This creamy and comforting Italian Sausage Soup has tender white cannellini beans, chewy orzo and is topped with parmesan cheese. This cozy soup is full of flavor and will not only warm you up, but it will fill you up too!
About the Recipe
A large steaming bowl of this hearty soup is perfect for those cold winter days. It is creamy and full of vegetables and Italian sausage that pair so well together. This recipe comes together easily and quickly, making it perfect for any night of the week.
Pair this easy recipe with a salad and some crusty bread for dunking and you have a perfect and quite comforting meal!
If you are looking for more soup recipes, check out our: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup, Wild Rice Mushroom Soup or Great Northern Bean Soup.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Simple - This is a one pot soup recipe with simple ingredients and just a few steps to follow. Prepare all your ingredients in advance and all you are left with is adding things to the pot as you go!
Comforting - The warm, creamy broth combined with the wholesome vegetables and flavorful sausage make this meal feel like a warm hug. It is perfect to make during those cooler months or for someone who is feeling under the weather.
Delicious - This soup is seriously good with so much flavor. The celery, onion and carrots are seasoned with rosemary and thyme. The sausage, white beans and half and half add some additional flavors and creaminess that make this a delicious pot of soup!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for this Italian sausage soup recipe:
- Olive oil: Regular olive oil will work great.
- Italian sausage: You can use regular, sweet, or hot Italian sausage, whichever is your preference. I recommend letting your sausage come to room temperature before cooking.
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is best.
- Salt & black pepper
- Herbs: Use dried rosemary and thyme.
- Beans: You will need two cans of cannellini beans.
- Chicken stock
- Orzo: Any variety of cooked orzo pasta is fine. I like cooking mine al dente.
- Spinach
- Half and half
- Parmesan cheese: Use freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese for the best flavor and texture.
Directions
Let's make this Italian soup recipe together!
Recipe Video
Step 1: Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and Italian sausage. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the sausage is browned. Remove the sausage from the pot.
Step 2: Add the celery, carrots and onion to the pot and Sauté for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 4: Add the cannellini beans and chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 5: Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Step 6: Add the cooked sausage back to the pot along with the cooked orzo, spinach, and half and half. Stir well until the spinach is wilted.
Step 7: Ladle into soup bowls, top with parmesan cheese and serve!
Expert Tips and Tricks
Here are some expert tips to make this creamy Italian sausage soup:
Preparation - Prepare all your ingredients by chopping the vegetables and measuring everything out in advance. This way, once you start cooking, all you have to do is add the ingredients to the pot. It makes it a quick and simple process!
Complete the meal - Complete the meal with a salad and crusty Italian bread. It's a perfect meal for a cold day!
Add some heat - If you want to add a bit of spice to the soup, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes when you add the dried herbs.
Kitchen Equipment
Here is some kitchen equipment you will need for this delicious soup. You can find all of these products on Amazon.
Soup Pot - A good quality soup pot is a must for soup season!
Soup Bowls - These are my favorite soup bowls of all time. We grew up using similar soup bowls at my grandpa's house and I'll always remember them!
Ladle - This wooden ladle is so pretty and would be a great addition to any kitchen.
Recipe Substitutions/Variations
Here are some common recipe substitutions and variations for this easy soup recipe.
Orzo - You can use whole wheat orzo, if you prefer. Substitute a small pasta like ditalini, acini de pepe or pastina.
Herbs - Use fresh rosemary and thyme in place of the dried herbs. I would use 1 ½ teaspoons each of the fresh herbs. If you wanted to swap out the herbs for something else, try fresh parsley or fresh basil. Also, top the soup bowls with fresh herbs as a garnish.
Chicken stock - Use homemade chicken broth made from chicken bones, bone broth or vegetable broth in place of the chicken stock.
Sausage - You can use mild Italian sausage, spicy sausage, regular Italian sausage. You could even use turkey sausage in this recipe, if you prefer.
Half and half - For a creamier and even richer soup flavor, use heavy cream in place of the half and half.
What To Serve With
Here are some recipes to serve alongside this flavorful Italian sausage soup:
Italian Chopped Salad - This Italian chopped salad is a hearty salad filled with fresh vegetables, salami, mozzarella, and kalamata olives. It is topped with a delicious homemade Italian vinaigrette that is made with red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and Italian seasoning.
Bolognese Sandwich - The sandwich is made from bolognese sauce, thick Italian slices of bread, and cheese. This bolognese grilled cheese sandwich is packed with flavor!
Easy Garlic Bread - Garlic bread is the perfect and most delicious vessel for dunking in soup and sopping up extra sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orzo is a small rice-shaped pasta that is chewy in texture. It is perfect for soups and salads and pairs well with a variety of other ingredients.
You can use pastina, anci de pepe, or any other small pasta shape as a substitute for orzo.
Yes, be sure to add cooked orzo to the soup. To cook orzo, you simply add it to a pot of salted water and cook according to the package instructions. Once it is drained, it can be added to the soup pot.
Recipe Storage and Reheating
Here are storage and reheating instructions for this recipe.
Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container and eat leftovers within 4-5 days.
Freezer Storage: Freeze in a freezer-safe, airtight container and keep for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as instructed below.
Reheating Instructions: The best way to reheat this recipe is to heat in a saucepan until warm.
Other Recipes to Try
Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 cup white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cups cooked orzo
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 cup half and half
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and Italian sausage and sauté for 5 minutes, until browned. Remove sausage from pot.
- Add celery, carrots, and white onion. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Ad garlic, salt, black pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant. Add cannellini beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
- Add cooked Italian sausage, cooked pasta, spinach, and half and half. Stir well until spinach is wilted. Top with parmesan cheese and serve.
Leave a Reply