Indulge in the best hearty, flavorful Italian Sausage Soup with this easy one-pot recipe.Packed with sausage, pasta, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, and robust Italian flavors, this simple Italian soup with sausage is sure to satisfy all your comfort food cravings!Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
OptionalServing Suggestions:Dinner RollsCrusty Bread, Breadsticks, or Garlic Bread
Instructions
Cook the Pasta: Fill a large pot with 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, generously season the water with salt. Add the dry pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Once al dente, drain the cooked pasta and rinse it with cold water. Drain the pasta again and set it aside.
Brown Sausage: In the same pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the sausage, stirring occasionally and using the back of a wooden spoon to break the sausage into medium-sized chunks, until browned and no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Turn the heat off and remove the sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set the sausage aside.
Cook Vegetables: Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan and return it to medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the veggies, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add aromatics: Add the garlic and Italian seasoning to the pot and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Next, add in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste starts to caramelize, about 1-2 minutes.
Add liquids and sausage: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and the parmesan rind (if using). Then, stir in the cooked sausage and bring the soup to a boil. Simmer: Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the cream: Add in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Simmer the soup for 8-10 minutes or until soup is warm throughout. Use tongs to remove and discard bay leaves and parmesan rind. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Add pasta and spinach: JUST before serving, adjust the heat under the soup to low. Then, stir in the cooked pasta and spinach. ALTERNATIVELY: Divide the spinach and pasta among serving bowls and then ladle the soup over the top. (SEE NOTES)
To serve: Serve soup immediately topped with more grated parmesan and fresh basil if using. Enjoy!
Notes
Sausage: You can use any type of sausage you would like for this recipe. While I normally use mild or hot sausage, sweet sausage is just as delicious! As well, you could substitute breakfast sausage, chicken sausage or turkey sausage if desired! If the sausage is in a casing, remove the sausage meat from the casing and discard casing before proceeding with the recipe.
Tomatoes: If you can’t find a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, purchase whole, peeled tomatoes and use your hands to gently squeeze/crush them yourself.
Soup Consistency: If you like your soup to be on the broth-y side, use 5 cups of broth in the recipe, instead of the 4 cups the recipe calls for.
Adding the Pasta + Spinach: Make sure you wait to add the spinach and pasta until you are ready to serve, or add the spinach and pasta directly to serving bowls. You want to avoid over-cooking the spinach! As well, the pasta will eventually soak up all of the liquid if you let it sit too long!
To Make Slightly Ahead: If you want to make the soup a little bit (30 minutes to 1 hour) in advance and let it sit before serving, follow the recipe as directed through step 4, simmering the soup for 15 minutes. Cover and turn off the heat. When ready, bring the soup to a gentle simmer, add cream and proceed with recipe as directed.
To Make the Soup a Day+ in Advance: Prepare recipe as directed through step 4. Allow to cool completely before transferring to an air-tight storage container. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. When ready to serve, bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Add the cream and proceed with the recipe as directed.
Recipe serves 8-10Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 10 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.