Italian Sausage Orzo Soup is your new favorite dinner! Packed with savory sausage, fresh veggies, and tender orzo, it’s a flavorful crowd-pleaser everyone will love.
Italian Sausage Orzo Soup
I love soup all year long—even in summer with corn soup!
Creamy soups are my favorite (hello, creamy vegetable!), but broth-based soups can be just as delicious. Even better if I can load them with veggies and use up whatever’s in my fridge.
To create this recipe, I swapped the cream in my sausage potato soup for broth, added extra veggies, and tossed in pasta. The result? Perfection! I can’t wait to hear what you think of this one!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make Italian Sausage Orzo Soup:
- Base Veggies: Dice small and evenly for even cooking and better texture.
- Red Potatoes: No peeling needed. Baby gold potatoes work too!
- Italian Sausage: Use mild or hot, depending on how spicy you like it.
- Tomato Paste: Freeze leftovers in tablespoon-sized portions for later.
- Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: These add extra flavor.
- Beef Broth: Pick a good brand for the best taste.
- Orzo: Cook it separately to keep it from getting mushy in leftovers.
- Baby Spinach: Add at the end to keep it fresh and bright.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated adds great flavor and texture
Quick Tip
Salt your pasta water! Use 1 teaspoon of salt for every 4 cups of water to make sure the orzo is perfectly seasoned.
Variations
Switch Things Up!
- Protein Swap: Use ground turkey or chicken sausage. Add extra seasonings to compensate.
- Veggie-Packed: Add zucchini, mushrooms, or broccoli for extra veggies.
- Pasta: Swap orzo for small pasta shapes like mini shells or pearl couscous.
- Spice It Up: Use spicy sausage or add cayenne pepper for more heat.
- Creamy Version: Add a splash of heavy cream for a creamy soup.
Italian Sausage Orzo Soup Recipe Tips
- Use Good Tomatoes: The better the quality, the better the flavor. Fire-roasted ones add even more flavor.
- Brown the Sausage Well: Don’t crowd the pot—this helps the sausage brown and adds flavor.
- Watch the Heat: If veggies brown too fast, lower the heat to keep them soft.
- Scrape the Pot: After cooking the sausage, scrape the bottom to get all the tasty bits.
- Adjust Seasonings: Taste before serving and add salt or pepper if needed.
What to Serve with Italian Sausage Orzo Soup
- Crusty Bread: Perfect for soaking up the broth.
- Simple Salad: A garden salad with a light dressing adds freshness.
- Winter Fruit Salad: A fresh, sweet side dish.
- Grilled Cheese: A gooey grilled cheese sandwich pairs perfectly.
- Focaccia: Herby olive oil drenched bread is the best with this soup!
Storage
Storing Italian Sausage Orzo Soup
- Best Same Day: If orzo is added, the soup is best eaten the same day. (Orzo absorbs broth and gets mushy.)
- For Leftovers: Cook orzo separately and add it to bowls when serving. Soup stays fresh for 4-5 days in the fridge.
- Freezing: Freeze the soup without orzo and spinach. Thaw in the fridge overnight and add freshly cooked orzo before serving.
More Soup Recipes
- Creamy Ham and Potato Soup with corn
- Lentil Soup with fresh Parmesan cheese
- Chicken Vegetable Soup with roasted veggies
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup Olive Garden® copycat soup
- The best Vegetable Soup with fresh pesto
Italian Sausage Orzo Soup
Italian Sausage Orzo Soup makes dinner exciting again! With savory sausage, vibrant veggies, and tender orzo, it’s the perfect way to clean out the fridge and serve up a crowd-pleaser.
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion 1 onion
- 1 cup finely diced carrots 2 large carrots
- 3/4 cup finely diced celery 2 ribs
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage mild or spicy
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup diced red potatoes
- 6 cups beef broth or stock
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes fire-roasted for a smoky flavor
- 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- Parmesan cheese optional, for serving
- Toppings as desired see note 1
Instructions
- Finely dice onion, carrots, and celery. Mince garlic. Dice potatoes (1/2-inch) and bell pepper (1/4-inch).
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 7–9 minutes until tender, stirring often. Add garlic and green pepper. Cook for 3–4 more minutes. Push veggies to the sides of the pot.
- Add sausage to the center of the pot. Season to taste (I add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Let it brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip, brown the other side, then break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Stir in Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, tomato paste and potatoes to coat.
- Add undrained tomatoes and stir for 1 minute. Pour in broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until veggies are tender.
- While the soup simmers, cook orzo in salted water (1 teaspoon salt per 4 cups of water) according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cool water for 15 seconds, and set aside.
- Remove soup from heat. Stir in spinach until wilted. If eating immediately, stir in orzo. Otherwise, keep orzo separate (see note 2). Adjust seasonings to taste and add red pepper flakes and fresh herbs if desired.
- Ladle into bowls. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve with hearty bread.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Serve with fresh parsley or basil for a burst of freshness. Add a kick with red pepper flakes. Pair with crusty, buttered toast.
Note 2: For leftovers, store orzo separately to prevent it from soaking up too much broth. Keep soup and orzo in the fridge for 4–5 days.
Storage: This soup is best eaten the same day if orzo is added, as it absorbs broth and can get mushy. For leftovers, cook the orzo separately and add it to bowls when serving; the soup stays fresh in the fridge for 4–5 days. If freezing, leave out the orzo and spinach, thaw overnight in the fridge, and add freshly cooked orzo before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | 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.
Looks delicious! How could I make this in my Instant Pot?
Great comfort food. Very tasty soup. I used red pepper instead of green. Everyone loved it ! Thank you !
I am so happy to hear this Anita! 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment!
Have u ever froze this?
I haven’t. I don’t think the pasta would freeze and thaw well; I think it would really bloat (potentially disintegrate a bit).
Can I use another broth then beef broth?
Sure 🙂 Vegetable broth/stock or chicken would work. Flavor will be slightly different
This recipe was fantastic. I made one minor modification, I added the Orzo to the soup about 10 minutes before it was ready and let it cook in the soup. I always like to cook pasta /rice/barley in the soup so it really absorbs the flavors of the dish, usually I add a bit more broth to adjust for this.
Sounds awesome! Thanks for the review Ken 🙂
I made this soup the other night. It was so good. My family loved it. I will definitely be making it again.
So happy to hear that! Thanks Sandra 🙂
I have heard about how amazing your mom is from my sister and I wish that I had sent my son over to get potty trained form her too before she left!! 🙂
Can i make this in a crockpot?
Yes, but I’d brown the sausage separately and add that in and then cook the pasta and add to individual bowls or stir in the crockpot right before serving 🙂 You’ll also want to add the spinach to the crockpot like 5-10 minutes before serving.
I love this soup I have made it several times for me and my boys and we loved be it !!
Love hearing that!! Thanks so much for the comment Olivia 🙂
Just made this for dinner tonight. Wow! So much flavour. This was a winner with the whole family. DH had second and third helpings. I also love how easy it was to prepare. Thank you for a great recipe.
So thrilled this was a hit! Thank you so much for the comment 🙂