This pizza soup recipe is loaded with Italian sausage, pepperoni, and cheese in a rich tomato broth. It has all your favorite pizza flavors in a warm and hearty soup! A quick and easy recipe!
Do you love the idea of turning classic Italian dishes into cozy soups? Then you’re going to love my lasagna soup recipe!
As I wrote this post last week, every time I looked out the window, I saw a different scene. Sunny, then clouded over and ominous, nearly dark as night. Calm, then so blustery that our neighbor’s American flag was almost blown horizontal. And then the numerous 5-minute episodes of rain, snow, and sleet that alternated for most of the day. It was a mess!
And then, Easter yesterday? It snowed. All. Day. Long. What happened to our springtime weather?!
Lucky for all of us, I have many quick soup recipes to turn to for comfort. Easy pantry recipes are some of the very best recipes, and this pizza soup is no slouch. It’s one of my husband’s favorite soups of all time. If you already love my recipes for Italian sausage soup and classics like pasta fazool, I’m betting you’ll also like this pizza soup. They’re different, yet deliciously similar.
Why This Pizza Soup is Pure Comfort Food
- Full of flavor. This soup is robust, with tomato-rich flavor, Italian sausage, and pepperoni. It has a little bit of a kick that keeps you coming back for a second bowl, every single time.
- Quick to make. Enjoy a steaming bowl of pizza soup in under an hour with simple ingredients.
- Perfect for cozy dinners. We serve our favorite homemade cheesy garlic bread on the side, a wonderful tool for mopping up all that glorious soup!
Pizza Soup Ingredients
Here are the ingredients for this easy pantry soup recipe:
- Italian sausage – Our family prefers mild Italian sausage, but use spicy if you like. I always buy bulk ground sausage. If you buy sausage links, remove the casings.
- Yellow onion – You could also use a white onion or shallot.
- Green bell pepper – I’m not the biggest green bell pepper fan, would rather eat red ones. But with pizza, I really like green — reminds me of the Pizza Hut pizza we’d order when I was young.
- Mushrooms – Sliced fresh mushrooms add flavor, texture, and more heartiness.
- Minced garlic – This adds a lot of flavor to the soup broth.
- Canned crushed tomatoes and petite diced tomatoes – These two textures give a beautiful texture to the soup.
- Dried Italian herbs – I use a dried herb blend, for ease. But you can use individual dried herbs, too.
- Pepperoni – This takes the soup from a typical Italian-inspired soup to a true pizza soup!
- Grated Parmesan – Make sure to freshly grate the cheese for the meltiest texture.
- Shredded Mozzarella – I always grab shredded whole milk mozzarella. It’s so creamy and melty!
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley – Not a requirement, but it does add a nice fresh touch — especially if you’re serving this soup to guests.
How to Make Pizza Soup
This is an incredibly easy soup to make. You can have it on the table in about 40 minutes. Grab a large saucepan or smaller soup pot, and let’s make some soup!
- Brown the meat and onions. Sauté sausage, onion, and bell pepper in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Sauté the mushrooms. Fold in mushrooms and garlic and cook to soften.
- Stir in the other ingredients. Add water, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, dried herbs, black pepper, and pepperoni. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Stir in the Parmesan last. To serve, top individual bowls of soup with mozzarella cheese. Garnish with fresh basil and/or parsley, if desired.
More Add-in Ideas
Just like a traditional pizza, you can customize the “toppings” that you add to your pizza soup!
- Veggies. Add chopped spinach or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Aromatics. Stir in capers, anchovies, or pesto.
- Make it spicy. Add freshly chopped or pickled chilies, dried red pepper flakes, or some chili oil.
What to Serve with Pizza Soup
If you like to eat a soup and salad combo, be sure to check out my Italian chopped salad. It’s full of tasty goodies and dressed with a zippy Italian vinaigrette. PERFECT with this soup meal!
Grilled Romaine salad would also be a great choice, as well as this Greek chopped salad.
And if you missed the mention at the beginning of this post, don’t forget the garlic bread! Or, try Texas toast. It’s soft and tender on the inside, with delightfully crispy edges. My family goes crazy for it!
Pizza Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 8 ounces fresh button mushrooms, sliced ¼" thick
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups water
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 14.5 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning blend See Notes below
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces sliced pepperoni, chopped
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese See Notes below
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese See Notes below
- chopped fresh basil and/or Italian parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté sausage, onion, and green pepper, stirring occasionally and breaking up the sausage.
- When sausage is about halfway cooked, fold in mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are softened.
- Add water, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, dried Italian herb seasoning blend, black pepper, and pepperoni. Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Right before serving, stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and incorporated.
- Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with mozzarella cheese. Garnish with fresh basil and/or parsley, if desired. It's awesome with some soft cheesy garlic bread for dipping!
Notes
- Refrigerate. Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. I usually warm up the soup on the stovetop over medium-low heat, but the microwave will work, too.
- Freeze. You can freeze this pizza soup for up to 2 months. Store it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Thaw the soup in the fridge before you reheat it.
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2016. I updated some of the photos and text in 2020.
Red Gold is the brand on my shelf, and has been for many years. The other brands just do not measure up. I do believe this Pizza soup will be a hit in my house on a chilly February evening after cattle chores are done.
Hello Cindy – I hear this all the time! I do hope you enjoy the soup!
It just got soooo cold here in Ohio and this soup looks like the perfect way to warm up. I really need to try to find the Red Gold tomatoes in my area!
I’m seeing Red Gold more and more on the store shelves, and luckily my regular grocery store carries a large selection of their products. I hope you can find some! Thanks, Jamie!
You have combined two of my favorite foods here. Soup and pizza. I just love everything about this!
It’s quite the combination. LOVE! Thanks, Susan.
I couldn’t agree more about the quality of Red Gold! Love how bright red and intact their tomatoes always are, not to mention the taste!! What a great use to showcase them in this soup!
Thank you, Gina!
There is no time that pizza doesn’t sound good – and the ingredients make all the difference in the world!!
Yes, yes, and YES. Thanks, Megan!
Oooh, this is one soup the whole family would go nuts for! We’re Red Gold fans, too :)
Thank you, Liz!
What a fun soup idea. Everyone in our family will love it and I can’t wait to cook it for them.
I hope you like it, too. This pot of soup was gone lickety-split! Thanks, Meagan.
This looks so warm and comforting for chilly winter (and I love the bright red of those tomatoes too!)
Thanks, Erin. And I love that beautiful deep red color and tomato flavor, too!!
LOVE this idea and wish I had a bowl in front of me right now. YUMMY!
Thank you, Tieghan – – Happy Friday!
Such a cool soup idea! I can’t wait to try this out, pizza anything is perfect in my mind!
Thank you, Morgan – there’ll be many more pots of this soup made around here, for sure!
I did not pick the right time to read this post – I am starving and it looks so good!!
I know how that goes. :) Thanks, Liz – have a great weekend!
I could get onboard with this!! Pizza anything is fine by me!
Thanks, Dorothy – Happy Friday to you!
A. This soup sounds incredible!
B. I always but Red Gold….I’m not even sure why…I think it’s the can, but seeing the difference in those tomatoes, you can bet I’ll CONTINUE buying Red Gold!
A. Thank you, Bridget!
B. I wasn’t exactly sure why I’ve continued to reach for Red Gold over the past years, either, until conducting this little side-by-side. Opened my eyes (and taste buds), for sure!
C. Have a great weekend! :)
You are the soup queen! Love this newest mash up.
Ha! Thanks, Heidi – have a great weekend! :)