: Use a dry red wine you would enjoy drinking. Avoid anything labeled “cooking wine.” NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTE: Use extra chicken broth and throw in a splash or two of red wine vinegar. The fermentation process for red wine vinegar eliminates virtually all the alcohol.
  • Chicken Broth: You can also use beef or vegetable broth. As I mentioned, this sausage soup recipe is super versatile!
  • Pasta: I used ditalini but any small pasta shape will work such as shells, orzo, mini penne, elbow, etc.
  • Red Pepper Flakes: Totally optional as they add heat to the soup. If you don’t like spicy, leave it out or reduce the amount.
  • Diced Tomatoes: I used canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes for the extra level of flavor they add, but you can use regular diced, diced with Italian herbs or petite diced tomatoes.
  • Tomato Sauce: Can also use crushed tomatoes, but tomato sauce is cooked with extra seasonings so it adds more flavor.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

  • Gather and prep all the ingredients for this soup with sausage recipe.
  • Brown the sausage in a Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot over medium heat until browned and no longer pink, crumbling and breaking the sausage apart as you go. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Cooked Italian sausage in white Dutch oven.
  • Cook the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until it begins to soften.
  • Add the carrot and celery. Continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.
  • Add the red and green pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the zucchini and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.
Cooked onions in white Dutch oven.
Cooked onion, celery and carrot in white Dutch oven.
Cooked onion, carrot, celery and bell peppers in white Dutch oven.
Cooked vegetables for soup in white Dutch oven.
  • Add the garlic and dry red wine. Bring to a boil.
Red wine and garlic added to soup in white Dutch oven.
  • Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Transfer the cooked sausage back to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes.
Italian seasoning added to soup in white Dutch oven.
Wooden spoon stirring soup in white Dutch oven.
  • Add the pasta and cook another 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through.
Pasta added to soup in white Dutch oven.
  • Add the parsley and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Soup in white Dutch oven with soup ladle.
  • Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan cheese. Delish!!
  • An Italian sausage soup loaded with vegetables and pasta!
Italian Sausage Soup in white Dutch oven garnished with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Let’s eat!!

Three bowls of Italian Sausage Soup on blue background.

Chef Tips and Tricks:

  • Cooking the pasta in the sausage soup as directed is going to thicken it because of the starch. If you wish to make the soup ahead of time, leave the pasta out and add it when reheating the soup or cook it separately and add it right before serving.
  • If using something lean such as turkey or chicken sausage, you may need to add some olive oil so it doesn’t stick.
  • Be careful not to overcook the pasta as it will continue to cook even off the heat and it can get mushy.
Three bowls of Italian Sausage Soup on blue background with blue napkin.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you use cooked Italian sausage?

Yes, absolutely! Simply slice the sausage and add it to the soup when you add the liquid ingredients and seasonings.

What other pasta shapes can I use?

You can use almost any type of pasta. A small shape such as the ditalini used here or orzo, elbow or mini penne works well. Other options include broken spaghetti or broken lasagna noodles.

What other vegetables can I use in a sausage soup recipe?

This Italian Sausage Soup is so versatile! Add greens with kale, spinach or cabbage. Try artichokes and green beans, too!

Italian Sausage Soup in white bowl with spoon.

Storage:

  • Store all leftovers in the refrigerator.
  • To freeze Italian Sausage Soup, store it in air-tight containers in the volume desired for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Serve with:

More great Italian soup recipes you’ll love!

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Italian Sausage Soup in white Dutch oven garnished with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Italian Sausage Soup

4.66 from 35 votes

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By: Carol | From A Chef’s Kitchen
Here is everything you love about Italian cuisine in a hearty, soul-satisfying soup! Italian Sausage Soup is loaded with vegetables and pasta in a wine-infused tomatoey broth.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Soups and Stews
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8
Calories 417 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound Italian sausage - hot or mild, pork, turkey or chicken
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion - chopped
  • 2 large carrots or 3 medium carrots - chopped
  • 3 stalks celery - chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper - chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper - chopped
  • 2 medium zucchini - quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic - minced
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 6 cups chicken broth - or as needed
  • 2 cans (each 15-ounce) tomato sauce - or 1 28-ounce can
  • 1 can (15-ounce) diced fire-roasted tomatoes - undrained
  • 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes - or to heat tolerance
  • 1 1/2 cups dried small pasta - such as shells, ditalini, mini penne, elbow or orzo, regular or whole-grain
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Brown the sausage in a Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot over medium heat until browned and no longer pink, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes or until it begins to soften.
  • Add the carrot and celery. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes or until tender.
  • Add the red and green pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes then add the zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.
  • Add the garlic and dry red wine and bring to a boil.
  • Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Transfer the cooked sausage back to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
  • Add the pasta and cook another 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through.
  • Add the parsley and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
  • Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan cheese.

Recipe Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:
  • Use beans instead of pasta for a lower-carb alternative.
  • Use turkey, chicken or vegan Italian sausage for a healthier alternative.
  • If using lean sausages such as turkey or chicken, you may need to add some olive oil so the sausage doesn’t stick.
TIPS:
  • Cooking the pasta in the soup as directed will thicken it because of the starch. If you wish to make the soup beforehand, leave the pasta out and add it when reheating the soup, or cook it separately and add it right before serving.
  • Be careful not to overcook the pasta as it will continue to cook even off the heat and it can get mushy.
MAKE AHEAD:
  • Can be made 1-2 days ahead of time.  Reheat on the stovetop.
FREEZER-FRIENDLY:
  • Store in airtight containers in amounts desired.  Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave.
  • Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 1108mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4149IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg

These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

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4.66 from 35 votes (29 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this last week. Enjoyed very much. It’s a large recipe, so froze several single servings and will have a tasty meal when I don’t feel like cooking. Didn’t make any changes.

    1. Hi, Dianne, Thanks so very much and happy you enjoyed!! It does make a pretty good pot full, but it freezes great and I love having soup in the freezer. Appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment and rate.

  2. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner this evening. It took much longer to put together than I had expected. I gave myself two hours, and it took closer to three. It was worth it though! My husband is not a fan of bell peppers, so I only used one small red pepper. I added about 3 cups of Cremini mushrooms as a substitute, adding them towards the end of cooking the carrots and celery. I’m trying to decrease fat, so I used hot Italian chicken sausage. I can’t tell the difference in taste. I was delighted with the results, and am happy that I have at least four more dinners of healthy, delicious soup to look forward to. Thank you for the recipe!

    1. Hi, Kat, So great to hear from you! Thanks so much and so happy you enjoyed this soup! Mushrooms are a great addition/substitute but my husband is allergic, so anything with mushrooms, I can only eat myself which is why I do so few recipes with mushrooms. Thank you again and appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment.

  3. 5 stars
    Delicious! Put together this morning and let it soak up the flavor until dinner time. Served with fresh French bread. Chefs kiss! Will make again soon for sure.

    1. Hi, Amanda, Thanks so much and happy you enjoyed!! Love that you did fresh bread, too! I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment.

  4. 5 stars
    I made this last night, followed the recipe fairly closely with the exception of the peppers, they cause me to have indigestion so no peppers. I also subbed a can of Rotel tomatoes with chilis for the tomato sauce, I didn’t have spicy sausage so this helped in that respect. Served it with garlic croutons and shredded parmigiana, then watched it disappear in double quick time.

  5. 5 stars
    Make this soup!!! It’s fantastic and hearty. I used passata rather than tomato sauce since that’s what I had in the pantry and added a squirt of anchovy paste. Recipe does make a lot but looking forward to having for work lunches.

    1. Hi, Sue, Thanks so very much and so happy you enjoyed! Love using passata (tomato puree) so great suggestion. This soup will freeze very well, too. Thanks again!

    2. 5 stars
      This soup is a regular recipe in our house. I make it in my instant pot and let it sit on warm until we are ready to eat. The flavor is amazing. I also use a spicy Italian chicken sausage for lower fat and leave out the pasta as we eat low carb. I always freeze the leftovers for easy weeknight dinners. The longer it sits the better the flavor. I have substituted kale, spinach and green beans occasionally instead of zucchini, for versatilty.

      1. Hi, Kate, Thanks so very much and happy you love this recipe! It’s definitely a versatile soup and great to freeze for a future quick meal. Thanks again!