Pizza Soup with Sausage (Printable)

Cozy soup combining classic pizza flavors—Italian sausage, pizza sauce, and mozzarella—in a savory, warming broth. Perfect comfort food.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz Italian sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Soup Base

05 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
06 - 1 2/3 cups pizza sauce
07 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

→ Cheeses

08 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tsp dried oregano
10 - 1/2 tsp dried basil
11 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large pot over medium heat, crumble and brown the Italian sausage until cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add the diced onion and red bell pepper. Sauté until softened, about 4 minutes.
03 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in the broth, pizza sauce, and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine.
05 - Add oregano, basil, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
07 - Just before serving, stir in half the mozzarella until melted.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and top each with remaining mozzarella. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It delivers every flavor you crave from pizza night without the oven or the wait.
  • The broth turns rich and hearty as the sausage browns and the mozzarella melts into every spoonful.
  • You can throw in whatever toppings you love, mushrooms, olives, even pepperoni, and it still works.
  • It comes together in under an hour using one pot and ingredients you probably already have.
02 -
  • Drain the sausage only if it releases a pool of grease, a little fat adds flavor and helps the vegetables cook.
  • Don't skip the simmer time, it lets the flavors marry and the broth thicken just enough to coat a spoon.
  • Stir in the mozzarella off the heat or on very low, high heat can make it stringy or separated instead of creamy.
  • If your pizza sauce is already heavily salted, go easy on additional salt until you taste it near the end.
03 -
  • Use a mix of mozzarella and a little Parmesan for a deeper, saltier cheese flavor.
  • Let the soup rest for 10 minutes after cooking, the flavors deepen and the broth thickens slightly.
  • If you want it thicker, mash a few of the tomatoes against the side of the pot as it simmers.
  • Double the batch and freeze half, it's one of those soups that tastes even better the second time around.
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