This Creamy Italian Sausage Soup is a thick, tomatoey soup with browned mild Italian sausage in every spoonful. Cream cheese, heavy cream, and Parmesan make the broth rich, garlic and Italian seasoning flavor it all the way through, and everything cooks in one pot on the stove.
This creamy Italian sausage soup is my one-pot dinner for a cold night. I brown the sausage with the onion, then stir in chicken broth, cream cheese, a can of petite diced tomatoes, a can of pureed tomatoes, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Heavy cream and Parmesan go in at the end. It’s ready in about 35 minutes and makes 8 bowls, so there’s soup for lunch the next day.
It reheats well, so it’s a good one to make ahead for a busy night. It also takes additions easily: hot sausage instead of mild, a handful of spinach or kale stirred in at the end, or pasta added in the last few minutes of simmering. If you like this one, my Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup and Zuppa Toscana are two more one-pot sausage soups to try.
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Reader Love
It was almost 90 degrees yesterday, but I made this with the intention of freezing it for a fall camping trip. I tasted it when it was done and 2 bowlfuls later, I have a lot less to freeze. It was amazing! It rivals a favorite restaurant tomato soup that I have never been able to recreate. The only thing I did differently was using 1 – 28oz can of crushed tomatoes instead of the 2 smaller varieties. Will definitely be making this on repeat.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- One pot, easy cleanup. The onion, the sausage, and the full simmer all happen in a single pot, so there are almost no extra dishes.
- Done in about 35 minutes. From chopping the onion to ladling the soup, dinner takes about 35 minutes.
- Eight servings per batch. This recipe makes enough for a full dinner table and leaves real leftovers for the next day.
- Rich, creamy broth. Cream cheese and heavy whipping cream give the soup a thick texture that sets it apart from thinner tomato-based soups.
- Easy to customize. You can use hot or sweet sausage, stir in pasta, or add greens at the end, depending on what you have on hand.
- Pantry-friendly ingredients. Canned tomatoes, broth, cream cheese, and a few spices are easy to keep stocked, so this is an easy dinner to make without a special trip to the store.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this recipe
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook Onion: To a hot, oiled large pot, add chopped onion and cook until it’s slightly softened and the edges are golden.
- Cook Sausage Then Stir In Ingredients: Add sausage and, using a wooden spoon, break it apart into pieces. Cook until browned and no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring only occasionally so it can brown. Add in chicken broth, cream cheese, diced tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, and spices and stir to combine.
Recipe Tip: Use a big enough pot that you can break up the sausage and allow it to cook into a single layer. This will allow the sausage to brown and lightly crisp up, rather than steam. Use a wooden spoon and break up the ground sausage and only stir it occasionally.
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- Simmer Soup: Reduce the stovetop heat, cover the pot with a lid, and then simmer the soup for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir In Cream And Parmesan: Stir in heavy cream and shredded Parmesan cheese and cook, uncovered, for an additional 3 minutes.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese and some fresh parsley.
👉 Easy ingredient swaps
- Avocado oil: Any neutral cooking oil works here. Olive oil fits the Italian flavors well.
- Mild Italian sausage: Hot Italian pork sausage, sweet Italian pork sausage, ground turkey sausage, ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken can all be used. The recipe was developed with mild sausage, but any of these work, so go with what you have or prefer.
- Heavy whipping cream: Half-and-half, whole milk, or 2% milk all substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
- Shredded Parmesan: Grated Parmesan is the closest swap. Shredded Pecorino Romano also works well here.
✨ Variations
- Add heat: Stir chopped, seeded jalapeño into the pot when you add the onion. Red pepper flakes and/or ground cayenne pepper also work. Add them in with the other spices.
- Add vegetables: Peeled, chopped carrots, celery, and/or cauliflower florets can go into the pot alongside the onion. Italian soffritto also works well here.
- Add shrimp: Stir in de-veined fresh shrimp with about 3 to 5 minutes of simmer time remaining. At the 3-minute mark, remove one shrimp, cut it open, and check that it’s cooked through. If not, continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes before checking again.
- Add pasta: Stir in 6 to 8 ounces of pasta (ditalini works well) with about 6 minutes of simmer time remaining. The pasta finishes cooking in the hot broth. If you plan to have leftovers, keep the pasta separate and stir it into each portion when you reheat, otherwise it will become soggy sitting in the broth.
- Add tortellini or ravioli: Check the package for the suggested cooking time, then add the pasta with the shorter end of that range left in the simmer. For example, if the package says 4 to 6 minutes, add it with 4 minutes remaining. This prevents overcooking, since the pasta continues to cook even after the pot comes off the heat.
- Add greens: Stir in fresh spinach and/or roughly chopped kale in the last minute or two of simmering and let the leaves wilt before serving.
〰️ How to serve
- Top each bowl with extra shredded Parmesan and fresh parsley, or add Air Fryer Croutons right before serving for crunch.
- Serve alongside Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread or cheesy breadsticks.
- A grilled cheese sandwich on the side is a classic pairing and keeps the meal simple.
- For more on the side, Parmesan-crusted potatoes, roasted cauliflower, or a simple green salad all work well alongside the soup.
💬 FAQs
How do I store this soup and make it ahead?
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It reheats well, so you can make it on the weekend and have it ready for a busy weeknight. If you are adding pasta, cook it separately and stir it into each portion as you reheat it, because pasta left in the broth absorbs the liquid and turns soggy.
How should I reheat it?
Reheat in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. You can also use the microwave: heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until the soup is hot.
Can this soup be frozen?
Yes. Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving space at the top of each container for expansion. The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The cream may separate slightly during thawing, but stirring well while the soup reheats will bring it back together.
Can I double the recipe, and what’s the best way to get good browning on the sausage?
The recipe doubles well for a larger group. Use a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients comfortably, and plan for a bit of additional cooking time to make sure everything cooks through, then taste and adjust the seasonings before serving. For any batch size, the sausage browns best when the pot is large enough for it to spread into a single layer rather than pile up. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon and stir only occasionally while it cooks. This lets the sausage develop golden edges rather than steaming, which adds more flavor to the finished soup.
Can I use hot Italian sausage or a different meat?
Yes. Hot or sweet Italian pork sausage, ground turkey sausage, ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken all work. I developed the recipe with mild Italian sausage.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?
Yes. Half-and-half, whole milk, or 2% milk all swap in 1:1.
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Creamy Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ medium-sized white onion, chopped
- 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 10.75-ounce can pureed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Optional Garnishes:
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook Onion: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat avocado oil. Add onion and cook until slightly softened and edges are golden, about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook Sausage Then Stir In Ingredients: Add sausage and, using a wooden spoon, break apart into pieces. Cook until browned and no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring only occasionally so it can brown. Add in chicken broth, cream cheese, diced tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, and spices and stir to combine.
- Simmer Soup: Reduce stovetop heat to medium, cover pot with a lid, and simmer soup for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese has melted into the broth.
- Stir In Cream And Parmesan: Stir in heavy cream and shredded Parmesan and cook, uncovered, for an additional 3 minutes, until the Parmesan melts and the soup is hot.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan and fresh parsley.
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