Hearty Italian Sausage Soup (with Spinach and Pasta)

Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup served in a bowl

5 from 9 votes

Hearty Italian Sausage Soup (with Spinach and Pasta)

This cozy Italian sausage soup is delicious, comforting, healthy, and packed with veggies to boost nutrients. It's flavorful, protein-packed, and a family favorite!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 401kcal

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

Video

Notes

Expert Tips

Alternative Protein: It won't be Italian sausage soup anymore, but you can use any ground meat for this recipe. Ground pork, ground chicken, and ground beef all work well. You can even use breakfast sausage or even chicken or turkey sausage.

Variations: There are many ways you can switch things up in this Italian soup recipe. Homemade soup is awesome because you can really add and remove ingredients based on your preferences. Here are some ways you can change up this soup to make it to your liking.

Add cheese tortellini as the pasta instead of shells

Add a can of cannellini beans (white beans) for a heartier soup

Use ground turkey sausage or ground chicken sausage instead of pork

Finish it off with a bit of cream for a creamy Italian sausage soup.

Storage Tips

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.

I don't recommend freezing soup with pasta in it. The freezing process tends to disintegrate the pasta, and messes with the texture once defrosted. If you do want to freeze with Italian sausage soup, don't add the pasta to the portion you want to freeze. Once defrosted and ready to eat, you can boil the pasta in the soup just before enjoying it.

Nutrition