Sausage Zucchini Soup

This delicious Zucchini Sausage Soup is packed with lean protein, vegetables, and the best rich tomato broth. It's a great way to use zucchini and easy to customize with any sausage and veggies you have on hand. Plus it is ready in less than 30 minutes. 

As soon as the weather starts to get cold, it's time to break out all the best soup recipes and this Italian sausage soup is at the top of the list. While some soup recipes require lots of time at the stove, this one is easy enough to make any night of the week.

The secret to making super flavorful soup in less than 30 minutes is choosing a really flavorful, ground sausage. Since sausage already has tons of flavor built in, it is one of the fastest ways to infuse the broth with tons of flavor without spending hours at the stove. 

Why You'll Love Sausage Zucchini Soup

• Versatile: This soup works with whatever you have on hand. Make it with any type of sausage you like. Add different vegetables. Try it with pasta or rice. Make this soup work for you. 
• Quick and easy: Using sausage in this recipe is the secret to making a super flavorful broth without needing to simmer the soup for hours. This soup is full of flavor in just 30 minutes. 
• Healthy: This soup is packed with vegetables and lean protein.  It is naturally low-carb and gluten-free.

Soup lovers also won't want to miss this delicious Healthy Lasagna Soup, Sausage Gnocchi Soup, and Sausage Lentil Soup.

Ingredients and Easy Swaps

Here is everything you need to make this tasty soup. 

• Sausage: This soup comes out best when it is made with ground sausage since the sausage infuses the entire broth with flavor. Choose pork sausage, chicken sausage, or turkey sausage. Remove it from the casing if needed. Since this soup has Italian flavors, it is usually made with spicy Italian sausage or sweet Italian sausage.
• Zucchini: The main vegetable in this soup is zucchini and normally I like to cut it into bite-sized pieces for easy eating. Sometimes I also use zucchini noodles. Feel free to add extra vegetables as well like summer squash, cauliflower, or green beans.
• Garlic, onion, celery, and bell pepper: Adding this combination of aromatics adds flavor to the broth and complements the flavors in the soup. Carrots are also delicious. 
• Diced tomatoes: Choose high-quality canned diced tomatoes to add to the soup.  Crushed tomatoes or whole tomatoes can also be used. Or saute fresh tomatoes if you like. For a deeper tomato flavor, consider adding 2-4 tablespoons to the broth as well.
• Broth: Any broth can be used in this soup including chicken broth, vegetable broth, or beef broth. 

How to Make Zucchini and Sausage Soup

This soup can be made in less than 30 minutes and takes just three simple steps.

1. Brown the sausage and cook the aromatics: Drizzle some olive oil in a soup pot. Once it is warm, add the sausage, onion, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. While normally I would cook the vegetables first, I have found that it isn't necessary with this soup. The vegetables will cook down as the sausage browns. Plus the sausage seasons the vegetables as they cook.
2. Simmer the broth: This soup doesn't need a lot of time simmering since the sausage quickly seasons the broth. Add the broth and diced tomatoes with their juices to the soup pot. Simmer for at least 5 minutes or simmer longer for even more flavor. If you want lots of tomato flavor, stir some tomato paste into the sausage before adding the liquids.
3. Add the zucchini: There is nothing worse than mushy zucchini so wait to add the zucchini until you are just about ready to eat. The zucchini only takes 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness of the slices. 
4. Taste and season: Taste and season the soup with kosher salt and pepper. If you plan on adding Parmesan cheese, watch the amount of salt since cheese is salty. 

Make it Yours! Recipe Ideas

This soup is versatile and there are so many ways to make it yours. 

• Add pasta: This soup is delicious with pasta. Consider adding orzo, rotini, shells, or any small to medium-sized pasta. The pasta can be cooked in the soup or separately, just make sure to add enough broth.  Or add tortellini, like in this Turkey Tortellini Soup.
• Add rice: Consider adding some cooked white rice, brown rice, or quinoa to this soup. Frozen or precooked grains are a great option. I do not recommend cooking rice in the broth since it releases a lot of starch in the broth.
• Add beans: This soup is so good with chickpeas, cannellini beans, or any type of white beans.
• Add more vegetables: Make this soup more nutritious with extra veggies like baby spinach, kale, green beans, cauliflower, or carrots. 
• Add cheese: Most times I serve this soup it is with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top. It also tastes great with goat cheese, feta cheese, or mozzarella cheese. Some people also like to add a Parmesan rind to the broth for even more flavor.
• Make it spicy: If you like things on the spicy side, add red pepper flakes to the soup or choose a spicy sausage. 

Storage and Leftovers

Like most soups, this soup only gets better after a night in the fridge. 

• Fridge: This soup will keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Make sure to let it cool before placing it in the fridge.
• Freezer: Store this soup in the freezer for 3-4 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or slowly in a slow cooker or pot.