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This Italian Sausage Soup is a big, hearty bowl loaded with browned Italian sausage, three kinds of beans, tender vegetables, and pasta in a rich tomato broth. It’s substantial enough to be dinner all by itself, with plenty of savory Italian flavor in every spoonful.
One of my favorite flavor tricks is simmering a Parmesan rind right in the broth. It quietly adds incredible savory depth as the soup cooks, while fresh basil stirred in at the end gives the whole pot a bright, fresh finish. And with three different beans plus plenty of sausage and pasta, there’s something delicious in every bite.
This recipe also makes a generous batch, which is exactly what you want when you’re feeding a group—or when you want plenty of leftovers for another cozy dinner. If you love hearty Italian soups, try my Sausage Tortellini Soup, Lasagna Soup, and Italian Penicillin Soup, or browse all my Best Homemade Soup Recipes.
✨ Before You Begin
✨ Grab your biggest soup pot. This recipe makes a generous batch, so use a large stockpot with plenty of room for the sausage, vegetables, beans, pasta, and broth.
✨ Save that Parmesan rind! It simmers right in the broth, adding wonderful savory depth without making the soup taste overly cheesy. Remove it before serving.
✨ Expect the soup to thicken as it sits. The pasta and beans continue to absorb the broth, especially after refrigeration. When reheating, stir in a little chicken stock until the soup is back to the consistency you like.
✨ Making it ahead for a crowd? Cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls or to the soup shortly before serving. This keeps the pasta from soaking up too much broth while the soup waits.
Ingredients + Key Notes
Italian sausage – The backbone of the soup and a major source of its flavor. Remove the casings and crumble the sausage as it browns so you get plenty of savory browned bits throughout the soup. Mild or hot Italian sausage both work, depending on how much heat you like.
Onion, celery + carrots – This classic trio builds the savory base of the broth. Give the vegetables time to soften so their flavor becomes part of the soup rather than simply tasting like vegetables added to broth.
Garlic – Adds another layer of savory flavor. Cook it just until fragrant so it doesn’t burn.
Tomatoes + tomato juice – Create the rich tomato base without making the soup overly thick or sauce-like.
Chicken stock – Provides the savory broth and balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Keep a little extra on hand for leftovers since the pasta and beans will continue to absorb liquid as the soup sits.
Parmesan rind – Don’t skip this if you can help it! As the rind simmers, it adds salty, savory Parmesan flavor and wonderful depth to the broth without turning it into a cheesy soup. Remove the rind before serving.
Cannellini, kidney + garbanzo beans – Using three different beans gives the soup more interesting flavor and texture than relying on just one. Drain and rinse them before adding.
Pasta – Makes this hearty enough to be a meal. Keep in mind that pasta continues absorbing broth as it sits, so leftovers will be thicker.
Fresh basil – Added toward the end so its fresh, aromatic flavor doesn’t disappear during the long simmer.
🥣 How to Make Italian Sausage Soup
Brown the sausage. Cook the Italian sausage in a large stockpot, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Remove it to a plate and drain off excess fat as needed.
Sauté the vegetables. Cook the onion, celery, and carrots until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
Build the broth. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken stock, seasonings, Parmesan rind, and browned sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer so all those flavors have time to come together.
Add the beans. Stir in the cannellini, kidney, and garbanzo beans and continue simmering until everything is heated through and flavorful.
Cook the pasta. Add the pasta and cook just until al dente. Stir in the fresh basil, remove the Parmesan rind, adjust the seasoning, and serve.
⭐ Pro Tips
⭐ Brown the sausage for better flavor. Let the crumbled sausage develop some good brown color instead of constantly stirring it. Those browned bits add another layer of savory flavor to the broth.
⭐ Give the Parmesan rind time to work. Keep it in the pot while the soup simmers. It slowly releases savory Parmesan flavor into the broth, so don’t pull it out too early.
⭐ Don’t overcook the pasta. Stop at al dente. The pasta will continue softening in the hot broth and will absorb even more liquid as the soup sits.
⭐ Adjust the broth as needed. This soup naturally gets thicker as the pasta and beans absorb liquid. If it becomes thicker than you like, simply stir in additional chicken stock.
⭐ Add the basil at the end. Fresh basil loses its bright flavor when it’s simmered too long. Adding it near the end keeps that fresh Italian flavor noticeable.
⭐ For make-ahead entertaining, cook the pasta separately. If you’re making this big batch ahead to feed a group, keeping the pasta separate prevents it from soaking up the broth. Add it shortly before serving or spoon it into individual bowls.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty Italian sausage soup is practically a meal on its own, so you don’t need much alongside it.
Something fresh: Keep it simple with Roasted Broccoli or Simple Roasted Peppers.
A fresh salad: A crisp Mediterranean Salad is a nice contrast to the rich, hearty soup.
Don’t forget the bread: Serve it with Garlic Bread, copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks, or warm, crusty Dutch Oven Bread for soaking up every bit of that Parmesan-infused tomato broth.
Storing + Reheating + Freezing + Make Ahead
Storing: Let the soup cool, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that the pasta and beans will continue to absorb the broth, so the soup will be noticeably thicker the next day.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir in a splash of chicken stock as needed to loosen the soup and bring it back to the consistency you like.
Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the soup without the pasta. Let it cool completely, transfer to freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat, and add freshly cooked pasta before serving.
Make Ahead: This is a great soup to make ahead, especially when you’re feeding a crowd. Prepare the soup without the pasta, refrigerate it, then reheat and add freshly cooked pasta shortly before serving. This keeps the pasta from becoming too soft or soaking up too much of that delicious broth.
Frequently Asked Questions
◆ Can I use hot Italian sausage instead of mild?
Absolutely. Mild Italian sausage gives the soup plenty of flavor without much heat, while hot Italian sausage adds a nice spicy kick. You can also use a combination of the two.
◆ Can I use a different type of bean?
Yes. I love the combination of cannellini, kidney, and garbanzo beans because each brings a slightly different texture, but you can substitute with what you have. Great northern beans or additional cannellini beans work especially well.
◆ Why did my Italian sausage soup get so thick?
The pasta and beans continue absorbing broth as the soup sits, so it naturally gets thicker over time. Just add chicken stock a little at a time until it reaches the consistency you like.
◆ Can I leave out the pasta?
Yes. The soup is hearty enough with the sausage, vegetables, and three kinds of beans that you can leave out the pasta. You may want to reduce the chicken stock slightly since there won’t be pasta to absorb it.
◆ What can I use if I don’t have a Parmesan rind?
You can simply leave it out. The soup will still be delicious. For a little extra Parmesan flavor, sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan over each bowl just before serving.
Still have questions? Drop them in the comments — I love helping you cook with confidence! 💗
More Italian Soup Recipes
- Pasta e Fagioli – A hearty Italian favorite loaded with pasta, beans, vegetables, and a rich tomato broth.
- Italian Chicken Soup – Tender chicken, vegetables, and plenty of Italian flavor make this a cozy, satisfying soup for any night of the week.
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup – Pillowy gnocchi and tender chicken come together in a rich, creamy broth for an extra-comforting bowl.
- Zuppa Toscana – Italian sausage, potatoes, and greens in a creamy, savory broth make this restaurant favorite easy to love at home.
- Marry Me Chicken Soup – A creamy, flavor-packed chicken soup with sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and plenty of Italian-inspired flavor.
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Tried This Recipe?
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Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds Italian sausage mild
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 6 carrots chopped
- 6 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
- 10-12 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups tomato juice
- parmesan rind or chunk
- 1 (15-ounce) canned kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) canned garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) canned cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 1 cup small pasta (ditalini, mini bows or elbow)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Topping:
- 1 cup parmesan, shaved
- fresh Basil, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Remove casing from sausage. In an extra-large soup pot, brown the sausage (2 1/2 pounds), breaking it up into medium pieces, as it cooks. Cook until there is no longer any pink in the sausage. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Add olive oil (2 tablespoons) to the pan then add onion (1), celery (2 stalks), and carrots (6). Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Add garlic (6) and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add salt (1 teaspoon), pepper (1/4 teaspoon), oregano (2 teaspoons), bay leaves (4), and sugar (1 teaspoon). Add tomatoes with their liquid (1 can), chicken stock (10-12 cups), tomato juice (4 cups), Parmesan rind, kidney beans (1 can), garbanzo beans (1 can), cannellini beans (1 can), and cooked sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 45-60 minutes.
- Add zucchini (2) and pasta (1 cup) and cook until zucchini is tender and pasta is firm to the bite. Add more stock if the soup has become too thick. Remove bay leaves. Stir in the basil (1/4 cup). Taste for seasoning.
- Top individual soup bowls with shaved Parmesan and some fresh basil and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Pasta – I found farfalline at my local Italian grocery store. If you can find it, small elbows are a great substitute.
- Parmesan Rind – Rinds are preferable to the body of the cheese due to the delectable ripening and flavor that are concentrated in them. Rinds also remain firm through the cooking process, meaning you can easily remove them from the broth before serving.
- You can also break them up into smaller bits for your diners to enjoy! My family loves when they get these little bits of delicious flavor bombs, so I always leave them in the soup, cut up.
- Most rinds (Parmesan included) are completely safe to eat; it’s just a matter of preference whether to fish them out or consume them. You’ll find that this old Italian secret does wonders for the complexity of your soup’s flavor profile.
- De-casing Sausage – Some recipes use sliced sausage instead of removing the skin, but I prefer the crumbled texture and enhanced flavor of the fully browned meat. Just make a thin cut down the length of the sausage, and peel the skin back in one movement.
- Beans – An unsung hero of this soup is the beans! I use three types: kidney, garbanzo, and cannellini, to get a fully rounded experience as you might find in pasta Fagioli soup. Kidney brings a distinct flavor, garbanzo a chewy texture, and cannellini a creamy finish. But feel free to experiment with your own favorite bean types!
- Thinning the Soup – As with any soup that has pasta in it, this soup will thicken as it sits. You likely will need to thin it with either chicken broth or water.
- Make it creamy – For a creamier take on this classic, supplement your broth with 2-3 cups of heavy cream. Add this when you add the pasta and zucchini. After the cream is added, make sure to moderate the heat so that the soup doesn’t boil, it only simmers.
- Add heat – Some of you like your dishes with a little more kick. I suggest you use hot Italian sausage instead of the mild one listed here. You can also heat up the soup by adding a teaspoon (or more as you like) of red pepper flakes when you sauté the aromatics (onion and other veggies).
- Add spinach – For an even more veggie-rich soup, you can add fresh or frozen spinach in the last stage of cooking, along with the zucchini. I recommend using about 2 cups of fresh or 10 ounces frozen.
Nutrition
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I recently bought a 5 pound bag of dried garbanzos, so I made this with 2 cups of dried beans and 8 cups water in the instant pot for 45 minutes, then 15 minute release. . I used all the leftover water (called aquafaba- about 4 cups) to replace 4 cups of the broth. I did add four chicken bullion cubes to this liquid to bring it inline with the recipe. I also pureed half of the beans with about 1 cup of the aquafaba, the bean juice from garbanzos is FREAKIN WONDERFUL for soups. this makes it incredibly creamy! All other directions were followed closely. It was some of the best soup I ever made. At the end I threw in a couple of small red peppers I harvested from my garden, but they didn’t really change the flavor. I will be making this again!
Wow, that’s amazing, Darion!! We gotta try that too 🙂 Thank you for sharing your version!
We love this one! Great for chilly Fall nights! I used Chariot Wheels and it was great.
That’s awesome, Camille!? So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
So many of your recipes are keepers, and this is no exception. It’s fantastic. ??
Raining and cold all day today so this was perfect to make for dinner! When I saw it in my inbox I knew I had to try it tonight. Cooking now. You know when it tastes yummy while simmering it is a keeper! Thanks.
So happy you’re making this soup! I’m head over heels in love with it. I hope you enjoy <3
Kathleen this looks SO delicious! I can’t wait to give it a try!!!
I sure hope you enjoy it, Lindsey <3