Italian Sausage Orzo Soup is a delicious and easy dish, filled with veggies (clear out your fridge!) and orzo pasta. This hearty soup is full of flavor and easy to customize.

Pair this soup with some crusty bread and a light salad like this butternut squash salad or Olive Garden salad.

Warm and hearty italian sausage orzo soup in a pot, steaming and ready to be enjoyed.

Table of Contents

Italian Sausage Orzo Soup

This soup is the ultimate comfort food—soul-warming and packed with delicious ingredients! Loaded with veggies and broth-based (not cream-based), it’s perfect for clearing out your fridge.

It’s easy to customize, allowing you to adjust the veggies and spices to your taste. Make it spicy with hot sausage and red pepper flakes or keep it mild with regular sausage.

Finish each bowl with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread for dipping for a dinner the whole family will love.

Sautéing carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and diced pepper in olive oil, stirring in seasonings, and browning and crumbling the meat as it cooks.

Ingredients

  • Base Veggies: Dice vegetables evenly for uniform cooking and better texture.
  • Red Potatoes: No need to peel, Yukon gold work as well.
  • Italian Sausage: Choose mild or hot sausage based on your spice preference.
  • Tomato Paste: Freeze leftover paste in tablespoon portions for future recipes.
  • Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Fire-roasted adds so much extra flavor
  • Beef Broth or Stock: Use low-sodium broth to control the saltiness of the soup.
  • Orzo: Cook orzo separately to avoid mushiness in leftovers.
  • Baby Spinach: Stir in spinach at the end to keep it bright and vibrant.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Grate fresh Parmesan for better flavor and texture.

Quick Tip

Don’t forget to salt the pasta water! Make sure the orzo is well-salted while cooking, as it’s your only chance to season the pasta. A good rule is to add 1 teaspoon of salt for every 4 cups of water.

Adding tomato paste and potato to the italian sausage and orzo soup, followed by diced tomatoes and beef broth to simmer, then adding cooked and drained orzo and baby spinach.

How To Make Italian Sausage Orzo Soup

  1. Prep: Chop veggies. Mince garlic.
  2. Sauté: Heat olive oil in a pot. Add veggies; cook. Add garlic and green pepper, then stir in seasonings.
  3. Cook Sausage: Push veggies aside, add sausage, and brown it.
  4. Add Paste And Potatoes: Stir in tomato paste and diced potatoes.
  5. Add Liquids: Add diced tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer.
  6. Cook Orzo: Prepare orzo according to package instructions.
  7. Finish Soup: Stir in baby spinach until wilted. Add orzo if serving immediately.
  8. Serve: Ladle into bowls, top with Parmesan, and enjoy with crusty bread!
Herbs being stirred in, with a ladle scooping up a hearty serving, ready to be dished out.

Tips For Success

  • San Marzano tomatoes are sweeter and milder than regular ones, they’re delicious. For added flavor, choose fire-roasted tomatoes for a smoky flavor.
  • Chop veggies the same size to ensure they cook the same way, particularly the potatoes, which should be cut into small, even pieces.
  • Save time by using pre-cut mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery), found in the produce or frozen aisles of most stores.
A bowl of the finished and warm italian sausage soup with orzo, a perfect comforting meal for a cold day.


Storage

Storing Italian Sausage Orzo Soup 

Italian Sausage Orzo Soup is best enjoyed the same day it’s cooked because the orzo soaks up broth, making it mushy and too soft, and making the broth thick.

If you won’t eat the soup right away, think about cutting the recipe in half or cooking the orzo separately to stir into individual bowls. This keeps the soup tasty for 4-5 days in the fridge.

Note: Freezing the soup isn’t a good idea.

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4.86 from 14 votes

Italian Sausage Orzo Soup

By Chelsea Lords
A delicious and simple-to-make Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with plenty of veggies (clear out your fridge!) and orzo pasta. This hearty soup is loaded with flavor and is simple to customize.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced (1 cup)
  • 2 large carrots finely diced (1 cup)
  • 2 large stalks of celery finely diced (3/4 cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup (~2) small red potatoes diced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 pound mild (or hot) Italian sausage
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 6 cups beef broth or beef stock
  • 2 cans (14.5 ounces EACH) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
  • 2 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach
  • Serve with: crusty bread and freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Optional: fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, fresh basil

Instructions 

  • PREP: Finely dice the onion, carrots, and celery into very small and even sizes. Mince the garlic. Dice the red potato into 1/2-inch pieces. Dice the green pepper into 1/4-inch pieces.
  • VEGGIES AND SEASONINGS: In a large pot over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing and stirring occasionally, 7-9 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender. Veggies shouldn't be browning; reduce the heat if they are. Add in the garlic and green pepper and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Add in the seasonings: the 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon dried basil, and 2 teaspoons dried oregano. Season with salt and pepper (I add 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Stir for 30 seconds and then push the veggies to the sides of the pot.
  • SAUSAGE: In the center of the pot, add in the Italian sausage. Cook the sausage, crumbling as you brown it. Once the sausage is browned and crumbled, add in the 2 tablespoons tomato paste and diced potato. Stir to coat.
  • TOMATOES: Next, add in both undrained cans of tomatoes and stir for 1 minute. Add in the beef broth. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all veggies are crisp-tender.
  • ORZO: Meanwhile, in a separate pan, follow package directions to cook the orzo to al dente. Make sure to generously salt the pasta water (I add 1 teaspoon salt to every 4 cups). Drain and rinse in cool water and then set aside.
  • FINISH SOUP: Remove the soup from the heat and gently stir in the spinach until wilted. If all of this soup will be eaten the same day, stir in the cooked and drained orzo. Otherwise, add orzo to individual bowls (See Note 1). Taste and adjust seasonings to preference. I add in red pepper flakes here and fresh herbs — usually lots of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley and some basil.
  • ENJOY: Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy with lots of shredded Parmesan cheese and crusty bread!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: This soup is best eaten the same day it’s made if the orzo is stirred into it. When stored in the soup, the orzo continues to absorb liquid, so it bloats and becomes overly soft (it also continues to take on the broth, making the soup turn into a thick stew). If you aren’t planning on enjoying this soup the same day it’s made, I recommend either halving the recipe or stirring the orzo into individual bowls. If the orzo is stored separately and stirred into individual bowls, this soup keeps very nicely for 4-5 days in the fridge. Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this soup — the vegetables (especially the spinach) don’t fare too well upon being thawed.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 866mg | Potassium: 1142mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8678IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Meet Chelsea

Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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4.86 from 14 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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40 Comments

  1. Kelly says:

    5 stars
    A wonderful hearty soup that is a huge hit with family and friends!

    Reply
    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I am so happy to hear this! Thanks! 🙂

      Reply