Italian Sausage Orzo Soup features portobello mushrooms, spinach, fresh herbs, and just a touch of cream! It's a quick and easy 30-minute one-pot recipe that a whole family will love! Great for meal prep - make this hearty and comforting pasta soup for busy weekdays and weeknights.
Sausage orzo soup - one-pot 30-minute comfort food
Sausage orzo soup is a complete and well-balanced meal that has protein (Italian sausage), veggies and fiber (portobello mushrooms and spinach), and carbs (orzo). All these delicious ingredients are combined together in a flavorful and creamy broth made with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and fresh thyme. Everything is cooked in one pot and the soup is ready in 30 minutes! It's a perfect recipe to feed the crowd - delicious, easy-to-make, and easy to double the recipe, and looks quite presentable in a soup bowl along with a slice of crusty bread. You can't go wrong with the sausage and orzo combination - just take a look at this reader-favorite creamy butternut squash orzo with sausage.
Why make it
- This easy-to-make cozy soup makes a beautiful presentation with minimal effort.
- It's a one-pot meal that takes only 30 minutes to make and requires minimal cleanup as only one pot is used! Perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, or making ahead!
- Great comfort food for Fall/Winter. This hearty sausage orzo soup will bring warmth and coziness to your table on the chilliest nights of the year.
What is orzo?
Orzo is a short-cut pasta resembling long-grain rice in shape. It is made from flour, like usual pasta. Often, orzo is made with semolina (durum wheat used for making pasta). Choose the kind of orzo that is larger in size compared to other varieties (if your store offers that). I bought an orzo by Delallo brand, Number 65 cut. It was large enough to my liking. There was also a smaller orzo on the shelf which I found too small in size for my taste.
Main ingredients
- Spicy Italian sausage is what I used. You can also use mild or sweet Italian sausage (and add extra spices, if you like!). I used the crumbled kind but you can also buy sausage in casings, remove the casings, and crumble it.
- Orzo - I used the Dellalo brand, Number 65 cut. It's the largest cut of orzo that I could find! Yes, there are different sizes of orzo offered in some grocery stores and online!
- Spinach - I used fresh spinach, but frozen spinach can certainly be used! You can also add kale or arugula instead of spinach or in addition to it.
- Mushrooms. I used portobello mushrooms that add a rich and deep, almost "meaty" flavor to any dish. They taste quite differently from other mushrooms. You can also use white button mushrooms, crimini, or shiitake.
- Italian seasoning combines just the right dried herbs and is perfect for sausage orzo soup. You can also use Herbs de Provance.
- Heavy cream. I added just ½ cup of heavy cream to the whole soup to add a hint of creaminess without overwhelming the soup with too much cream.
- Fresh herbs such as fresh thyme add a ton of flavor!
Substitutions
- Make it gluten-free by replacing orzo with long-grain rice.
- Make it vegan by omitting the sausage and replacing heavy cream with unsweetened coconut milk, cashew milk, almond milk, or oat milk. Replace the chicken stock with vegetable broth. You can replace the sausage with plant-based veggie sausage or simply use more portobello.
- Add extra spices in this case, such as red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
- Can't find orzo? Use any other small-cut pasta you like. This includes bow tie, orecchiette, fusilli, or even gnocchi.
Cooking tips
- Add extra spices if you like, such as red pepper flakes, Cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
- Toppings. When serving, top the sausage orzo soup with grated cheese (Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Asiago), fresh herbs, green onions, red pepper flakes, or cracked black pepper.
Storage and reheating tips
- Refrigerate. Store leftover sausage orzo soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat. Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop in a large enough pan over medium heat, stirring halfway through. Add extra chicken stock or broth to thin it out.
What to serve with it
I find that simple, colorful, and vibrant salads are a perfect combination to serve alongside hearty soup and crusty bread. Try one of these salads:
- Arugula Salad with Apples, Cranberries, Pecans, and Balsamic Dressing
- Cranberry Spinach Salad with Cashews and Goat Cheese and Lemon-Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
- Autumn Salad with Arugula, roasted Butternut Squash, dried Figs, toasted sliced Almonds, and Pomegranate Seeds.
- Simple Spinach Salad with Pine Nuts, Parmesan Cheese
- Arugula Salad with Pears, Apples, and Cashews
Other soup recipes
- Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes
- Chicken, Spinach, and Bean Soup
- Creamy Shiitake Mushroom Soup
- Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup with Wild Rice
Italian Sausage Orzo Soup (One-Pot 30-Minutes)
Ingredients
- 15 oz spicy Italian sausage crumbled
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbs from Provence
- fresh thyme to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 cup orzo uncooked
- 8 oz portobello mushrooms (2 big mushroom caps chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 5 oz fresh spinach
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Add crumbled Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, a generous amount of fresh thyme (no sprigs, just leaves), and red pepper flakes to a large saucepan. Cook. on medium heat, regularly stirring to break the sausage.
- Once the sausage released juices and is half cooked, add 1 cup of uncooked orzo, chopped portobello, and minced garlic, and cook, constantly stirring, for about 3 minutes on medium heat until portobello mushrooms soften but are not cooked through.
- Add 5 cups of chicken stock, stir everything well, cover with the lid, bring to a boil, and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes until the orzo is cooked.
- Add spinach to the soup, cover with the lid and let it wilt on low heat, occasionally stirring.
- Once the spinach has wilted, remove the soup from the heat and add heavy cream. Stir everything and season with salt and pepper. Add more red pepper flakes, if you like. Top with fresh thyme.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This was a really great base recipe because I have to admit I changed it quite a little bit. Used mild Italian sausage because we don't do spice, added the can of fire roasted tomatoes started out with a mirepoix of celery onion carrot didn't add any cream. We all absolutely loved it and will definitely make it again
Sue, I am so happy this recipe provided you with some cooking inspiration! 🙂 I love the addition of fire-roasted tomatoes, carrots, and onions!
This soup recipe is so quick, simple and a mouth full of fabulous flavors. My husband who doesn't particularly like soup couldn't wait to try it. The smell in the kitchen while cooking was wonderful. Once he tired it he had seconds. It is on the top of our list to make again very soon.
Penny, I am so happy to hear this recipe is worth repeating! ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful review! 🙂
So, this recipe came into my emails on a very cold day so it must've been an omen! I didn't have orzo on hand so substituted wild rice; and I used fresh rosemary sprigs (my favorite!) in place of the thyme. I topped it with shaved parmesan and fresh basil. All I can say is, "YUM!" I used andouille sausage and the red chili flakes and it had a lovely little kick in addition to all that wonderful flavor! Paired with a good crusty bread and butter side and I was set!
Shari, thank you for your detailed and thoughtful review - it means so much to me! ❤️ Love that you used wild rice and andouille sausage here - what a delicious choice!
Amazing, addictive soup! Love it. I did make a slight adjustment. Skipped the red pepper flakes, and instead of 5 cups broth, used 4 cups (1 quart/box) and a can of fire roasted tomatoes. SOOOO good! I'll definitely be making this again. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Therese, I love your changes, especially the addition of fire-roasted tomatoes! ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to share your review - I so appreciate it!
I tried this soup earlier this week. It was so good that I made it again today for lunch with friends.
Anna, I am so happy to hear this recipe is worth repeating!
New family favorite soup! Savory with a little kick - great with a crusty French bread on the side. 5 stars!!!
Lynda, thank you for your review and the 5-star rating! ❤️ Crusty French bread is the best side-kick to this soup!
Just made this on a very cold, wet and miserable November evening. Perfect comfort food and so easy to make. Used Nduja donut had a real kick to it. Thank you so much, it was delicious.
Jenny, I am so glad this soup added comfort and coziness to the nasty weather. 🙂 Thank you for your wonderful review! ❤️
Delicious soup. Made it with tortellini also. Comfort food! We enjoy your recipes!
This soup is soooo flavorful.. gonna definitely make this again!!!! Thank you
Dawn, I am so happy to hear that! ❤️
Gail, I am so happy you love my recipes - thank you for sharing your 5-star review! ❤️
I skipped the pepper flakes because I used hot sausage. And my package of sausage was about 1 link bigger than the recipe called for. I used it all and it didn’t overpower the soup. So good! Leftovers reheated nicely. Will definitely make again.
Regina, thank you for providing such positive feedback - I really appreciate it! ❤️
I want to try this recipe. I am surprised that no EVOO is used with #1 instruction. Can I assume that the sausage added enough "liquid " to keep the thyme leaves from sticking? Love a hearty soup.
Cindy, there is no need to add olive oil as the Italian sausage releases enough oil from cooking it. I hope you enjoyed this recipe!
Just made this soup. Really good! Question: mine doesn't have that beautiful golden color to it. I used chicken sausage as I can't eat meat. Would this impact the color?
Nancy, the color came for the sausage I used. I would add smoked paprika or regular paprika, Italian seasoning to spice up the chicken sausage.
I added some onions and substituted almond milk instead and it was delicious. Everyone liked it!
Steph, so good to know that almond milk worked here!
Tried the recipe tonight and everyone liked it. My family can't do spicy so used very little of the pepper flakes. Will make it again.
Deb, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback - I really appreciate it! 🙂
This was excellent! I’ll definitely be making it again. Thanks!
Deborah, thank you for the rave review! ❤️❤️
This flavourful soup is easy and delicious! I might have added too many red pepper flakes based on how spicy my sausage was; thankfully I have eaters who like their spice ! I contemplated adding onion and celery, the basis for most of my soups, and decided to follow your recipe exactly. I'm glad I did! I also used Beyond Sausage - Hot Italian "Sausage" and people are surprised it isn't meat. Thanks for a great recipe!
Susanne, I am so glad this recipe turned out well! Thank you for taking the time to share such a helpful and detailed comment. Good to know that Beyond Sausage works well in recipes like this!
Does this freeze well?
Emily, yes, this will freeze well.
This was excellent. I used chicken breakfast sausage to lighten it up plus it was what I had on hand. I added a lot of crushed red pepper which made it spicy but delioucsly so. I didn’t have fresh thyme so I used dried.
Holly, thank you for trying the recipe and taking the time to share your feedback! 🙂 Glad it turned out well with breakfast sausage and with dried thyme.