Creamy Sausage Ditalini Soup

Ingredients

• 0.25 cup olive oil (For browning the sausage and sautéing the vegetables)
• 0.75 lb Italian sausage (Sweet or hot; remove from casings if necessary)
• 0.5 onion (Chopped)
• 1 large carrot (Sliced)
• 2 ribs celery (Chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (Chopped)
• 14 oz diced tomatoes (Canned)
• 4 cup chicken broth (Use up to 5 cups as needed for desired soup consistency)
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano
• 0.5 tsp dried basil
• 1 cup ditalini pasta (Dry pasta)
• salt (To taste)
• black pepper (To taste)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (Grated)
• fresh basil or parsley (For topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes.

2. 2

   Use a slotted spoon to transfer the browned sausage to a bowl or plate, leaving the flavored oil in the pot. Set the sausage aside.

3. 3

   Add the chopped onion, sliced carrot, chopped celery, and chopped garlic to the pot. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the garlic is fragrant.

4. 4

   Add the canned diced tomatoes and 4 cups of chicken broth. Stir to combine and bring the soup to a boil.

5. 5

   Lower the heat and simmer the tomato and vegetable broth for 5–7 minutes so the flavors develop.

6. 6

   Bring the soup back to a gentle bubble. Add the dried oregano, dried basil, and ditalini pasta, then stir well.

7. 7

   Cook the soup, stirring frequently so the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pot, until the ditalini is tender. Add a little of the remaining broth if needed to reach the desired consistency.

8. 8

   Add the heavy cream and return the cooked sausage to the pot. Stir and cook until the sausage is heated through and the soup is hot, about 2–3 minutes.

9. 9

   Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove the pot from the heat.

10. 10

    Stir in the grated Parmesan until incorporated. Serve immediately, topped with fresh basil or parsley.

Notes

The recipe specifies 4–5 cups of chicken broth; begin with 4 cups and add more if the pasta absorbs too much liquid or a thinner soup is preferred. Stir frequently after adding the pasta to prevent sticking. Choose sweet sausage for a milder soup or hot sausage for additional heat.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main dish
• one-pot
• Italian-inspired
• comfort food
• sausage
• creamy
• pasta