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Italian Sausage Soup
5 from 69 votes

Italian Sausage Soup

Italian Sausage Soup combines browned Italian sausage with a sautéed mix of onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, and garlic simmered in chicken broth, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Italian seasoning adds herby depth, while orzo pasta gives the soup a comforting body and mild bite. This hearty soup offers a balance of savory sausage richness and fresh vegetable flavor, making it suitable for a filling meal that can be customized with various vegetables or pasta types.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage (mild or hot as preferred)
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
  • 1 cup diced carrot 2 medium
  • 3/4 cup sliced celery (2 ribs)
  • 3/4 cup diced bell pepper (1 small)
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • 4 cups chicken broth then more as desired to thin, low-sodium
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes petite
  • 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 3/4 cup orzo pasta dry
  • 3 Tbsp chopped parsley fresh
  • 2 Tbsp chopped basil optional, fresh
  • salt freshly ground
  • black pepper freshly ground

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Break sausage into chunks into pot.
  2. Let brown on bottom about 3 minutes, then turn and break up sausage and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, leave rendered fat in pot over medium-high heat.
  3. You should have about 1 Tbsp fat in pot, if needed add a little more olive oil or drain off some excess fat if there's too much.
  4. Add onions, carrots, celery and bell pepper and saute until starting to soften, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
  5. Pour in broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and add Italian seasoning. Return sausage to pot and season mixture with salt and pepper to taste (you shouldn't need much salt).
  6. Bring to a simmer then cover, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer 5 - 10 minutes until veggies are almost soft.
  7. Add orzo. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally (while scraping along bottom of pot as orzo will tend to stick). Cook until nearly al dente. About 8 minutes.
  8. Remove from heat. Stir in some ice (1/2 cup or so) if you want to help stop the orzo from cooking and getting mushy. Stir in fresh parsley and basil.
  9. Serve warm, topping servings with grated parmesan if desired.

Notes

  • Use unsalted chicken stock to reduce sodium if desired.
  • Italian turkey sausage can be substituted for traditional pork sausage.
  • Additional vegetables like zucchini, kale, or spinach may be added during cooking.
  • Swap orzo for other small pasta shapes or use cheese tortellini for a different texture.
  • Replace orzo with diced cauliflower for a lower-carb version.
  • Try fresh herbs such as rosemary or oregano in place of Italian seasoning to alter the flavor.
  • Add hot Italian sausage or red pepper flakes to increase spiciness.