READY IN 1 hr

Jackie's Sausage Soup

Read Reviews (114)

"Easy one pot soup that doesn't take a lot of time but tastes like it did. If you prefer, use rice or some other pasta. Feel free to add other chopped vegetables, such as celery and carrots. Great warmed up the next day." — Jacquita

Directions

Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Remove from skillet, and crumble into a large pot. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and tomatoes with their liquid. Stir in parsley, basil, and chicken broth. Cover, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes.
Stir orzo pasta and spinach into the pot. Continue cooking soup 10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 45 mins
READY IN 1 hr

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 28, 2009

YUM! This recipe is FANTASTIC! I used low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, omitted the green peppers (I don't like them), and used dried parsley instead of fresh. I also accidentally tripled the garlic to 2 tablespoons. I loved it. I served it with a loaf of fresh sun-dried tomato bread and it made for a nice hearty dinner. One word of caution: where the recipe says "large pot," it really means "the biggest pot you've got!" EDIT 01/28/2009: This is my most frequently used and requested recipe. I've made this more times than I can count! A couple things I've learned over time: 1. For a bit more flavor, mix hot and sweet sausage half and half. 2. Cook the pasta separately (or add a lot more broth). I cook and store the pasta separately, except when freezing portions. To freeze it, I add the pasta and cooled soup into one container and freeze immediately. This prevents the pasta from soaking up all the liquid in the soup. Thanks again for a great recipe!

—donut1130

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 11, 2009

OK, I wasn't crazy about this soup. I used low sodium chicken broth and ended up adding 2 bouillon cubes and black pepper to add flavor. That didn't do it for me. The orzo absorbed most of the stock - I should have precooked it as suggested, but we do like a thicker soup. It just didn't seem to have any flavor. Maybe hot sausage or red pepper...I do like Italian wedding soup, so this was a disappointment for me. My husband ate a bowl out of obligation and my son at least tried it. Use a big pot if you do try it!

—janmac59

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141 Ratings

Oct 12, 2010

Very nice soup as is, but I played with it a little, adding some things, not measuring precisely and just simply enjoying cooking (and the aroma). First, I used homemade chicken broth that already had pieces of chicken in it. The combination of the chicken with the Italian sausage was a nice contrast in flavors and textures! I added fresh cremini mushrooms, Italian seasoning rather than just basil, leeks as well as onions, zucchini, cannellini beans, a good glug of red wine (an appropriate Sangiovese) and a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (I keep them stored in the freezer). I also subbed fresh escarole for the spinach (had I used spinach I would have used fresh). Quick, easy, aromatic, incredibly flavorful and immensely satisfying.

—naples34102

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Feb 13, 2008

THANK YOU for this 5 star recipe! A definite keeper, so versatile. As Jackie said, feel free to add...and I did. I added chopped celery and a can of rinsed canaloni beans and used fresh spinich. I forgot to add the parsley, but it was fabulous the way I fixed it and I don't think I deviated too much from the recipe originally posted. Next time, I'll add zucchini.

—VJGUNKEL59

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Sep 28, 2005

This soup was extremely easy to prepare. I used bulk sausage instead of links and did not change pans. I just used a large skillet and kept all the juices together. I also rounded off the measurements to use full pagkages of the ingredients. It smelled fabulous while cooking and, to my amazement, tasted even better. I served it with French bread. You would be hard pressed to find an easier or more satisfying meal.

—SHIRLCHI

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Jul 13, 2007

This soup is perfect on a cold and rainy evening. It also freezes well - just don't add quite as much orzo as it calls for as it will soak up too much liquid during the freeze/thaw process. The whole family liked it - just don't tell them it contains spinach ;)

—aknat

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Jan 03, 2008

Thanks Jackie for one of the best soups i have tried from this site! It was such a crowd pleaser and affortable to make. I added some hot sauce and garlic. It was great with some garlic bread...

—Chelsea

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Sep 29, 2005

This is 5 stars PLUS, for how easy yet delicious and nutritious it is. My sausage loving husband loved it, declaring the flavour of the broth "excellent", and took a huge container for lunch the next day. My young children ate it all, and said they liked it! It was a quick, satisfying weeknight meal for us that will be made many, many times again! I added a can of drained and rinsed romano beans for a little extra nutrition, but this soup would be great exactly as the recipe instructs. Awesome soup, Jackie - THANK-YOU!

—KAITCH

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Nutrition

Calories
558 kcal
28%

Carbohydrates
30.9 g
10%

Cholesterol
89 mg
30%

Fat
35.5 g
55%

Fiber
3.6 g
14%

Protein
29.4 g
59%

Sodium
1224 mg
49%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Jackie's Sausage Soup

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 558
** Calories from Fat: 319

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 35.5g 55 %
** Saturated Fat 14.6g 73 %
** Cholesterol 89mg 30 %
** Sodium 1224mg 49 %
** Potassium 678mg 19 %
** Total Carbohydrates 30.9g 10 %
** Dietary Fiber 3.6g 14 %
** Protein 29.4g 59 %
** Sugars 5g
** Vitamin A 96 %
** Vitamin C 51 %
** Calcium 53 %
** Iron 42 %
** Thiamin 59 %
** Niacin 77 %
** Vitamin B6 31 %
** Magnesium 29 %
** Folate 77 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.