Why This Recipe Matters
Years ago, I was on a mission to find a soup that was healthy, make-ahead friendly, and actually filling—something I could eat for weekday lunches and still genuinely look forward to. That’s what led me to start making sausage minestrone soup at home.
After testing way too many vegetable soup recipes, I kept running into the same problem: they were fine, but they weren’t the kind of soup that actually keeps you full. So I played around with it, and before I knew it, what started as veggie soup turned into minestrone (because yes…apparently I prefer meat and pasta in almost everything I eat).
Now this sausage minestrone soup is the recipe I come back to again and again—hearty, comforting, and packed with vegetables, with just the right amount of sausage and pasta to make it truly filling. It’s also one of the easiest soups to make ahead, which makes it perfect for busy weeks.
Prepare Your Taste Buds
This soup is flavorful and nourishing—the kind that tastes like it simmered all day, even if it didn’t. You’ll get tender vegetables like carrots, celery, green beans, cabbage, and zucchini, plus savory bites of sausage and just enough pasta to make every bowl feel satisfying. And if you ask me, it’s even better with warm ciabatta garlic bread alongside it.
And of course… the finishing touch is a generous sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese. It brings everything together and adds that salty depth that makes you want to go back for just one more spoonful.
Sausage Minestrone Soup
A hearty sausage minestrone soup filled with vegetables, beans, and pasta in a deeply flavorful broth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 people 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced small
- 1 cup carrots, sliced into rounds
- 1 cup celery, diced medium
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 quarts low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 16 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 cups green cabbage, sliced into 2-3″ strips
- 2 cups green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2-3″ pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 whole dried bay leaves
- 1–2 tablespoons seasoned vegetable base (Better than Bouillon)
- 1 cup zucchini, diced medium
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Cook the pasta first: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (you can use the same stockpot you’ll use for the soup). Cook the ditalini until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside.
- Brown the sausage: In the same stockpot over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it browns. Remove cooked sausage from the pot and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease. Set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Reduce heat to low and add olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 2–4 minutes, just until softened.
- Add the tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste and sauté for 1–2 minutes, stirring often, until fully combined.
- Simmer the soup: Stir in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, cabbage, green beans, dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves. Add 1 tablespoon of seasoned vegetable base. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Finish the soup: If the broth reduces too much, add 2–4 cups of water and up to 1 additional tablespoon of seasoned vegetable base. Add the cooked sausage and zucchini and simmer for 10 minutes more, just until the zucchini is tender. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
- To Serve: Add a scoop of cooked pasta to each bowl, then ladle the hot soup over top. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Keeping the pasta separate prevents it from soaking up the broth as the soup sits. If you prefer, you can stir the cooked pasta into the pot just before serving, but it will thicken quickly as it stands.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 209
- Sugar: 6.6 g
- Sodium: 782.2 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.3 g
- Fiber: 5.9 g
- Protein: 12.5 g
- Cholesterol: 10.1 mg
Handy Hints
- Swap ground beef or turkey for sausage if needed.
- Use vegetable, chicken, or beef broth—all work well.
- Shortcut: use shredded bagged carrots to save prep time.
Make-Ahead Tips
- For best texture, store pasta separately and add it when reheating/serving.
- Minestrone thickens as it sits—add a splash of broth to loosen it when reheating.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3–4 days.
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