Creamy Italian Sausage Soup

Italian sausage is one of my favorite proteins to include in meals like this Sausage Breakfast Casserole, this Keto Zuppa Toscana, and these Pepper Jack Sausage Balls. It’s perfectly spiced and is a delicious addition to whatever it’s incorporated with.

This particular recipe is reminiscent of a creamy tomato soup with added flavor from the Italian sausage and shredded Parmesan.

It’s a warming and hearty meal that requires only minimal effort in the kitchen.

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to clean up.
• Low-carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free.
• Ready to eat in just 30 minutes.
• Customizable based on your tastes (spicier, less spicy, different protein, etc.).
• Packed with protein – 13.9 grams per serving.

➡️ Ingredients

⏲ How to make this Italian sausage soup 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 pan, 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, stirring often. Add in chicken broth, cream cheese, diced tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, and spices and stir to combine.
• 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.

👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions

• Avocado Oil: You can substitute olive oil at a 1:1 ratio for avocado oil.
• Mild Italian Sausage: Hot Italian pork sausage, sweet Italian pork sausage, ground turkey sausage, ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken can be used in place of mild Italian sausage.
• Chicken Broth: Vegetable broth or beef broth will work here. Sub in at a 1:1 ratio.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: Use half-and-half, whole milk, or 2% milk at a 1:1 substitution ratio.
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese: Grated Parmesan would be your best bet here. Otherwise, use shredded Pecorino Romano cheese at a 1:1 substitution ratio.

✨ Variations

• Add some heat by including chopped and de-seeded jalapeño to the soup. You can also add red pepper flakes and/or ground cayenne pepper.
• Chop up some peeled and chopped carrots, roughly chopped celery, and/or roughly chopped cauliflower florets. Add these in when you add the chopped onion to the pot.
• Boost the protein and add in fresh shrimp that has been de-veined. Add the shrimp in with about 3-5 minutes left of simmering the soup. After 3 minutes, carefully take out one shrimp, cut it open, and determine if it’s cooked through. If undercooked, continue cooking for an additional 1-2 minute(s).
• Stir in 6-8 ounces of pasta, like ditalini noodles. Add the pasta in with about 6 minutes left of simmering time. (If you plan to make enough soup to yield leftovers, I would suggest keeping the pasta separate and stirring it in when you are reheating the soup. Otherwise, the pasta will likely get soggy.)
• Stir in cheese tortellini or cheese ravioli. Check the packaging of the tortellini for the cooking time and add the tortellini in with the lesser amount of time left of simmering the soup. For example, if the cooking time says “4-6 minutes,” add the pasta in with 4 minutes left of simmering the soup. This is to ensure the pasta doesn’t overcook as it will continue to cook even after it’s removed from the stovetop heat.
• Include a handful of fresh spinach and/or roughly chopped fresh kale for some added nutrients, texture, and flavor. Add in right before you finish simmering the soup and allow the greens to simmer until just wilted.

〰️ How to serve

• Sprinkle on some homemade croutons right before serving.
• Serve with keto cheesy breadsticks or crusty garlic bread.
• Plate alongside a grilled cheese sandwich.
• Serve alongside a Caesar salad.

➜ Cooking and recipe tips

• 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.

💬 FAQs

📚 More soup recipes

• Pumpkin Soup With Canned Pumpkin
• Slow Cooker Taco Soup
• Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Sweet And Spicy Bacon And Turkey Chili
• Easy Keto Cauliflower Cheddar Cheese Bacon Soup