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This delicious Marry Me Soup is made with Italian sausage, pasta and spinach in a creamy sun-dried tomato broth.
Ok, I hesitate to add any more “marry me” recipes to the Internet at this point. But this soup honestly knocked my socks off. I have to share it with you! ♡
It’s made with the famously comforting combination of pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, cream and spinach that seems to have taken the internet by storm these past few years. (I mean, who can go wrong with this lineup?) But instead of using chicken as our protein — popular in most “marry me” recipes — I chose to brown a batch of Italian sausage to mix into this soup, which adds a major boost of complex, robust, savory flavor to each bite. I also added in some red bell pepper and lots of spinach for extra veg and color. And I insist that you finish each bowl with a generous shower of freshly-grated salty Parmesan and some chopped fresh basil — delish!
I made this soup on a chilly weekday when we had a bunch of family in town and I was looking for a simple meal to feed a crowd. We served it with a simple arugula salad and some crusty bread for dipping. And it ended up being such a hit. (Our au pair even said it was her favorite meal I’d made all year!) We’re already planning to make another batch this week. So I hope you might give it a try too!
Marry Me Soup Ingredients
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this marry me soup recipe:
Sun-dried tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil add a burst of concentrated, sweet, tangy flavor to the soup. We’ll drain the tomatoes and discard most of the oil, but be sure to save a tablespoon to sauté the sausage and veggies for extra flavor.
Italian sausage: Ground Italian sausage adds so much richly-seasoned, savory flavor to this dish. Feel free to use either mild, sweet or spicy sausage. (And while I prefer ground sausage, you can also opt for sliced sausage coins if you prefer.)
Pasta: I used mini shells in the batch photographed here, which were so delightful. But feel free to use whatever small pasta shape you love best, such as ditalini, orzo or orrecchiete.
Veggies: We’ll sauté a simple mix of onion, red bell pepper and garlic as the base aromatics for our soup. Then I love wilting a few big handfuls of fresh baby spinach into the soup just before serving for an extra pop of flavor, vibrant color and nutrients.
Seasonings: Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper
Chicken stock: Chicken stock (or you could sub vegetable stock) serves as the flavorful foundation for the broth.
Heavy cream: A half cup of heavy cream adds a luxurious creaminess to the broth and balances out the tangy flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes.
Basil: I love topping each serving bowl with finely-chopped or julienned fresh basil leaves, but feel free to add even more to the soup if you prefer.
Parmesan: Finally, as I mentioned earlier, a shower of freshly-grated Parmesan is the savory “icing” on the cake with this soup! It’s salty, umami, nutty flavor enhances all of the other ingredients and perfectly finishes the dish.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few more variations to this Marry Me Soup recipe that you are welcome to try!
Use a different protein: Use meatballs, shredded chicken, pancetta, a different ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, etc) or a plant-based Italian sausage.
Use tortellini: Add in a package of fresh tortellini in place of the uncooked pasta. (In this case, recommend reducing the amount of chicken stock to 4-5 cups instead of 6.)
Add beans: Add a can of white beans (rinsed and drained) or cooked lentils to the soup for extra protein and hearty texture.
Add lemon: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the broth.
Make it gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free small pasta shape and double-check that the rest of the ingredient brands that you use are certified gluten-free.
More Creamy Soup Recipes
Looking for more creamy, cozy soup recipes to enjoy this winter? Here are a few of our favorites:
6 ounces uncooked small pasta* (I used small shells)
2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves, divided
toppings: black pepper, freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Sauté the sausage and veggies.Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage, onion, bell pepper. Sauté the mixture, using a wooden spoon to occasionally stir the mixture and break up the sausage as it cooks, until the sausage is browned. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, for 1 more minute.
Simmer.Add the chicken stock, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Drain the rest of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, then roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the soup. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Continue to simmer, lowering the heat when needed so that the soup continues at a low simmer (not fully boiling) until the pasta is nearly al dente.
Season.Add the cream, spinach, half of the basil and stir gently until the spinach has wilted. Give the soup a taste and season with salt and pepper and/or extra cream, if desired.
Serve.Serve immediately, garnished with your preferred toppings, and enjoy!
Notes
Pasta options: I used mini shells in the batch photographed here, which were so delightful. But feel free to use whatever small pasta shape you love best, such as ditalini, orzo or orrecchiete.
