This Butternut Sausage Orzo Soup is a quick and comforting one-pot dish featuring crumbled spicy Italian sausage, orzo, and cubed butternut squash in a flavorful broth.
Enhanced with fresh thyme, spinach, and a touch of heavy cream, it's a perfect 30-minute soup for a cozy Fall or Winter evening.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- With a cooking time of just 30 minutes and being made in a single pot, this soup is perfect for busy weeknights when you crave a comforting meal without spending too much time in the kitchen.
- The combination of orzo, butternut squash, and spinach creates a well-balanced and versatile dish, offering a mix of textures and flavors in every spoonful.
- Being a one-pot recipe means there's less cleanup involved, making it a convenient option for those who want a delicious meal with minimal kitchen mess.
This one-pot, 30-minute Creamy Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup is a quick, comforting delight, boasting rich flavors from spicy Italian sausage, a velvety texture with heavy cream, and a nutrient-packed blend of butternut squash and spinach—all while requiring minimal cleanup, making it a perfect choice for busy nights.
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Spicy Italian sausage- You can also use sweet Italian sausage if you prefer
- Italian seasoning
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Red pepper flakes
- Orzo- uncooked
- Garlic- minced
- Chicken stock
- Butternut squash- peeled and cubed
- Fresh baby spinach
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese- freshly grated
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cook crumbled spicy Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, fresh thyme, and red pepper flakes in a large saucepan until sausage releases juices.
- Add uncooked orzo and minced garlic.
- Cook for 2 minutes to brown the orzo.
- Stir in chicken stock and cubed butternut squash, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes until orzo and squash are cooked.
- Add spinach to the dutch oven.
- Cover, and let it wilt on low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat, stir in heavy cream, season with salt and pepper. Adjust consistency with more stock or water if needed.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese, fresh thyme, and additional red pepper flakes if desired.
🥫 Storage
This butternut sausage orzo soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, simply warm it on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Note that the texture may change slightly upon reheating, especially with the orzo, so you might want to add a bit of additional broth or water if needed. It's not recommended to freeze this soup, as the dairy in the cream may separate upon thawing.
📚 Variations
- Swap out the spicy Italian sausage for ground turkey, chicken, or diced ham.
- Use farro, barley, or quinoa instead of orzo for a different texture and nutrition.
- Control the spice by adding more or less red pepper flakes. Choose sweet Italian sausage for a milder taste.
- Add diced carrots, bell peppers, or kale for extra veggies and colors.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Stir the orzo often when it's browning. This adds a toasty flavor and prevents it from sticking.
- Peel and cube the butternut squash beforehand or buy pre-cut to save time. Smaller cubes cook faster.
- Take the soup off the heat before adding cream. This prevents curdling and gives a smooth texture.
🤔 FAQs
The combination of well-seasoned broth, aromatic herbs, and properly cooked ingredients, like the savory sausage in this recipe, contributes to the best flavor in a soup.
Orzo is similar to pasta but is made from wheat semolina, making it similar in nutritional value to pasta and slightly healthier than white rice due to its higher fiber content.
Orzo typically doubles in volume when cooked, so if you start with one cup of dry orzo, you'll end up with about two cups cooked.
Determining the healthiest soup depends on specific nutritional goals, but soups with a variety of colorful vegetables, lean proteins, and a balanced broth, like a vegetable and lentil soup, are often considered among the healthiest.
To enhance the flavor of vegetable soup, consider adding ingredients like garlic, herbs (such as thyme or rosemary), a splash of lemon juice for brightness, and a Parmesan rind during cooking for a savory depth.
📗 Related Recipes
If you're looking for more soup recipes for those chilly nights, consider trying Old-Fashioned Hearty Beef Barley Soup, Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup, or Italian Meatball Soup. Another soup created for cozy comfort in a bowl is Savory Chicken Wild Rice Soup. It's the ideal soup for weeknight family dinners and even holiday starters.
If you love butternut squash as much as we do, be sure to check out Butternut Squash Bisque with Bacon or even Pumpkin Ravioli!
For more ways to use Italian sausage, try Baked Italian Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash and Italian Sausage Pasta.
🍽 What to serve with Butternut Sausage Orzo Soup
This soup goes perfectly with a crusty bread. You could even make our Garlic Cheesy Bread to serve alongside it!
We also love to serve it with Fall Harvest Salad or a simple Arugula Salad.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Large Saucepan or Pot
- Cooking Spoon or Spatula
- Cutting Board and Knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Grater or Shredder
- Soup Ladle
- Timer
- Bowls and Utensils
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Indulge in the comfort of a quick and creamy Butternut Sausage Orzo Soup, where savory Italian sausage, tender orzo, and the sweetness of butternut squash come together effortlessly in one pot. With its rich flavors and easy preparation, this soup promises warmth and satisfaction, making it a delightful choice for any chilly evening. And another hearty soup that will certainly become a favorite is our Easy Chicken Pot Pie Soup. It has all the flavors of the classic dish without the fuss.
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Butternut Sausage Orzo Soup (30-Minute, One-Pot)
Ingredients
- 15 oz spicy Italian sausage crumbled
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme no sprigs, just leaves
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup orzo uncooked
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 10 oz butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese shredded, or grated (for garnish)
Instructions
- Add crumbled Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, a generous amount of fresh thyme (no sprigs, just leaves), and red pepper flakes to a large saucepan. Cook on medium heat, regularly stirring to break the sausage.
- Once the sausage released juices and is half cooked, add 1 cup of uncooked orzo and minced garlic, and cook, constantly stirring, for about 2 minutes on medium heat to brown the orzo.
- Add 5 cups of chicken stock and cubed butternut squash, stir everything well, cover with the lid, bring to a boil, reduce to visible simmer, and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes until the orzo and butternut squash is cooked.
- Add spinach to the soup, cover with the lid and let it wilt on low heat, occasionally stirring.
- Once the spinach has wilted, remove the soup from the heat and add heavy cream. Stir everything and season with salt and pepper. Add more chicken stock (or water) if the soup is too dense. Add more red pepper flakes, if you like. Top with Parmesan cheese (shaved, shredded, or grated) and fresh thyme.
Nutrition
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