Ease into fall with this sausage zucchini soup. It combines fresh and pantry ingredients for one hearty bowl of soup. 

For more comforting soups, try our Dutch oven beef stew or vegetable orzo soup.

sausage zucchini soup in soup pot this recipe

Best End of Summer Soup

There’s no doubt we love summer zucchini! It makes the best Italian zucchini spaghetti bake, zucchini and corn fritters, or chicken stuffed zucchini.

Here’s another way to use up fresh zucchini: turn it into hearty soup with Italian sausage, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and orzo. It’s the perfect soup to make at the end of summer with extra zucchini from the garden.

This hearty sausage zucchini soup is full of fresh, wholesome flavors. It comes together pretty easily too –in one pot just like our orzo chicken soup.

I personally love this soup because it combines ingredients that I normally have in my pantry and fresh ingredients that are easy to find year-round. 

Few Tips About Zucchini

  • Buy zucchini that’s plump and firm without blemishes or soft spots.
  • Zucchini skin is soft, thin, and edible, so no need to peel it.
  • Store fresh, unwashed zucchini in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to one week. 
close up sausage and zucchini soup

Ingredients You Will Need for Soup

  • Italian sausage
  • Yellow onion
  • Celery
  • Green bell pepper
  • Garlic
  • Chicken stock
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Fresh basil and parsley
  • Red chili flakes
  • Zucchini
  • Orzo
  • Avocado oil, kosher salt, and black pepper 
ingredients for sausage zucchini soup

How to Make Sausage Zucchini Soup

Wash, dice, and chop all of the vegetables before you begin cooking. Vegetables can be prepared a few days in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to cook.

Zucchini is best sliced right before cooking. Cut the zucchini in half horizontally then slice into half circles ¼-inch thick.

  • Step 1: Cook the sausage – Heat avocado oil over medium-high heat in a dutch-oven or soup pot. Cook the sausage until browned and crumbled. 
cooked sausage and vegetables in soup pot
  • Step 2: Cook the vegetables – Stir in onions, celery, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook until tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
cooked vegetables in soup pot
  • Step 3: Add everything else in – Add chicken stock, tomatoes, basil, parsley, and red chili flakes. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Bring it to a simmer. Stir in zucchini and orzo. Reduce heat and cook partially covered until tender, 10-12 minutes. Serve with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
cooked zucchini sausage soup in a pot

To Serve

To Store

Leftover sausage and zucchini soup will last in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container. Soup will thicken when refrigerated. You can thin out with a splash of chicken stock when reheating.

Reheat leftover soup over medium heat in a small saucepan or soup pot, stirring occasionally, until hot.

zucchini sausage soup recipe

More Zucchini Recipes

Craving more end-of-season zucchini recipes? Here are a few more great options:

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overhead of zucchini sausage soup recipe in a bowl

Sausage Zucchini Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Simmer
  • Cuisine: Italian
Print Recipe

Description

Ease into fall with this sausage zucchini soup. It combines fresh and pantry ingredients for one hearty bowl of soup. 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 Tbsp. avocado oil or olive oil
  • 8–10 oz. mild Italian sausage
  • 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 cup
  • 1-2 stalks celery, chopped, about ½ cup
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh minced basil or 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh minced parsley or 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • Pinch red chili flakes
  • 1 (8-10 oz.) zucchini, cut in half horizontally then sliced ¼-inch thick
  • ½ cup dry orzo
  • Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

To Serve

  • Fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. In a large dutch-oven, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned while breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
  2. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook until tender, 5-7 minutes, while stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  3. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, basil, parsley, and red chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer. Stir in zucchini and orzo. Reduce heat and cook partially covered until tender, 10-12 minutes.
  4. Serve with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • Canned Tomatoes: The soup has plenty of smokiness from the sausage. If you like extra smoky flavor, use fire-roasted tomatoes, otherwise, regular diced tomatoes work great.
  •  Leftovers: Leftover soup will last in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container. The soup will thicken when refrigerated. If desired, thin out with a splash of chicken stock. Reheat leftovers on the stovetop over medium heat.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 425
  • Sugar: 6.2 g
  • Sodium: 967.3 mg
  • Fat: 29.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 20.1 g
  • Protein: 18.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 65.7 mg