Creamy Red Pepper Italian Sausage Soup in the Crockpot

This cozy crockpot creamy red pepper Italian sausage soup combines savory sausage, sweet roasted red peppers, and tender kale into a velvety, satisfying bowl. It is ideal for busy Thanksgiving week night dinners or for packing nutritious, comforting weekday lunches ahead of time. The slow cooker does the heavy lifting, allowing all the warm garlic and Italian herb flavors to meld together seamlessly.

Ingredients

• 1 lb mild Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jar (12 oz) roasted red peppers, drained and pureed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup ditalini pasta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups fresh kale, chopped with stems removed

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and brown for 5-6 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 F. Drain excess fat.
2. Transfer the cooked sausage into a 6-quart crockpot. Add the diced yellow onion, minced garlic, pureed roasted red peppers, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir well.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH for 2 hours) until the onions are tender and the broth is flavorful.
4. During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, stir in the ditalini pasta, heavy cream, grated Parmesan cheese, and chopped kale.
5. Cover and continue cooking on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes until the pasta is tender and the kale is wilted.
6. Ladle into bowls or divide evenly into glass meal-prep containers. Garnish with extra grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Tips

• For meal prep, store cooled soup in airtight glass containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of broth if the pasta absorbs liquid.
• To keep pasta from absorbing broth during long storage, you can cook the ditalini separately on the stove and stir it directly into individual portion containers.
• Swap mild Italian sausage for spicy Italian sausage if you prefer an extra kick of heat.