This Minestrone Soup is an Italian twist on a hearty vegetable soup. It has spicy Italian sausage and is loaded with vegetables and beans in a tomato-based broth. This warming soup is deliciously filling and perfect for dunking your favorite rolls or bread.
We love simple around here and we love meal prep and freezer meals too. My husband used to work long hours in his cold, unheated garage making repairs to his tractor for his trucking business. I always felt the least I could do was make a delicious, homemade, warming soup to fill him until dinner. And this minestrone soup is perfect for both. He also loved my Manhatten Clam Chowder, Lima Bean Soup and Creamy Onion Soup.
Just wait until you see how good leftover minestrone soup tastes. It freezes beautifully so when you get tired of salads and sandwiches for lunch, or you need a quick dinner, just defrost some soup, add crackers or some rolls and it is ready!
Ingredients
(not shown olive oil)
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Ground Sausage- If you can't find ground, you can buy sausage links, cut them open vertically and scrape out the meat. Or cut up the sausage links into bite size pieces. Ground beef can also be used; it will be similar in texture and heartiness in the soup. Ground chicken is a lighter choice if you prefer.
- Umami seasoning-It's my favorite of all the spice blends I have ever bought. It has a unique, savory flavor that enhances soups, stews and casseroles. It doesn't have an exact sub that I am aware of. Try some paprika and Italian seasoning if you can't find it.
- Vegetables-Because this soup is similar to a vegetable soup, it will be great with other veggies instead of carrots and celery. Saute some green beans or bell peppers. Softer vegetables like zucchini peas, spinach or even corn can be used too. They don't need sautéing, just add to the pot.
How to make Sausage Minestrone Soup
Step 1: Gather ingredients. Cook the ground sausage in large skillet. Drain all fat except 1 tablespoon.
Step 2: Cook the chopped vegetables for 3 minutes until lightly browned.
Step 3: Pour in canned and whole tomatoes, broth and beans. Bring to a low boil.
Step 4: Add back the sausage and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Pour in pasta and about 5-7 minutes, until al dente, just barely softened. *
Remove Bay leaves before serving. Sprinkle in some shredded parmesan, if desired.
Recipe Testing Tips
- I always brown the sausage first before adding to the soup. It adds lots of flavor rather than adding it raw. Also, drain or blot off the fat so that the soup doesn't have a greasy taste.
- Rinsing the canned beans removes the starchiness and some of the sodium.
- Add the pasta toward the end of cooking, it will continue to cook as the soup simmers. Overcooking the pasta will make it mushy. And a sprinkle of parmesan cheese before serving adds lots of flavor too.
- If you are not in a hurry, let the soup simmer for an hour or so before adding the pasta. The flavors will mix together better than rushing it with a hard boil.
- Taste the broth and add more spices if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
To lessen the salt, you can try an old trick of adding a peeled potato to the soup for about 15 minutes and then remove. It will help absorb some salt. Or add more unsalted broth or some water. Sometimes a teaspoon or two of sugar will help.
Too many spices in the soup can be corrected with more broth/beans or pasta. And always taste the soup as you add more spices as you go.
One thing I learned the hard way was when the lid to a pepper jar was not tight and I dumped half the pepper into my soup. I skimmed off as much as I could but the recipe was not great! Since then, I always measure seasonings into my hand or a small bowl before I add to my food.
Yes. While I do recommend fresh vegetables, to save some time you can use frozen. Don't defrost them first and add at the end of cooking time. They will give off some liquid so if the soup is too brothy, add more pasta or beans.
If you tried this minestrone soup and enjoyed it, I'd love if you left a comment and rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!
And here are some MORE SOUP RECIPES for you to try:
Minestrone Soup with Sausage
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This Minestrone Soup is an Italian twist on a hearty vegetable soup. With ground sausage, sautéed veggies, beans and pasta in a tomato-based broth, this warming soup is deliciously filling and perfect for dunking your favorite rolls or bread.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalk, diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste or powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 teaspoons Umami seasoning (or Italian seasoning)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 64 ounces chicken broth, unsalted or low sodium
- 2 15 ounce cans small white beans, drained and rinsed
- 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes ( other other chopped tomatoes)
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 cup small pasta
- parmesan or romano cheese for serving, optional
Instructions
- Add oil to large pot and heat to medium. Brown ground sausage, remove sausage and all but 1 tablespoon fat. Drain sausage or blot with paper towels.
- Saute the onions, carrots and celery in the remaining fat in the pot. Scrape the bottom, stirring the brown bits into veggies.
- Add seasonings to the vegetables and stir for about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in canned and whole tomatoes, broth and beans. Bring to a low boil.
- Add back the sausage and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Pour in pasta and about 5-7 minutes, until al dente, just barely softened. *
- Remove Bay leaves before serving. Sprinkle in some shredded parmesan, if desired.
Notes
*You can buy Italian sausage links, cut them open and cook the meat per the recipe. Or finely chop the links and brown them as is.
*Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning a little at a time, if needed. Remember the flavor of the soup usually intensifies after it has cooled and been reheated so you can always add more if needed.
*If you plan on freezing the leftover soup, I suggest cooking the pasta separately. Make enough for what you need right away. Freeze leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight and make a separate batch of pasta for the remainder. Frozen pasta usually absorbs so much of the liquid that it can turn very mushy when defrosted.
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