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Why You’ll Love This Hearty Italian Soup Recipe
If you love Italian soup recipes, this one is loaded with sausage, vegetables, and pasta, and it feels extra satisfying and filling—similar to cozy favorites like my instant pot lasagna soup or this creamy sausage gnocchi soup.
I make this sausage soup with bone broth instead of regular chicken stock because the depth of flavor is genuinely different, and the extra protein and collagen don’t hurt either. The shell pasta is intentional too. The curved shape catches little pockets of broth in every bite, which makes the soup feel more satisfying than it would with a flat or thin noodle. Gluten-free pasta works perfectly here, too, so nobody at our table has to eat a different version.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Italian sausage: Mild or spicy both work. I usually go mild and add red pepper flakes if I want heat, because that way everyone can control their own bowl. The sausage carries most of the flavor here, so use one you actually enjoy eating.
- Onion, carrots, and celery: The classic trio that builds a sweet, savory base. Don’t rush the sauté step. A few extra minutes here pays off in the broth.
- Garlic: Four cloves is my starting point. It rounds out the sausage and keeps the broth from tasting one-dimensional.
- Italian seasoning: Ties everything together. If you have a homemade blend, this is a great place to use it.
- Diced tomatoes with juice: Adds body and a gentle acidity that balances the richness of the sausage. Don’t drain them.
- Bone broth or chicken broth: I reach for bone broth when I have it. The flavor is noticeably richer, and the added collagen fits right in with how we eat. Regular chicken broth works fine too.
- Shell pasta: Short shapes hold up best in soup. Gluten-free shells or brown rice pasta are my go-to swaps and they work really well here.
- Baby spinach: Goes in at the very end. Thirty seconds in the hot broth is all it needs to wilt down perfectly.
- Parmesan (optional): Skip it to keep things dairy-free. The soup is fully satisfying either way.
If your family loves soup as much as mine, check out this list of soup recipes for even more inspiration.
Recipe Variations
- Creamy Italian sausage soup: Stir in half a cup of full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream right before adding the spinach. It makes the broth richer and a little silkier without changing the overall flavor.
- Slow cooker: Brown the sausage and sauté the vegetables on the stovetop first, then transfer everything except the pasta and spinach to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in cooked pasta and spinach during the last 15 minutes.
- Instant Pot: Use the sauté function to brown the sausage and vegetables. Add the broth and tomatoes, seal the lid, and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes with a quick release. Stir in cooked pasta and spinach after.
- Add beans: A can of rinsed cannellini beans stirred in with the tomatoes adds extra protein and makes the soup even heartier. This is especially good if you’re stretching it to feed more people.
- Swap the pasta: Swap in tortellini for a fun, hearty twist, like in my Italian sausage gnocchi soup.
How to Make Italian Sausage Soup
Step 1: Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from its casing and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes. Don’t stir too early. Let it sit for a minute so you get some real browning, not just steam. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Step 2: Leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pot and spoon off any excess. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden at the edges. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Step 3: Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice and the broth. Return the sausage to the pot and stir everything together. Bring to a boil.
Step 4: Add the pasta and reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 8 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just al dente. Pull it a little early because it keeps softening in the hot broth.
Step 5: Stir in the spinach and let it wilt for about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Step 6: Ladle into bowls and finish with freshly grated Parmesan if using.
Expert Tips
- Brown the sausage before anything else. Don’t stir constantly. Letting it sit for a minute or two before breaking it up gives you the caramelization that makes the broth taste deeper.
- Watch the pasta. Al dente is the goal because it continues cooking in the hot broth. Leftovers from the fridge will be softer still, which is worth keeping in mind if you’re meal prepping.
- Add spinach at the very end. Right before serving is ideal. If you add it too early, it turns dark and mushy. Thirty seconds is genuinely all it needs.
- Reheat with a splash of broth. The pasta absorbs liquid as the soup sits. A little extra broth when reheating brings the consistency right back.
What to Serve with Italian Sausage Soup
The soup is filling on its own, but crusty bread for dunking is never a bad idea. A simple green salad is always a great choice. If you want to keep things light, even just some sliced fruit on the side rounds out the meal for a weeknight.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- To freeze, leave the pasta out entirely. Freeze the base in individual portions for up to 3 months and cook fresh pasta to add when you’re ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. The pasta absorbs broth as it sits, so add a splash when reheating on the stovetop to loosen it back up.
- For meal prep, store the soup base and the cooked pasta separately. Add pasta to each bowl when you reheat it. That way the texture stays right all week instead of getting soft and gummy.
Recipe FAQs
A good quality Italian pork sausage gives you the richest, most complex flavor in the broth. Mild lets you control the spice level yourself. Spicy works great if your household runs hot. Turkey or chicken Italian sausage are solid swaps if you want something leaner, though the flavor will be a bit lighter overall.
Yes to both, and I’ve included instructions for each in the Variations section above. The one thing I’d say for both methods is to brown the sausage on the stovetop first. That step makes a noticeable difference in how the broth tastes.
Short shapes hold up the best. Shells are my favorite because they scoop up the broth. Ditalini, orecchiette, elbows, and orzo all work well too. Tortellini is a fun swap if you want something more substantial.
This version is genuinely nourishing. Bone broth adds protein and collagen to the base. The spinach, carrots, and celery bring vitamins and fiber. Choosing a quality sausage without fillers keeps it cleaner. It’s a solid one-pot meal with protein, vegetables, and complex carbs, and it keeps well all week for meal prep.
More Cozy Soup Recipes
If you make this Italian sausage soup recipe, please leave me a star rating and comment below! I love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Follow me on social media Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for even more delicious recipes!
The Best Italian Sausage Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage, mild or hot
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
- 5 cups bone broth, or chicken broth
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1½ cup dried shell pasta, can use gluten free
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Optional: Parmesan cheese, to serve
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Remove the casing of the sausages and cook in the pot while stirring often. Break it up with a wooden spoon until browned and crumbly, about 7-8 minutes.1 lb Italian sausage
- Remove the cooked meat and sets aside, and leaving 1 tbsp of of grease in the pot. (If there's no oil left, you can add 1 tbsp of olive oil.) Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 4 garlic cloves
- Pour in tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, and cooked sausage. Stir to combine.1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes, 5 cups bone broth, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Bring to a boil, then add pasta. Lower the heat to simmer, then cover. Cook and stir occasionally until the pasta is al dente, about 8-9 minutes depedning on package instructions,1½ cup dried shell pasta
- Stir in spinach until wilted, about 30 seconds. Taste and season with salt and pepper.2 cups baby spinach
- Serve hot, topped with grated parmesan (if using).Optional: Parmesan cheese
Notes
- Brown the sausage before anything else. Don’t stir constantly. Letting it sit for a minute or two before breaking it up gives you the caramelization that makes the broth taste deeper.
- Watch the pasta. Al dente is the goal because it continues cooking in the hot broth. Leftovers from the fridge will be softer still, which is worth keeping in mind if you’re meal prepping.
- Add spinach at the very end. Right before serving is ideal. If you add it too early, it turns dark and mushy. Thirty seconds is genuinely all it needs.
- Reheat with a splash of broth. The pasta absorbs liquid as the soup sits. A little extra broth when reheating brings the consistency right back.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. The pasta absorbs broth as it sits, so add a splash when reheating on the stovetop to loosen it back up.
- For meal prep, store the soup base and the cooked pasta separately. Add pasta to each bowl when you reheat it. That way the texture stays right all week instead of getting soft and gummy.
- To freeze, leave the pasta out entirely. Freeze the base in individual portions for up to 3 months and cook fresh pasta to add when you’re ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe is great!!!The soup came out fantastic. Would highly recommend you try this recipe for a hearty meal. Thanks
Yay, thank you!!
Delicious for a cold winter night!!
Used hot and sweet Italian sausage!! So good, will definitely be making again!!
Delicious!! Easy to make!!
Great flavor for a cold fall day! – cooked pasta on the side & made some beans to add to mine.
This is a keeper.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
The soup was delicious! Since I used brown rice pasta, I cooked the pasta separately so it wouldn’t turn into mush. I will definitely make this again.
Everyone loved this! I doubled the recipe and cooked the pasta separately (so it wouldn’t soak up the broth), in order to have leftovers for the next night. We used pecorino romano to top it off. Delicious! This will definitely be going into our dinner rotation.
Amazing! Thank you for leaving a review. I love the idea of cooking the pasta separately so the texture doesn’t get too soft.
I think the starch from the pasta help to give the soup a little thicker consistency.
My mom used to make this soup. We are both celiac so since I must use GF pasta, which doesn’t hold up too well the one trick I use for this is to use frozen spinach which I add after the pasta is cooked & off the heat. It stops the pasta cooking. Also my mom taught me to always freeze the rind of the Parmesan cheese which I add to the pot when I add the stock!🙏🏻❤️
OMG…this was so warm and delicious! Even my pickiest eaters (one of them being a 3 year old toddler) ate his entire bowl, vegetables and all!! I will definitely be making this again. It was super easy as well.
Delicious and perfect for going fall/winter days. My husband sent me this recipe from Instagram. I made it today and it was a hit with the family! Super flavourful and simple. Our 19 month even loved it too. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Turned out great! Family loved it. Perfect for fall and will definitely make again!!! I am saving this site for future recipes. Thank you.
Yay! Thank you so much!!