This recipe is a natural companion to other one-pot sausage dinners like Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup and Zuppa Toscana.
There’s something about a pot of Creamy Italian Sausage Soup simmering on the stove — the garlic and Italian seasoning fill the kitchen with their scent, the sausage gets golden at the edges, and then cream cheese and heavy whipping cream melt into a broth that’s thick, velvety, and deeply rich. This is the kind of soup you ladle into wide bowls on a cold evening and eat with good bread on the side for soaking up every last drop.
The whole thing comes together in one pot: onion goes in first, then the sausage browns right alongside it, and then everything else — broth, cream cheese, two kinds of canned tomatoes, and the spices — goes in together to simmer. It reheats beautifully, which makes it a strong candidate for cooking ahead and pulling out on a busy night. The recipe is also flexible enough to take additions in stride: hot sausage instead of mild, a handful of greens stirred in at the end, pasta added toward the last few minutes of simmering. Once you’ve made it, it earns a regular spot in the dinner lineup.
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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 — there are almost no extra dishes.
- Done in 30 minutes. From the first stir to ladle-ready, this soup is on the table in 30 minutes flat.
- 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. Hot or sweet sausage, pasta stirred in, greens added at the end — the recipe takes well to whatever you have on hand.
- Pantry-friendly ingredients. Canned tomatoes, broth, cream cheese, and a few spices are easy to keep stocked, making this a strong go-to for unplanned dinners.
➡️ 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 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.
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.
- 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 is the most natural fit given the Italian flavor profile.
- 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 — 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 particularly 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 — the broth is built for soaking.
- 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. The soup holds its flavor well and reheats easily, making it a solid option for cooking on the weekend and pulling out on a busy weeknight. If you’ve stirred pasta into the soup before storing, keep the pasta separate and add it fresh when you reheat each portion — pasta left sitting in the broth will absorb liquid and become 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 — 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.
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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
- 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 10.75-ounce can pureed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Optional Garnishes:
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook Onion: In a pot 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, stirring often. 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.
- Stir In Cream And Parmesan: Stir in heavy cream and shredded Parmesan and cook, uncovered, for additional 3 minutes.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sprinkle of shredded Parmesan and fresh parsley.
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