Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Smoked Sausage Minestrone Soup
Smoked sausage gives this simple vegetable soup a savory flavor that reaches right into the broth. Beans and little macaroni elbows make each spoonful satisfying. Let the pasta finish cooking, then ladle out a bowl with plenty of broth and enjoy it hot.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beans & lentils
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Soften the first vegetables
Cook carrots and celery in the heated oil until slightly softened before adding broth, sausage and seasonings.
2. Wait to add pasta
Let carrots become nearly tender in the broth before adding dry macaroni and beans for the last simmer.
3. Stop at cooked pasta
Simmer only until the pasta is cooked, then serve so the macaroni does not continue softening in the pot.
Get to know the ingredients
Smoked sausage slices
Halve the sausages lengthwise, then slice them before adding to the broth with the partly softened carrots and celery.
Rinsed white kidney beans
Rinse and drain the canned beans before adding them near the end with the uncooked pasta for the final simmer.
Elbows or another short pasta
Elbow macaroni is listed, with another short cut allowed. It cooks directly in the soup after the carrots nearly soften.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Smoked Sausage Minestrone Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Ladle when pasta is tender
Serve the soup as soon as the pasta finishes, sharing the sausage, beans and vegetables among the bowls with their broth.
A little more help as you go
Stir the first simmer
Stir occasionally while the sausage and vegetables simmer in broth, checking the carrots before the pasta goes in.
Loosen refrigerated soup
The macaroni absorbs broth as it sits. Try adding a splash of broth or water when reheating leftovers.
A few questions you might have
How long can I refrigerate leftovers?
Keep the cooked smoked sausage soup in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Can I freeze the soup?
Try freezing it without pasta, then adding fresh pasta when reheating to avoid overly soft macaroni.
Does the sausage need browning first?
The directions add the sliced smoked sausage directly to the broth after softening the carrots and celery in oil.
Are the beans added at the beginning?
They join with the pasta after carrots are nearly tender, warming in the final eight-to-ten-minute simmer rather than the earlier stage.
Which broth is listed?
The recipe uses low-sodium chicken broth, poured in with the sausage, salt and pepper before the first simmer.
Any more cooking tips?
Storage: Store leftover Smoked Sausage Minestrone Soup in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The macaroni will keep soaking up broth as it sits, so I usually add a splash of chicken broth or water when I warm it back up. If I know I want to freeze this soup, I’d leave the pasta out and add fresh pasta when reheating. Pasta tends to get much softer after sitting in broth and going through the freezer!
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
