Hearty Pork Sausage Vegetable Soup

Growing up, my mom always made the same soup when the weather turned cold – chicken noodle from a can. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, but I never knew homemade soup could be so simple until I started cooking for my own family.

That’s when I discovered this pork sausage and vegetable soup. It’s the kind of recipe that makes you wonder why you ever bought the canned stuff. All you need is some basic ingredients, one pot, and about an hour of mostly hands-off cooking time. Trust me, even if you’ve never made soup from scratch before, you can handle this one.

What Kind of Pork Sausage Should I Use?

For a hearty soup like this, Italian-style pork sausages are your best bet since they’re already seasoned with complementary herbs and spices that will enhance your broth. Look for sausages that are labeled “mild” or “sweet” Italian if you prefer a gentler flavor, or “hot” Italian if you want to add some heat to your soup. If you can’t find Italian sausages, regular good-quality pork sausages will work fine – just make sure they’re not too heavily flavored with ingredients that might clash with the Mediterranean style of this soup. Before adding them to the pot, you can remove the casings and break the meat into smaller chunks, which will distribute the flavor more evenly throughout the soup.

Options for Substitutions

This soup recipe is pretty forgiving and allows for several easy swaps:

• Pork sausages: You can use Italian sausages, chicken sausages, or even turkey sausages. Just remove them from their casings before cooking. For a vegetarian version, try using plant-based sausages or add extra chickpeas.
• Fennel: Not everyone keeps fennel on hand – you can skip it or replace with an extra celery stalk plus a pinch of fennel seeds for that similar flavor.
• Cavolo nero: Any type of kale works great here – curly kale, regular kale, or even Swiss chard or spinach. If using spinach, add it right at the end as it cooks much faster.
• Chickpeas: Feel free to swap with white beans, cannellini beans, or even kidney beans – just make sure to rinse them well before adding.
• Parmesan cheese: Pecorino Romano makes a good substitute, or try nutritional yeast for a dairy-free option.
• Stock: Any stock works well – chicken, vegetable, or even bone broth. Just make sure to adjust the salt content depending on how salty your stock is.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making sausage vegetable soup is cooking the sausages whole – instead, remove them from their casings and break them into small, bite-sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly and distribute flavor throughout the soup. A common error is rushing the vegetable base – take your time to properly sauté the onions, fennel, and celery until they’re soft and fragrant (about 8-10 minutes), as this builds the foundation of flavor for your soup. Adding the kale too early can make it mushy and bitter, so wait until the last 5 minutes of cooking to stir it in, allowing it to become tender while maintaining its texture and nutrients. For the best flavor development, don’t skip seasoning in layers – add a pinch of salt when cooking the vegetables, another when adding the broth, and adjust the final seasoning only after the soup has simmered and the flavors have melded together.

What to Serve With Sausage Vegetable Soup?

This hearty Italian-style soup is practically a meal in itself, but a few simple sides can make it even better! A warm, crusty loaf of ciabatta or sourdough bread is perfect for soaking up all the flavorful broth – I like to rub the bread with a cut garlic clove for extra taste. For a complete meal, you might want to add a simple side salad with arugula, lemon juice, and olive oil to balance out the richness of the soup. If you’re extra hungry, a plate of bruschetta topped with fresh tomatoes and basil makes a great starter that fits right in with the Italian flavors of this soup.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This hearty sausage and vegetable soup will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. The flavors actually get better after a day or two as everything mingles together! Just remember to let it cool completely before popping it in the fridge.

Freeze: This soup is perfect for batch cooking! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags. It’ll keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just leave a bit of space in your container as the soup will expand when frozen.

Reheat: When you’re ready to enjoy your soup, thaw it overnight in the fridge if frozen. Heat it up slowly on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You might need to add a splash of water or broth if it’s too thick. The kale might be a bit softer after reheating, but it’ll still taste great!

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	30-40 minutes
Total Time	40-55 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1500-1700
• Protein: 90-100 g
• Fat: 80-90 g
• Carbohydrates: 150-160 g

Ingredients

• 17.5 oz high-quality pork sausages
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 carrots, diced
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 1/4 cups broth or stock
• 14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch cavolo nero or kale, stems removed, leaves shredded
• 1.75 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated

Step 1: Brown the Sausage

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 17.5 oz high-quality pork sausages

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the extra virgin olive oil.

Once the oil is hot, squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings, directly into the pan, forming small meatballs or dumplings.

Cook the sausage pieces, turning occasionally, until golden and browned all over.

Remove the browned sausage from the pot and set aside for later.

Step 2: Sweat the Aromatic Vegetables

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

In the same pot, using the residual oil and sausage fat, add the diced onion, diced fennel, celery stalks, crushed garlic, dried basil, dried thyme, and dried oregano.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid slightly ajar, and let the vegetables sweat gently for about 10 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Sweating the vegetables like this really builds a flavorful base for the soup.

Step 3: Simmer the Soup

• 2 carrots, diced
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 1/4 cups broth or stock
• 14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add the diced carrots, canned diced tomatoes (with juices), broth or stock, and the rinsed and drained chickpeas to the pot with the sweated vegetables.

Stir well, bring the mixture up to a simmer, then cook, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

I like to taste as I go so I can adjust the seasoning at the end if needed.

Step 4: Finish and Serve the Soup

• 1/2 bunch cavolo nero or kale, stems removed, leaves shredded
• 1.75 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
• browned sausage pieces from Step 1

Just before serving, stir in the shredded cavolo nero or kale, grated parmesan cheese, and the reserved browned sausage pieces (from Step 1).

Allow the greens to wilt and the sausage to reheat in the soup for a minute or two.

For a more robust flavor, I like to let the soup rest off the heat for 5 minutes before serving.

Ladle the soup into bowls and, if desired, serve with crusty sourdough bread.