There is something so comforting about enjoying a delicious bowl of homemade soup on a chilly day. Warm and satisfying, but not overly filling, it is also surprisingly easy to make with ingredients you have on hand in your pantry and freezer.) Move over, canned soup!)
This recipe for Italian Sausage and Shells is our new household favorite, bringing together perfectly seasoned sausage, zesty tomatoes, and tender pasta shells before finishing with a touch of cream and Parmesan. It is not likely to last (at least not in our household), so consider doubling the recipe out-of-the-gates if you want to have this crave-able goodness on hand for the week ahead.
Italian Sausage & Shells Soup
Gather your ingredients and equipment; nothing fancy is required, just Italian sausage, onion, fresh garlic, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, dried basil and oregano, small pasta shells (my favorite gluten-free shells are Banza), half and half, and good Parmesan cheese.
For the chicken broth, I LOVE the ease of having a jar of Better Than Bouillon chicken base on hand. You just dissolve the chicken base in hot water, and you have exactly as much broth as you need without the hassle of storing pre-made broth in your pantry or keeping leftover broth in your fridge. I bought this jar at Costco, and it makes over 100 cups of broth!
The rest of the soup making process is quick and easy. In fact, the whole recipe comes together in just 30 minutes!
If your sausage is in casings, remove the ground meat from the casings. Cook the sausage over medium heat until cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks.
Drain the grease, if needed, and add the diced onion, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and cook until the onion is slightly softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Next, add the minced garlic, and cook one minute more until fragrant.
Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, dried basil, and oregano to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then add the dried pasta. The pasta cooks in the soup, so no additional pots are needed!
Let the pasta cook for about 6-7 minutes, until it is al dente.
Lastly, add the half-and-half and Parmesan, which I buy in chunks and grate fresh with a micro-plane grater. I also like grating additional Parmesan to top each bowl because you can never have too much Parmesan cheese!
I hope you and your family enjoy this soup recipe and that it makes it into your rotation of go-to meal ideas. It has certainly gained a good position in our household!
Italian Sausage & Shells Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian seasoned sausage casings removed
- ½ cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons dried basil or oregano
- 8 oz small shells pasta regular or gluten-free
- ¾ cup half & half
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus additional for topping each serving
Instructions
- Brown sausage in large Dutch oven pot over medium heat, then stir in diced onion, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook about 4 minutes until onion softens.
- Add in minced garlic, and cook for 1 more minute until garlic is fragrant but not browned.
- Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and dried basil, and bring to a boil.
- Add pasta, and cook until pasta is al dente, about 6-7 minutes.
- Finally, finish soup with half & half and Parmesan and simmer until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes longer.
- Garnish with additional Parmesan for serving.
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