Italian Sausage Soup With Pasta
This cozy, rustic Italian Sausage Soup with Pasta is a delight! It’s a yummy soup loaded with savory sausage, tender pasta, and veggies and it takes less than an hour to make. For this version, I made it as easy as possible using a mix of both fresh and canned veggies but you can jazz it up with different ingredients however you like.
Comfort in a bowl, that’s what this sausage noodle soup feels like! It’s warm, delectable, and best of all, it’s super easy to make. This chunky, filling soup is a great one to make during busy weeks.
If you want other soup options that you can make in less than an hour, you've got to try my Chicken Minestrone Soup, Turkey and Barley Soup, and this Hamburger and Vegetable Soup next!
Why This Recipe Rocks!
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Italian Sausage: You can choose whether you want to use mild, hot, or sweet sausage. Italian sausage often has toasted fennel seeds, garlic, and black pepper, giving it tons of flavor. The more fat marbling there is, the richer the flavor will be. For a leaner option you can use an Italian-style chicken or turkey sausage in this soup.
- Yellow Onion, Carrot, Celery, and Garlic: The onion, carrot, and celery trio gives the perfect mellow, savory yet slightly sweet foundation to this soup recipe. Garlic adds an earthy, toasted undertone.
- Italian Seasoning: As the soup cooks, the dried herbs will release all their flavor. Italian seasoning gives you a great blend of basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Diced Tomatoes: Look for a can that has basil, garlic, and oregano. Keep the juices to include in the ground sausage soup.
- Kidney Beans: Drain and rinse the kidney beans. You could also use pinto beans or white beans like cannellini or Great Northern beans as well.
- Green Beans: I used a drained can of green beans but you can also use fresh or frozen.
- Chicken Broth: You can use store-bought broth but it’s even better to make your own from scratch! My recipes for Rotisserie Chicken Broth and Vegetable Stock would also work for this recipe.
- Rotini Pasta: The spiral shape is great for this Italian sausage pasta soup or you could use another medium-sized pasta like fusilli, Cavatappi, medium shells, farfalle, or penne.
Check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and quantities of each one.
How to Make Italian Sausage Soup with Pasta
This recipe for Italian sausage soup comes together in less than an hour. Here are the steps.
Step 1: Cook the Meat and Veggies. Brown the Italian sausage along with the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a Dutch oven. Cooking them all together brings out so much flavor! Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into smaller pieces as it cooks.
Step 2: Add the Beans, Broth, and Spices. Drain any excess fat off from the sausage. Add the Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes including the juices, kidney beans, green beans, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
Step 3: Cook the Soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes and then pour in the pasta.
Step 4: Finish and Serve. Let the soup cook for 10-15 minutes longer or until the pasta is al dente. Enjoy how amazing your kitchen smells as the soup comes together! Serve immediately and enjoy.
Handy Tip: Dicing the Veggies
Mince the carrot, onion, and celery into uniform ¼-inch pieces. This allows the veggies to caramelize evenly, release their flavors, and cook quickly for a great flavor foundation in your sausage and pasta soup.
Alternate Cooking Methods
- Instant Pot: Use sauté mode to brown the Italian sausage with the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, breaking up the sausage as it cooks. Drain any excess fat. Add the Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, green beans, and chicken broth. Seal the lid and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes followed by a quick release. Add the pasta and use sauté mode for 8-10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Serve hot.
- Slow Cooker: Brown the sausage with the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a skillet, drain the fat, then transfer everything to your slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients except the pasta. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours. Add the pasta during the last 30 minutes of cooking time until the pasta is cooked to al dente. Season to taste and serve.
⭐️ Pro Tip: For both cooking methods you can also cook the pasta separately and stir it in right at the end of cooking if you prefer.
Dietary Modifications & Variations
- Change the Meat: Instead of Italian sausage, you could also use ground pork, chicken, or beef instead. You may need to boost the seasoning of the soup with these options.
- Fresh Green Beans: You can use frozen or fresh green beans instead of canned. Add them with the pasta at the end of cooking.
- Add More Veggies: If you have other fresh veggies like zucchini, mushrooms, or peas that you need to use up, they would go great in this sausage and vegetable soup!
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: For even more Italian flavor, add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the sausage pasta soup.
- Creamy Version: Add ¼-½ cup of heavy cream at the end of the cooking time for richness. Wait until the soup has cooled a little bit so the cream doesn’t curdle.
- Gluten-Free: Swap in gluten-free pasta or replace the pasta with diced potatoes if you need to work around a gluten allergy or sensitivity.
Soup-er Toppings & Serving Suggestions
- Serve with dinner rolls or crusty bread you can dip in the soup.
- Garnish with fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or oregano, red pepper flakes, grated Parmesan, or olive oil for drizzling.
- For added crunch, sprinkle a few cornbread croutons on top.
- If you're serving a crowd and want an appetizer before the soup, make goat cheese balls or a prosciutto sandwich to go with it.
Storage Tips
- Storing: This soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. I recommend keeping the pasta separate from the soup, so it won't soak up too much liquid and turn mushy. If you're making the soup ahead of time, just wait to add the pasta until the day you're serving it.
- Reheating: Reheat the dish on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave on medium heat for 30-60 second intervals until it is heated through. When reheating, add a splash or two of broth if it's too thick.
Expert Tips
- Sausage in Casings: If you're using Italian sausage that comes in casings, slice the casing and squeeze out the sausage before cooking it.
- Don't Overcook the Pasta: Just cook it al dente since it will continue to soften in the hot soup.
- Drain the Sausage: After browning the Italian sausage, it's best to drain it before adding the rest of the ingredients to the pot to keep the soup from becoming greasy.
Recipe FAQs
The pasta may have absorbed too much liquid. Add more broth until you get the consistency you want.
Yes, but store the pasta separately so it doesn't get soggy. Then add freshly cooked pasta when you're reheating the soup.
It depends on which kind of sausage you choose. Use mild Italian sausage for less heat and more of a sweet Italian sausage soup, or hot Italian sausage for a spicy and hot version of the soup.
More Delicious and Easy Soups to Try
Did you try this soup recipe? Please leave a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating if you loved it and your comments below! For more recipes, you can follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Italian Sausage Soup with Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
- 1 15-ounce can light red or dark kidney beans drained and rinsed, or cannellini, white beans, or pinto beans
- 1 15-ounce can green beans drained
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 1 cup rotini pasta or other short pasta
Instructions
- Brown Italian sausage with onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Use a wooden spoon to break up sausage as it cooks.
- When sausage is cooked through and crumbled, drain off any additional fat. Add Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes including the juices, kidney beans, green beans, and chicken broth to pot. Stir to combine.
- Cook over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add pasta to the pot and continue cooking another 10 to 15 minutes, until the it’s cooked to al dente. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Drain the sausage fat thoroughly to prevent the soup from being greasy.
- Cut the veggies into uniform pieces so they cook evenly.
- Add the pasta near the end to prevent it from becoming mushy.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon, or fresh chopped herbs for a garnish.
- Store the pasta and soup base separately to maintain the best texture in your leftovers.
