Easy Instant Pot Creamy Italian Sausage Soup

This Instant Pot Creamy Italian Sausage Soup with gnocchi is quick and easy to make! It’s a hearty and delicious entree soup perfect for lunch or dinner.

Loaded with Italian sausage, tender gnocchi, spinach, roasted red peppers, onions and bacon, this creamy Italian style soup has everything you need for an entree soup that will satisfy even the hungriest appetites!

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Instant Pot Italian Sausage Soup

• The Instant Pot makes soup creation so easy! Everything is done in one pot, from sautéing to simmering – and who doesn’t love that!
• Plus, this recipe is quick! You will have soup on the table, hot and ready, in about 45 minutes start to finish!
• In addition, this recipe is easily customizable to your tastes or dietary preferences.

What You Need!

• INSTANT POT – (or just use a regular pot and your stovetop) This is a great recipe for a university student or someone who has a small cooking space where an Instant Pot or induction burner is all that’s available!
• SAUSAGE – I love using mild Italian sausage for this recipe, but if you like to spice things up a bit definitely go for a hot variety. No sausage? Use ground beef, leftover chicken or even ground turkey.
• BROTH – I used a low sodium chicken broth for this soup, but vegetable broth would be great as well. I love to make my own simple and easy chicken broth using leftover rotisserie chicken, then I store it in the freezer for recipes like this!
• AROMATICS – every delicious soup recipe needs its fair share of aromatics! Onions, garlic, bay leaf, parsley and the spices found in an Italian Seasoning mix, all play a huge roll in bringing out the luscious flavor found in this creamy Italian soup.

• VEGGIES!
  • Red Peppers – I used my roasted red peppers made quickly in the air fryer, but you can definitely use the canned or jarred variety in a pinch.
  • Spinach – Fresh or frozen, spinach adds flavor, texture and color. If you use frozen you will need to scale back on the amount called for in the recipe. 2 cups fresh spinach is equivalent to about 200 grams, and will cook down to about 1/2 cup cooked. And you should thaw it first, either using the microwave or just simply running it under warm water, to get your 1/2 cup. Kale would also be a super substitute if spinach is not available.
• GNOCCHI – I love gnocchi because it’s firm texture holds up well in soup. It’s quick to cook and doesn’t tend to get mushy. But if gnocchi is not your thing, use your favorite pasta like rotini, fusilli, or orzo. Rice will work in this recipe, brown rice would be especially good. Or if you are looking for a low carb option, use cauliflower rice!
• CREAM – I use half and half cream in this recipe, but you can use heavy cream. Want a thicker soup? Mix 1 teaspoon flour thoroughly into the cream and whisk into soup.

How To Make Creamy Italian Sausage Soup

In An Instant Pot

• Preheat Instant Pot to saute on high. Cook bacon till crisp, remove and drain grease (reserve for other recipes!) Add sausage and onion to Instant Pot and scramble fry till done, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Hit cancel.
• Pour a bit of broth into bottom of Instant Pot to remove any brown bits (that’s where so much flavor is!) If you skip this step you may get a “burn error” on the Instant Pot, so scrape away!
• Add seasoning, bay leaf and remaining broth. Close lid and set to high pressure for 4 minutes.
• Once done, quick release and hit cancel.
• Set to saute mode again on high, and allow it to boil. Add gnocchi and cook until they float. Add peppers, spinach, cream and half the bacon, then cook for 3 minutes.
• Remove bay leaf and serve. Garnish with parsley, bacon and add some parmesan cheese if you like.

Stovetop Method: Similar to above…

• Cook bacon, remove and drain grease. Cook sausage and onion, then add garlic.
• Add broth, seasoning, parsley and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Remove cover, add gnocchi, reduce heat to medium and cook until they float. Add red peppers, spinach, cream and half the bacon, then simmer for 3 minutes. Remove bay leaf, serve and garnish with remaining parsley, bacon and parmesan cheese (optional, and tasty!).

Leftovers

I love leftovers! And this Creamy Italian Sausage Soup, in addition to beef barley soup, is delicious served the next day. And you can heat it quickly in the instant pot again, set it for 1 minute on low pressure. Or similarly, heat it in the microwave or over low heat on the stove.

Other Recipes That Remind You Of Home!

• Chocolate Covered Rice Krispie Treats – cover everything in chocolate please!
• Easy Beef Barley Soup – hearty and delicious.
• No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies – super easy!
• Apple Grape Salad – our family’s favorite

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