30-Minute Italian Sausage Soup — EASY, hearty soup that’s full of flavor from the sausage, rice, and vegetables!! Comfort food the whole family will LOVE and it’s healthier from the vegetables! It keeps you warm and cozy on cold winter nights!!
Table of Contents
Easy Sausage Soup Recipe
During the cold weather months, soup recipes are the most popular on my website. I made this soup on a miserable, rainy, cold dreary day and my daughter had a terrible cold and this really hit the spot.
This soup with Italian sausage and veggies is hearty and it’s pure comfort food in a bowl. If you know someone who says that soup is not a meal, this satisfying recipe will prove them wrong.
The soup reminds me and my family of one of our all-time favorite soups, 30-Minute Lasagna Soup. The tomato-ey beef broth along with the sausage is just perfect, the rice adds a comforting dimension. there is great texture from the zucchini and green beans, and the fresh basil and lemon juice really brighten it up.
It’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, which is nice for many people or if you’re serving it to a mixed group with dietary restrictions. Many soup recipes rely on noodles and/or use a dairy-based cheese sauce but not this one.
Italian Sausage Soup Ingredients
To make the Italian sausage vegetable soup, you’ll need:
- Italian sausage
- Olive oil
- Sweet Vidalia onion
- Garlic
- Beef broth
- Canned petite diced tomatoes
- Oregano
- Cayenne
- Cooked rice
- Zucchini
- Green beans
- Fresh basil
- Lemon juice
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Time Saving Tip
Use precooked rice to save time. I used ready rice in packets but feel free to separately cook 4 cups of rice for use in the soup. Your favorite type of rice from brown to basmati is fine.
How to Make Italian Sausage Soup
This soup is beyond easy, ready in under 30 minutes, made in one pot, and is full of robust flavor!
- Brown Italian sausage with onions before adding red peppers, garlic, beef broth, diced tomatoes, oregano, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- After it’s boiling, add cooked rice, zucchini, green beans, and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
- Garnish the soup with basil, a squirt of lemon juice, and and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you’d like (but not if you’re trying to keep it dairy-free, see below).
So easy and dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes, making this ground sausage soup perfect for busy weeknights!
Recipe FAQs
I used hot Italian pork sausage because we like the extra flavor the ‘hot’ adds although we don’t think it’s spicy or actually hot. But if you are your family do, regular sausage is fine. You’re looking for a pound of ‘natural’ sausage (looks like raw ground beef) that’s not in casings or links.
Yes, you could easily swap the sausage for ground beef. I have a beef and pasta soup that has lots of similarities to this one. Or check out this Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup, which is made with ground beef, rice, and tomatoes in your slow cooker.
Of course! I recommend using the onion, garlic, and bell peppers as instructed since they help build the flavor base of the soup. But the green beans and zucchini can be omitted or substituted depending on your personal preferences and whatever veggies you have on hand.
Yes! This soup freezes pretty well, but the rice does become slightly grainy once frozen. I personally don’t mind the texture change, but you might want to freeze a small quantity to test it out and see if you like it frozen or not.
Tips for Making Italian Sausage Soup
I did not drain the sausage after it finished cooking, but you can if desired. Note that the fat keeps the rice from sticking and adds flavor to the broth.
Because I used lower/no salt-added products, I added a total of about 3 teaspoons of salt to the soup but this will vary based on personal preference and products used. Remember that rice is also bland and benefits from adequate salt.
Lastly, the Italian sausage vegetable soup may seem quite brothy initially, but in time the rice and vegetables absorb some of the broth, reducing the brothiness.
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30-Minute Italian Sausage, Vegetable, and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, optional
- 1 pound fresh Italian pork sausage, I used spicy sausage
- 1 large sweet Vidalia onion, diced small
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
- 3 to 5 cloves finely minced or pressed garlic
- 64 ounces beef broth, I used 50% reduced sodium
- one 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, do not drain; I used no-salt added
- 1 to 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 + teaspoons kosher salt, as needed to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- two 8.8-ounce packets cooked rice] (or about 4 cups of your favorite [cooked rice
- 1 medium/large zucchini, diced into small pieces
- 1 to 1 ½ cups fresh green beans
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, optional but recommend
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional for garnishing as desired
Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the optional olive oil , sausage, onion, red pepper, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until onion is becoming soft and translucent. Stir and crumble the sausage as it cooks. I did not drain the sausage but you can if desired; the fat keeps the rice from sticking and adds flavor to the broth.
- Add the garlic, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, optional cayenne (doesn’t make the soup spicy but adds flavor), bring to a boil, and once boiling, add the zucchini, green beans, rice, and cook uncovered for about 7 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
- Turn the heat off, add the basil, optionally add the lemon juice (it really brightens up the flavor of the soup and I recommend it), stir to combine, and taste the soup. If necessary, add more salt. Because I use lower/no salt-added products, I added a total of about 3 teaspoons salt but this will vary based on preference and products used; rice is also bland and benefits from adequate salt.
- Ladle into bowls and optionally garnish with Parmesan before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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