Italian Sausage Soup

🥣 Marry Me Italian Sausage Soup

⏱ Time

• Prep: 15 minutes

• Cook: 30–35 minutes

• Total: ~45 minutes

• Serves: 4–6

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🛒 Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot)

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), chopped

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juices)

• 1 cup heavy cream

• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 cups baby spinach (or chopped kale)

• 1 cup small pasta (ditalini or small shells)

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil (if needed)

• Fresh basil or parsley for garnish

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Brown the sausage
   In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage until browned and fully cooked. Break it up with a spoon as it cooks.
   Drain excess grease if needed and set sausage aside.

2. Sauté aromatics
   In the same pot (add olive oil if needed), sauté onion for 3–4 minutes until softened.
   Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. Build flavor
   Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavor.

4. Add liquids
   Pour in chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a gentle boil.

5. Cook pasta
   Add pasta and cook according to package directions (about 8–10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

6. Make it creamy
   Lower heat to medium-low. Stir in heavy cream and cooked sausage. Simmer 3–5 minutes.

7. Finish the soup
   Add spinach and Parmesan cheese. Stir until spinach wilts and cheese melts smoothly.
   Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

8. Serve
   Garnish with extra Parmesan and fresh basil. Serve hot with crusty bread.

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⭐ Tips

• Make it low-carb: Skip pasta and add extra spinach or cauliflower.

• Thicker soup: Simmer longer or add an extra tablespoon of tomato paste.

• Extra creamy: Add 2 oz cream cheese along with heavy cream.

• Meal prep: Pasta will absorb broth over time — store separately if possible.

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If you’d like, I can also give you:

• A slow cooker version

• An Instant Pot version

• A dairy-free version

• Or a restaurant-style extra-rich version 😊