Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup
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This creamy parmesan Italian sausage soup is my husband and I’s favorite pork-based soup! We recently got a package of cold-smoked Italian sausage at a local farm up the road, so I knew I had to make something special with it. So I created this creamy, savory soup full of parmesan, spinach, and, of course, sausage!
My favorite thing about this soup is how the Italian sausage pairs perfectly with the creamy parmesan base. It’s a match made in heaven. They balance one another and the spinach freshens up each bite.
It reminds me of a sausage version of chicken gnocchi soup. You’ve got the creamy base, the parmesan, spinach, and pasta. If you like a gnocchi soup, you’ll love this Italian sausage and pasta soup recipe!
My Tips for Making Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup
This soup is so simple to make even on a busy weeknight. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, but it tastes like it came from a restaurant. Here are a few tips to help make the process even easier:
- If desired, you can cook up the sausage ahead of time and store it in the freezer. That way, when you’re ready to make this recipe, you can skip the first part. Just add in the frozen crumbles with the other ingredients.
- Don’t skip the fresh garlic. It makes a huge difference. If you don’t have a garlic press, you can grate it on a cheese grater or microplane zester.
- To save time, cut up the onion and spinach ahead of time. Then store them in the freezer until you’re ready to make this recipe.
Ingredients for Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup
- bulk Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- yellow or white onion
- garlic cloves (minced)
- vegetable broth (low-sodium)
- salt
- ground black pepper
- half and half
- small pasta (elbows or similar sized)
- spinach (chopped)
- grated parmesan cheese
Helpful Kitchen Tools To Make This Soup
Instructions For Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup
Heat a medium-sized pot on medium heat for about 2 minutes until hot.
Add in ground sausage and cook for 7-8 minutes on medium-heat until browned. While it’s cooking be sure to use a spatula or spoon to chop it into crumbles. (It will stick a little on the pan but once we add the broth it’ll deglaze.)
While this is cooking, fine dice your onion and chop the spinach so it’s in small pieces as well.
Remove sausage from pot and leave any grease in.
Add diced onion and minced garlic cloves to the pot. If you need, add 1 tsp of avocado or olive oil.
Cook for 2 minutes on medium until onions are translucent.
Add in vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Then turn heat down to low-medium and add in salt, pepper, half and half, pasta, spinach, and cooked sausage.
Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until pasta is el dente (soft with a bite). Uncover and stir occasionally while cooking.
Once the pasta is cooked, uncover and stir in grated parmesan. Enjoy with extra Parmesan grated on top if desired!
Recipe Variations (If Desired)
- You can use heavy cream for a creamier soup or regular milk for a less creamy soup instead of the half and half.
- Swap out the spinach for regular or baby kale.
- Add in an extra garlic clove for more garlicky flavor.
- Sprinkle in chili pepper flakes for a spicy flavor.
Storing Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup
Store cooled-down leftover soup in a glass, airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it up to 3 months if desired.
Reheating Italian Sausage Cream Soup
Reheat this soup in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat until warm. This is the best way to keep the flavor and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any kind of small pasta. Here are some ideas: elbow noodles, cavatelli, ditalini, small shells, etc.
You can use regular milk instead, but just know it won’t be as creamy and rich.
Definitely, you can use ground hamburger in this creamy . It will change the flavor, but it’ll still be yummy!
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe (better than Olive Garden)
- Easy Creamy Cajun Chicken Soup
- Creamy Vegetable Chowder From Scratch
- Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup
If you made this recipe, give it a 5-star rating below and share a photo of your muffins on social media stories! Be sure to tag @plumbranchhome
Recipe
Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 1/3 lb. bulk Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- 1/2 of a yellow or white onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup vegetable broth (low sodium)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/3 cup small pasta (elbows or similar sized)
- 1/4 cup spinach, chopped (regular or baby spinach)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat a medium-sized pot on medium heat for about 2 minutes until hot.
- Add in ground sausage and cook for 7-8 minutes on medium-heat until browned. While it’s cooking be sure to use a spatula or spoon to chop it into crumbles. (It will stick a little on the pan but once we add the broth it’ll deglaze.)
- While this is cooking, fine dice your onion and chop the spinach so it’s in small pieces as well.
- Remove sausage from pot and leave any grease in.
- Add diced onion and minced garlic cloves to the pot. If you need, add 1 tsp of avocado or olive oil.
- Cook for 2 minutes on medium until onions are translucent.
- Add in vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Then turn heat down to low-medium and add in salt, pepper, half and half, pasta, spinach, and cooked sausage.
- Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until pasta is el dente (soft with a bite). Uncover and stir occasionally while cooking.
- Once the pasta is cooked, uncover and stir in grated parmesan. Enjoy with extra Parmesan grated on top if desired!
Notes
Slow Cooker Version
- Dice the onion and bell pepper.
- Add all ingredients into your slow cooker (including uncooked sausage)
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
- Break the sausage up into small pieces and serve with extra parmesan!
Love love love this recipe!