Soup season is here, but this Italian soup is so good we make it year-round. Italian Sausage Tomato Orzo Soup is an easy, savory, recipe made with Italian sausage, tomatoes, plump orzo, onion, garlic, and lots of delicious seasonings.
Why this recipe works
Think of an Italian Wedding Soup with all-pork sausage meatballs. This savory, comfort soup is on the table in only 30 minutes. The seasonings, especially fennel, put the finishing touch on this Italian-inspired recipe. It’s a filling soup, yet hangs out on the light side because there’s no dairy added to the broth.
This soup is the ultimate comfort food. We love our tomato soup for lunch, but this orzo soup is worthy of dinner! It’s a broth-based, one pot, savory recipe that requires only a few basic cooking techniques. The sausage and tomatoes give it a sweet and savory flavor while the orzo delivers that pasta-shaped-like-rice goodness that everyone loves.
How to Make Italian Sausage Tomato Orzo Soup
These step by step instructions are here to help you understand how to make this soup. Please scroll down to simply print out the full recipe!
- In a 3.5-quart soup pot on medium-high flame, heat olive oil until shimmering (about 1-2 min).
- Add sausage pieces and sauté until lightly browned; transfer cooked pieces to a plate and set aside.
- To the heated, oiled pan, add onion, garlic, and celery; sauté until fragrant and slightly tender, stirring as needed (3-4 min).
- Add orzo; sauté to lightly brown (2-3 min).
- Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes (with their juice), Italian seasoning, oregano, fennel, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to boil; continue boiling until pasta is cooked through (about 10 min); add sausage back to pot about halfway through the boiling process.
- Serve warm.
Kitchen Tips
- You can add leafy greens to up the nutritional value. If you decide to add any greens, just toss them in near the end of the cooking cycle and they’ll cook to perfection.
- If you like a topping on your soup, add croutons, shaved parmesan cheese, or try kale chips for something different!
- We love fresh bread from the oven and this homemade Italian bread recipe is the perfect accompaniment.
- Rolling the sausage into mini meatballs is fun, but you can shorten prep time by simply browning the sausage in chunks.
If you want more quick soup recipes for busy weeknights, check out my 30 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup. If you’re really pressed for time and need a 20-minute soup, check out my In-A-Hurry Kale Chickpea Soup. Both recipes are as easy as this Orzo soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lb. Italian sausage links casings removed; rolled into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 cup whole wheat orzo pasta
- 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 30 oz diced tomatoes 2 15-oz cans
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
Things You'll Need
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- 3 qt soup pot
- Wooden spoon
- Can opener
Before You Begin
- You can add leafy greens to up the nutritional value. If you decide to add any greens, just toss them in near the end of the cooking cycle and they’ll cook to perfection.
- If you like a topping on your soup, add croutons, shaved parmesan cheese, or try kale chips for something different!
- We love fresh bread from the oven and this homemade Italian bread recipe is the perfect accompaniment.
- Rolling the sausage into mini meatballs is fun, but you can shorten prep time by simply browning the sausage in chunks.
- We have successfully substituted an equal amount of pearl couscous for the orzo.
Instructions
- In a 3.5-quart soup pot on medium-high flame, heat olive oil until shimmering (about 1-2 min).
- Add sausage pieces and sauté until lightly browned; transfer cooked pieces to a plate and set aside.
- To the heated, oiled pan, add onion, garlic, and celery; sauté until fragrant and slightly tender, stirring as needed (3-4 min).
- Add orzo; sauté to lightly brown (2-3 min).
- Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes (with their juice), Italian seasoning, oregano, fennel, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to boil; continue boiling until pasta is cooked through (about 10 min); add sausage back to pot about halfway through boiling process.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
