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    Italian Sausage Orzo Soup (One-Pot 30-Minutes)

    By Julia | Updated: Dec 03, 2022 | Published: Dec 03, 2022 | 45 Comments

    20.4K shares
    • Facebook2.2K
    Jump to Recipe Print SaveSaved!
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    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 with Spinach and Mushrooms in a white bowl.

     

    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!

    Sausage Orzo Soup with Spinach and Mushrooms in a white bowl.

    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
    Sausage Orzo Soup with Spinach and Mushrooms in a white bowl.
    4.69 from 142 votes

    Italian Sausage Orzo Soup (One-Pot 30-Minutes)

    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.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 6 people
    Calories per serving 495 kcal
    Author: Julia

    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
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    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 Information
    Italian Sausage Orzo Soup (One-Pot 30-Minutes)
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    495
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    32
    g
    49
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    13
    g
    81
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0.002
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    13
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    82
    mg
    27
    %
    Sodium
     
    833
    mg
    36
    %
    Potassium
     
    746
    mg
    21
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    30
    g
    10
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    5
    g
    6
    %
    Protein
     
    21
    g
    42
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    2519
    IU
    50
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    9
    mg
    11
    %
    Calcium
     
    71
    mg
    7
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    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.

    Keyword sausage orzo soup

    Sausage Orzo Soup with Spinach and Mushrooms in a white bowl.

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    20.4K shares
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Maria M

      March 25, 2025 at 9:27 am

      This was delicious! Everyone went back for seconds.

      Reply
      • Julia

        March 25, 2025 at 1:53 pm

        That makes me so happy, Maria! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Delora

      March 21, 2025 at 2:08 pm

      This is the best soup ever! Everyone has raved about it. Very Thai tasting. I am lactose intolerant and don’t love the taste of coconut milk but substituted it for the cream as Julia suggested and you couldn’t taste it at all. I also used what I had on hand so mild Italian sausage, white mushrooms and arugula instead of spinach and it still tasted fabulous! Thanks for a great recipe, Julia!

      Reply
    3. Peter

      March 17, 2025 at 2:47 pm

      I think you left out the oil at the beginning.

      Reply
      • Janice

        May 31, 2025 at 7:54 am

        No, Peter, Julia did not "leave out the oil" in the beginning. You don't need it! I've made this recipe several times--no oil, no salt Loved by my whole family right up to 91-year-old-Dad!! Julia, hope you can ignore those negative people, always correcting someone.... Your recipes are all amazing, and simple for those with not as much time to spend in the kitchen but are looking for something easy and quick to please! Thank you, Julia.

        Reply
        • Julia

          May 31, 2025 at 4:48 pm

          Hi Janice! Thank you so much for your supportive and thoughtful comment! ❤️ I'm really glad the recipe has become a family favorite (especially with your 91-year-old dad—that seriously made me smile!). ❤️ Thanks again for being here and cooking along with me!

          Reply
    4. Jamie

      December 08, 2024 at 3:19 pm

      I would like to know what you mean by a generous amount of thyme

      Reply
    5. Beverly Asher

      October 13, 2024 at 5:13 pm

      This is one of those cozy soups that fills you up and no one turns down. So very warm and good. Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 17, 2024 at 11:22 pm

        So glad everyone loved it. Thank you for your review, Beverly. ❤️

        Reply
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    Julia is the author of JuliasAlbum.com (a food blog focused on easy dinner recipes, pasta dishes, salads made with seasonal ingredients). In this photo, Julia is pictured wearing a yellow sweater against an Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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