This Italian sausage and vegetable soup is hearty, chunky, and delicious! Chock-full of meat and vegetables, it cooks up in no time and is full of flavor and comfort in every spoonful. Perfect for those chilly nights as a side or substantial enough to be a meal on all its own!
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This soup is a family favorite! It seems complex with all the different ingredients, but it's really the simplest meal to throw together and one that you're going to love!
Ingredients
- Italian sausage
- Carrots
- Butternut squash
- Onion
- Chicken broth
- Zucchini
- Spinach leaves
- Can of chopped or diced tomatoes
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Chop and prepare all the ingredients so they are ready before you start to cook.
In a Dutch oven pot or stock pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium-high heat.
Once the sausage is mostly cooked, add the diced onions, minced garlic, salt and pepper and stir together. Cook about 1-2 minutes.
Add the carrots, butternut squash, and canned chopped tomatoes. Fill the chopped tomatoes can halfway with water and add to the pot.
Add the chicken broth to the pot and stir all the ingredients.
Bring to a boil. Place a lid on the pot, leaving a narrow gap, lower the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the zucchini and stir. Cover the pot again and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add all the spinach to the pot and stir it into the soup.
Let the soup cook for another 1-2 minutes before serving.
Pairings
As I've already mentioned, this soup is so good and filling enough to be a meal all on its own. However, if you're interested in some great breads to tear and dip into the soup, check these out:
- Easy Ciabatta Bread
- Gluten-Free Bread Rolls
- Gluten-Free Parmesan Breadsticks
- Chewy Brazilian Cheese Bread
- Cheesy Korean Mochi Bread
How about a salad? Dress your favorite salad greens with these super easy and tasty dressings:
- Creamy Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing
- Sweet and Tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Orange Poppyseed Dressing
- Orange Honey Mustard Dressing
The soup would also go great with a big plate of nachos!
Substitutions and Variations
Italian sausage: I highly recommend you stick with Italian sausage because of the strong flavor it contributes to the soup. If you decide to substitute regular ground pork, beef, chicken, or turkey, I would suggest adding seasonings like onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, chili powder to help boost the flavor.
Vegetables: I use carrots, butternut squash, zucchini, and spinach, but you can also use sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, kale, radishes, pumpkin, green beans, peas, etc.
Beans: Add a can of beans (rinsed) to the soup to make it more hearty and to add more protein and fibre.
Canned tomatoes: I used canned chopped tomatoes, but any canned version like diced, crushed, or peeled are good. I would not use tomato sauce or tomato puree.
Shaved parmesan cheese: I love adding shavings of Parmesan cheese before digging in. It's just another layer of flavor to an already yummy soup!
Pro Tip: The soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The soup tastes even better after it's had time to sit because the flavors only deepen!
Other Recipes You Might Like
Here are some more tomato-based recipes that you might like:
This Italian sausage and vegetable soup definitely hits the spot on a chilly day and is so hearty and comforting that it stands on its own as a meal without anything else. I love how quickly this soup cooks up and how it's chock full of ingredients that meld to give the best flavor. You're going to love every spoonful!
~ Lisa.
Recipe
Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
- 2 large handfuls spinach leaves, (tear into smaller pieces of leaves are big)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Chop and prepare all the ingredients so they are ready before you start to cook.
- In a Dutch oven pot or stock pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium-high heat.
- Once the sausage is mostly cooked, add the diced onions, minced garlic, salt and pepper and stir together. Cook about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the carrots, butternut squash, and canned chopped tomatoes.
- Fill the chopped tomatoes can halfway with water and add to the pot.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot and stir all the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Place a lid on the pot, leaving a narrow gap, lower the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and stir. Cover the pot again and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add all the spinach to the pot and stir it into the soup.
- Let the soup cook for another 1-2 minutes before serving. Top your bowl of soup with shaved Parmesan at the table, if desired.
Notes
- Substitutions and variations:
- Italian sausage: I highly recommend you stick with Italian sausage because of the strong flavor it contributes to the soup. If you decide to substitute regular ground pork, beef, chicken, or turkey, I would suggest adding seasonings like onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, chili powder to help boost the flavor.
- Vegetables: I use carrots, butternut squash, zucchini, and spinach, but you can also use sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, kale, radishes, pumpkin, green beans, peas, etc.
- Beans: Add a can of beans (rinsed) to the soup to make it more hearty and to add more protein and fibre.
- Canned tomatoes: I used canned chopped tomatoes, but any canned version like diced, crushed, or peeled are good. I would not use tomato sauce or tomato puree.
- Shaved parmesan cheese: I love adding shavings of Parmesan cheese before digging in. It's just another layer of flavor to an already yummy soup!
- Soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The soup tastes even better after it's had time to sit because the flavors only deepen!
Thanks for stopping by! If you make this dish or any of my other recipes, I would love it if you could take the time to comment and rate it below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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