One-Pot Italian Sausage Soup with Rice and Spinach
This Italian sausage soup recipe is a comforting and flavorful meal that is perfect for any time of the year. The soup is made with hot Italian sausage, which gives it a spicy kick, and a variety of vegetables such as zucchini, bell peppers, onions, celery, and carrots. This soup is hearty, filling, and easy to make, you’re going to love it.
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About this recipe
EASE: Easier to make than you might think
TIME: 45 mins of cook time
DIET: Gluten free, dairy free, nut free
Ingredients Needed for Italian Sausage Soup
- Avocado Oil. Or any neutral cooking oil you have on hand.
- Onion.
- Celery.
- Carrots.
- Garlic.
- Hot Italian Sausage. If you’re not a big fan of heat, you can use mild Italian sausage. Just remove the casings (I squeeze them out).
- Zucchini.
- Red Pepper. Any bell pepper will work. I had red in my fridge, so that’s what I used.
- Tomato Sauce. You can use canned tomato sauce or a premade tomato sauce (with seasoning). I ran out of plain tomato sauce so grabbed a jar of pasta sauce from the pantry. Use what you have on hand.
- Tomato Paste.
- Chicken Broth. I used Better Than Boullion.
- Cooked Rice. I used the microwavable basmati rice pouches. I didn’t microwave it before I added it to the soup.
- Spinach. You can use fresh or frozen spinach. If you’re using frozen, thaw it first. I used 2 1/2 cups of frozen, thawed spinach.
- Oregano. I used dried oregano, if using fresh you won’t need as much.
- Salt and Pepper.
- Optional toppings: parmesan cheese, parsley, red pepper flakes.
We recommend making these copycat cheddar bay biscuits and dipping them in the soup – so yummy!
Variations and Ingredient Swaps
If you’re looking for some substitutes, here are a few options:
Hot Italian Sausage: I used pork hot Italian sausage but you can use mild or swap the protein entirely to a turkey Italian sausage or chicken variety. It will change the flavor, but the recipe will still be delicious.
Vegetables: I like to think of this soup as a clean out the fridge soup. Use whatever vegetables in your fridge that are about to go bad and save on food waste. Don’t have zucchini or red pepper, make some swaps with what you do have. Try to go for more neutral-flavored vegetables so it doesn’t affect the end result too much.
Chicken broth: If you don’t have chicken broth you can use vegetable broth or beef broth.
Frozen Spinach: Use fresh. Start at 4 cups, but you can add as much as you would like. Don’t like spinach? Try it with a cup of kale.
Rice: Add 1/2 cup – 1 cup of elbow macaroni. You could also try potatoes.
Tools you’ll need
Thankfully, you won’t need anything crazy when it comes to cooking supplies but here are a few things I recommend.
Storage
If you love leftovers as much as I do, then I have good news.
Once the Italian Sausage Soup with Rice has cooled to room temperature, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
FOOD SAFETY TIP: Make sure to refrigerate the soup within 2 hours of cooking to prevent bacterial growth.
Freezer Meal Tip
If you want to store the Italian sausage soup for longer, you can freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.
To reheat the soup, you can either simmer it on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave until heated through.
FAQs
Serve It With
Italian Rice and Sausage Soup Recipe
If even you’re a beginner cook, you’ll be able to make this recipe.
I’ll walk you through the process step by step both here and in the full recipe card below.
In a large pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Once it’s cooked, remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon and set it aside. I like putting it on a paper towel-lined plate so it soaks up some grease.
Keep a little bit of the grease in the pot and sauté the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic until they are soft and fragrant.
Add the diced zucchini and bell pepper to the pot, and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes until they are slightly softened.
Add the tomato sauce, paste, chicken broth, cooked pork sausage, and oregano to the pot, stir it together.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are fully cooked and the flavors have melded together.
Add the cooked rice and spinach to the pot and stir well. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. See notes in the recipe cards about the rice (cooked vs uncooked).
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. That’s it! It’s that easy.
Our Favorite
Soup Recipes
Italian Sausage Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 large celery stalks diced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4-6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked rice 1 cup uncooked
- 4-6 cups fresh baby spinach chopped. I used 2 1/2 cups frozen – thawed
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add the avocado oil and brown the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once the sausage is browned and cooked through, remove it from the pot and set it aside on a plate lined with some paper towels.
- In the same pot leave a little bit of the leftover grease (about 2-3 teaspoons) and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots for about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced zucchini and bell pepper to the pot, and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes until they are slightly softened. Add the garlic.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, paste, chicken broth, and oregano into the pot, and stir well to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are fully cooked and the flavors have melded together.
- Add the cooked rice (see notes if using uncooked) and the chopped spinach to the pot and stir well. Cook for an additional 10 minutes until the spinach has wilted and is fully incorporated into the soup.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with additional oregano or Parmesan cheese if desired.
Video
Notes
- If you're using uncooked rice, add it at least twenty minutes before the soup is done.
- If the soup is too thick after the rice has absorbed some of the liquid, add more chicken broth.