Ditalini Minestrone Soup - Enjoy a bowl of hearty, flavor-packed Ditalini minestrone soup featuring loads of tender pasta, savory sausage, and fresh veggies in a rich tomato broth. The perfect comfort food for any night of the week!
Ditalini minestrone soup is a rich and savory twist on the classic Italian Minestrone that we’re loading up with juicy Italian sausage and is as filling as it is flavorful!
Bursting with garden veggies, little ditalini pasta, and crumbles of spicy or sweet Italian sausage in a tomato-based broth, this hearty soup is much of a family favorite as sausage potato soup and creamy roasted butternut squash is.
Customize this Italian sausage soup recipe to your liking by swapping in seasonal veggies or using your favorite sausage. No matter what, it’s the ultimate cozy soup that is easy to make and the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day!
For more sausage-filled soups, try my Italian sausage soup and kale soup with sausage next.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a one pot soup recipe for minimal cleanup!
- Bold Italian flavors in every bite.
- Great for a cozy weeknight dinner or Sunday supper.
- Make ahead friendly, so it’s great for meal prep.
Minestrone Soup Ingredients
- Olive oil: For browning the sausage as it cooks and crumbles.
- Italian sausage: Use either hot or mild sausage that’s not in any casing, it’ll look like ground meat. This way it’s easier to just drop in the pot and start breaking apart.
- Onion and garlic: Aromatics for extra flavor.
- Carrot and zucchini: Classic veggies in any minestrone soup! Dice them to even-sized morsels.
- Salt and pepper: Seasoning to taste.
- Beans: You can use canned red kidney beans, white beans, or black beans. Drain and rinse them before adding them to the pot.
- Chicken broth: I will always use my homemade chicken broth or chicken feet bone broth in my soups for the best flavor.
- Diced tomatoes: No need to drain them, add them in along with the juices.
- Herbs: Dried basil and dried oregano.
- Ditalini pasta: Or your choice of small pasta.
How to Make Minestrone Soup
Step 1: Add oil to a dutch oven or heavy bottom soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage to cook and brown for about 5-7 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break it into small crumbles as it cooks.
Step 2: Toss in the diced onion, carrot, garlic, and zucchini. Season with salt and veggies and cook the veggies for about 10 minutes until they soften.
Step 3: Pour in the chicken broth, add the diced tomatoes, beans, and herbs. Stir everything and increase the temperature to high. Bring the soup to a boil.
Step 4: Add the ditalini pasta and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pasta until tender (about 15 minutes). Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crispy sourdough bread croutons and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips for Sausage Ditalini Soup
- Take the time to brown the sausage and sauté the aromatics. This helps to build amazing flavor even before you add any liquid.
- Be careful not to overcook the pasta. It can become mushy. It will also absorb a lot of the liquid if it sits too long!
- For a spicy version use hot Italian sausage and sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.
- You can add leafy greens for extra vitamins. Wilt some spinach or kale into the soup at the end.
- If you plan to make this ahead of time, cook the pasta separately and add it in just before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheated leftovers are even better the next day!
I recommend freezing the soup without the pasta. Once you reheat it, you can add separately cooked pasta back in. Reason is, the texture of pasta changes (gets mushy) once thawed.
Sure you can! Use any small pasta shape you like. Elbow macaroni, small shells, and even orzo will work.
The term minestrone soup is pretty redundant, even though we all say it! Minestrone is an Italian soup made with a tomato based broth filled with garden veggies, beans, and often pasta.
Traditionally it has typically been vegetarian, but there are plenty of people who prefer to add meat for extra protein!
More Cozy Soup Recipes
- Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Beef Pho Soup
- Salmon Chowder
- Italian Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Did you try this recipe? Please leave us a ⭐ review below!
Thank YOU for YOUR Comment, Share & Recipe Review!
When YOU make this Ditalini Minestrone Soup Recipe tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, Tik Tok and YouTube! Thank you for visiting!!!
📖 Recipe
Italian Sausage Ditalini Minestrone Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage wild or sweet
- 1 medium onion peeled and diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 large zucchini washed and diced
- sea salt and pepper to taste, about 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 15 oz beans black or white beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 cups chicken broth homemade chicken broth is the best
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- ¾ cup ditalini pasta or pasta of your choice, optional
Instructions
- Brown the Sausage: Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into bite-sized pieces until browned and cooked through.
- Sauté the Veggies: Add the chopped onion, carrot, zucchini, and minced garlic to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, then cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Build the Flavor: Pour in the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Stir in the rinsed beans, dried basil, and oregano. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, allowing all the flavors to come together.
- Add the Pasta: Once boiling, stir in the ditalini pasta. Reduce the heat to medium and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is perfectly tender.
- Serve and Enjoy: Ladle the hot minestrone soup into bowls and top with crispy sourdough croutons (or a sprinkle of parmesan if you like!). Serve warm and enjoy the cozy, hearty goodness.
Notes
- Use quality sausage: A good Italian sausage (mild or spicy) adds tons of flavor to the broth. You can also use turkey or chicken sausage for a lighter option. I like to buy mine from the local farmers market.
- Chop veggies evenly: Cutting your veggies into similar sizes helps everything cook evenly and makes each bite balanced and satisfying.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so cook it just until tender. If you're planning leftovers, consider cooking the pasta separately and adding it to each bowl before serving.
- Make it vegetarian: Swap the sausage for extra beans or lentils and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for a delicious vegetarian version.
- Add leafy greens: Stir in a handful of spinach, kale, or Swiss chard during the last few minutes of cooking for a boost of color and nutrients.
- Crouton or no crouton? Sourdough croutons add amazing crunch, but this soup also pairs beautifully with crusty bread or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
Leave a Reply