Sausage, Pepper, and Spinach Soup

This simple Sausage, Pepper, and Spinach soup is full of flavor, packed with vegetables, and incredibly comforting. Plus it comes together in about 30 minutes and freezes great.

Let's talk about this Sausage, Pepper, and Spinach Soup. It's packed with sausage, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and plenty of garlic. The key to making this soup really delicious is starting with a really good sausage. Choose either a sweet or hot variety depending on what you like and you can use chicken, turkey, or pork.

It can be ground sausage or links - just make sure it is full of flavor. And if for some reason it's not (access to your favorite products can be harder than normal),  just plan on adding some extra herbs and spices. Then you just add some onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and spinach and you have one flavor packed soup. If you want to beef things up, you could always add beans, rice, or pasta.

The other great thing about this soup is that it is really versatile. You can make it with all different vegetables, try it with different sausages, swap in new spices, or try it with a different style of canned diced tomatoes. It's one of those fridge clean out recipes we make all the time.

How to Make Sausage and Pepper Soup

Making sausage and pepper soup couldn't be easier. Start by browning the sausage in a touch of olive oil to release the seasoning and spices from the sausage. Then add the sliced bell peppers, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. You could substitute in other vegetables here based on what you have on hand.

Once the vegetables start to become soft and tender, add the tomatoes, broth, oregano, and bay leaf. Cook for at least 20 minutes to combine and deepen the flavors. Finish the soup by adding the spinach and stirring until it wilts. 

Taste and season as needed. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe Ideas, Tips, and Easy Swaps

• Make simple flavor changes to this soup using different types of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes add a layer of smokiness, spicy tomatoes (like Rotel) add some spice, Italian diced tomatoes add flavors of garlic and herbs. This is an easy swap that subtly shifts the flavor of the soup.
• Try different flavors of sausage to change up the soup. Sweet or spicy Italian sausage works, Andouille style sausage adds a Cajun flavor, herb laced sausages add more earthiness to the soup. Almost anything works.
• This soup can be made with any fresh or frozen vegetables you have on hand. Try it with zucchini, cauliflower, cabbage, green beans, butternut squash, kale, or anything else you have on hand.
• If you don't have sausage on hand, you could make this soup with another kind of ground meat, chicken thighs, chicken breast, or another protein. However, since ground sausage adds a lot of flavor to the soup and broth, you will need to kick up the spices to ensure a flavor-packed soup.
• If you only have precooked sausage on hand, that works as well. Just slice it and then brown it in the pan to pull deepen the flavor. Then taste the soup to see if it needs extra seasoning since precooked sausage doesn't release as much flavor as raw sausage.
• If you want a heartier soup, consider adding canned beans (chickpeas or white beans), pasta, rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, or lentils. 

Can I make this with ground turkey, chicken, or beef?

This soup can be made with any type of ground meat or protein you like. Then only change needed is that you will need some extra spices since ground sausage contains lots of spices and herbs in most cases.  For an Italian style sausage flavor, this seasoning blend works well with flavors of basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, fennel, and a hint of spice.

Best Way to Freeze Soup

There are a few things to keep in mind when freezing soup for the best results. Always start by letting the soup cool completely before freezing it. Then decide if the soup will be stored in individual portions or larger, family-style portions. For individual servings, I love to use these souper cubes, which make it really easy. For larger portions, I usually use larger freezer bags so that it can lay flat in the fridge. 

Always make sure to leave some extra space in the container since soup will expand as it freezes and you don't want it to overflow. Then defrost overnight in the fridge, in the microwave, or in a pot.

More healthy soup recipes

• Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
• Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup
• Sausage White Bean and Spinach Soup
• Taco Soup
• Healthy Turkey Chili

Calories 291, Total Fat 12g, Total Carbohydrate 18g, Protein 27g, Serving Size 1.5-2 cups

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