Creamy Italian Sausage Soup with Orzo & Kale
This Creamy Italian Sausage Soup will easily become your new cozy favorite! Made with flavorful Italian sausage, tons of veggies, orzo, and a creamy broth, the recipe is satisfying and packed with flavor. Serve it with crusty bread for the ultimate comforting meal.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound mild or spicy italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 large celery ribs, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes with basil
- parmesan rind, optional
- 8 ounces dry orzo
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 5-ounce clamshell baby kale
Instructions
- In a 6 quart dutch oven or large pot, sauté the italian sausage over medium heat until brown bits develop in the bottom of the pot and the sausage is mostly cooked through. Do not drain the grease.1 pound mild or spicy italian sausage
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes.1 large yellow onion, diced, 2 large carrots, chopped, 2 large celery ribs, chopped
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.8 cloves garlic, minced, 1 1/2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*, fresh cracked black pepper
- Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, and parmesan rind. Scrape any brown bit off the bottom of the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.4 cups chicken stock or broth, 28 ounces crushed tomatoes with basil, parmesan rind, optional
- Stir in the orzo. Lightly boil for about 12 minutes (check the package instructions) or until the orzo is al dente. Stir occasionally to ensure the pasta is not sticking.8 ounces dry orzo
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream and kale. Once the kale has wiltened, turn off the heat and serve.1 cup heavy cream, 1 5-ounce clamshell baby kale
Notes
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Simmer. The longer you let this creamy Italian sausage soup simmer, the deeper the flavor. For the best results, let the soup simmer before adding the kale and heavy cream.
- Add the cream last. As mentioned, it’s best to add the cream in last. Otherwise, you risk having a separated soup.
- Don’t skip the rind. The parmesan rind is key to having a thicker, silky soup broth. While not necessary to add the rind, you’ll be missing out on quite a bit of flavor if you skip it.
Nutrition
Calories: 513kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 1060mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g