Description
Warm, comforting, and bursting with flavor, Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup combines sweet Italian sausage, creamy Parmesan cheese, and fresh spinach for a hearty, satisfying meal perfect for chilly evenings.
Ingredients
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta
4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Once fully cooked, remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the olive oil and sauté the diced onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the heavy cream, dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes (if using), and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the ditalini pasta to the pot and simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.
- Return the cooked sausage to the pot and add the chopped spinach, cooking until the spinach wilts, roughly 2 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and well incorporated.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
Use spicy Italian sausage for a bit of heat instead of sweet sausage.
Substitute ditalini pasta with small shells or elbow macaroni if needed.
For a lighter version, replace heavy cream with half-and-half or low-fat milk (may slightly reduce richness).
Adding sun-dried tomatoes or a splash of white wine enhances flavor.
Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid curdling.
Freeze soup before adding Parmesan and spinach; add fresh when reheating.
To prevent curdling when reheating, warm slowly over low heat and stir frequently.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
