Italian Sausage and Zucchini Soup
Italian Sausage and Zucchini Soup comes together in one pot with crumbled sausage, zucchini, orzo, and tomatoes. Garnish each serving with Parmesan and add some crusty bread on the side for the perfect cozy meal.
Servings: 6
Calories: 231kcal
Ingredients
- ½ pound bulk Italian sausage mild or hot
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- ¾ cup celery chopped
- ¾ cup carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper diced (about ¾ cup)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 5 cups low sodium beef broth
- 14 ½ ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium zucchini cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup uncooked orzo pasta
- Parmesan cheese grated, optional for serving
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven over MEDIUM heat, cook the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until crumbled and browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a double layer of paper towels to drain. Set aside.
- Drain off any excess grease from the pot (or dab it up with paper towels) and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Return the skillet to MEDIUM heat and add the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to get tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute or two. Return the cooked sausage to the pan and add the broth, tomatoes, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Stir in the zucchini and orzo and return to a boil, then reduce the heat to MEDIUM-LOW and cook, covered, until the zucchini and orzo are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Serve with Parmesan on the side, if desired.
Notes
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate: Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The orzo tends to soak up the broth as it sits, so just add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it, if needed.
Freeze: This soup also freezes well for up to 3 months. I like to portion it into individual servings to keep in the freezer for an easy lunch. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge, then warm it up gently on the stove.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 773mg | Potassium: 896mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3001IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg