Serve a group with this simple, flavorful, and soothing Sausage and Peppers Soup. It captures all the beloved elements of a traditional Italian Sausage and Peppers dish, but it’s transformed into a warm and nutritious soup. This recipe features readily available ingredients, requires just one pot, and is ready in about 30 minutes. Additionally, it fits Whole30 and gluten-free diets, although you’d never know it.
Essential Ingredients for Sausage and Peppers Soup
- Sausage: I used a Barese-style chicken sausage, but feel free to swap it for any mild or hot Italian sausage you prefer. If your chosen sausage is particularly fennel-heavy, consider reducing the amount of fennel seeds in the recipe.
- Bell Peppers: I enjoy mixing red, green, and yellow peppers. It not only adds a lovely array of colors to the soup but also introduces various flavors and sweetness profiles. You may choose to use just one type of pepper or any combination of the three. Other options like red shepherd’s, cubanelles, poblanos, Anaheims, or long hots can be used as substitutes.
- Onion: For added sweetness and depth, sauté some yellow onion along with your peppers.
- Garlic: As always, trust your instincts with this ingredient—there’s no such thing as too much garlic!
- Herbs: I like to incorporate fennel seeds and Italian seasoning to complement the sausage’s flavors, which also harmonize beautifully with the sweetness of the peppers and onions.
- Chicken Broth: You can opt for homemade chicken broth or a store-bought option. I particularly love Kettle & Fire for its clean, organic ingredients, pasture-raised chicken bones, and absence of sugar, preservatives, dyes, or fillers. Plus, it’s shelf-stable, saving you valuable freezer space.
- Crushed Tomatoes: A small can of crushed tomatoes brings color, flavor, and a touch of acidity to the soup. I prefer a small can of Mutti Polpa, which is a delightful blend of diced tomatoes and tomato purée without additives or sugars.
- Potatoes: I recommend using yellow potatoes for their creamy texture and delightful flavor. You can leave the skins on for a rustic touch rich in nutrients or peel them for a softer texture. If you keep the skins on, be sure to scrub them well to remove any dirt.
- Chile Flakes: I prefer to keep the soup mild and add some chile flakes to my own bowl for an extra kick. This way, my daughter can enjoy the soup too, without me needing to make a separate batch.
Which Broth Should I Choose?
For optimum flavor and results, it’s best to use high-quality chicken broth. This choice can significantly affect the soup’s taste. While homemade broth is often preferable—especially if you use my mom’s recipe—if that’s not an option, Kettle & Fire is an excellent alternative.
You can select their Organic Chicken Broth for a lighter flavor or, for more richness, go for their Classic Chicken Bone Broth. It’s made with organic, free-range chicken bones, no sugar, or artificial colors, and packed with gut-friendly collagen as well as 19g of protein per carton. Plus, it’s shelf-stable, so it doesn’t take up space in your freezer.
Can I Make the Soup Ahead of Time?
Absolutely! This Sausage and Peppers Soup can definitely be prepared in advance. In fact, it enhances in flavor the following day! Just ensure you store the soup in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.
When reheating the soup that you prepared ahead, remember that some of the liquid may evaporate. If that occurs, simply add a bit of chicken broth or water to reconstitute it.
What Type of Sausage is Best to Use?
Almost any Italian sausage can be used in this recipe. Depending on your tolerance for spice, you can select mild or hot. My favorite option is Barese-style sausage, which appears as a long coil and is usually thinner than traditional sausage, made from a blend of pork and veal but also available in chicken (as I’ve used here) or lamb. To maintain the Whole30 and gluten-free criteria, always check with your butcher about the sausage preparation or read the ingredient label if purchasing from a store, ensuring it’s free from fillers like wheat starch or sugar, and encased naturally.
Make it More Filling!
I’ve added diced potatoes to the soup for extra heartiness, but you can easily swap in a can of white beans, your preferred pasta, some farro, or even a handful of rice instead.
Each of these starchy ingredients will impart a unique flavor and consistency, providing plenty of room for experimenting with whatever you fancy. Alternatively, consider using cauliflower or omit the starch entirely to make the soup low-carb and keto-friendly.
This recipe was developed in collaboration with the California Table Grape Commission. All views shared here are my own.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
- 1 pound Italian sausage, chicken, pork or veal, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ½ red bell pepper, julienned
- ½ green bell pepper, julienned
- ½ yellow bell pepper, julienned
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cartons, 1 quart Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth
- 14 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 small bunch fresh basil, roughly torn, plus extra for garnish
- Crushed red chile flakes, optional, for serving
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Begin by preheating a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and allow it to heat until it shimmers. Introduce the sausage and cook it undisturbed until it turns golden brown, approximately 4 minutes. Flip the sausage pieces to brown the other sides for another 4 minutes. Add the onion, red pepper, green pepper, and yellow pepper, seasoning with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the peppers start to soften, around 6 minutes. Introduce the garlic, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds, cooking and stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Add the Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits off the pot’s bottom. Mix in the crushed tomatoes, potatoes, and black pepper. Raise the heat to high, bring the mixture to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, which takes about 15 minutes. Taste the soup, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Finish by adding the basil and stirring to combine.
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Scoop the soup into individual bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with fresh basil and chile flakes if desired. Serve hot.
Calories: 613kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 21g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 1117mg, Potassium: 1269mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 783IU, Vitamin C: 98mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition data is automatically generated, thus should only serve as an estimation.
Have you tried this recipe? Leave your feedback in the comments below!
About the Author
Hello, I’m Ronny! Back in 2013, after years of struggling with my weight and body image, I changed how I approached food, lost over 40 pounds, and transformed my life.
