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.
* This post is sponsored by Red Gold Tomatoes.
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
To enjoy a tomato-based soup to the fullest, really great tomatoes simply must be used. That’s why you’ll find canned tomatoes from Red Gold in my pantry and in my recipes. I truly believe they’re the best. (Read to the end of this post for my review.)
Here are the ingredients for this easy pantry soup recipe:
- Italian sausage – Mild or spicy ground Italian sausage. If you buy sausage links, remove the casings.
- Diced yellow onion – You could also use a white onion or shallot.
- Mushrooms – Sliced fresh or canned mushrooms both work well in this soup.
- Minced garlic – If you don’t have fresh garlic, substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Canned crushed tomatoes – Use Red Gold if you can find it!
- Canned diced tomatoes with green chilies – Again: Red Gold is my favorite. You could also substitute a can of diced tomatoes and a separate small can of green chilies.
- Dried herbs – Basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary (or your favorite Italian blend).
- Chopped pepperoni – The pepperoni is what takes this from a typical Italian-inspired soup to a true pizza soup!
- Grated Parmesan and shredded Mozzarella – Make sure to freshly grate the cheese for the meltiest texture.
- Chopped fresh parsley – Or extra basil, as an optional garnish.
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 and onion in a large saucepan over medium-high 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, and pepperoni. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 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. Try adding sautéed bell peppers, spinach, roasted vegetables, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Aromatics. Stir in capers, anchovies, or pesto.
- Make it spicy. Add freshly chopped or pickled chilies, or drizzle in 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!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Keep this cheesy pizza soup refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. I usually warm up the soup on the stovetop, 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.
More Cozy Soup Recipes
Pizza Soup
Ingredients
- ½ lb. Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 8 oz. fresh button mushrooms sliced (or substitute canned mushrooms)
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 c. water
- 2 15- oz. cans Red Gold® Crushed Tomatoes or 1 28-oz. can Red Gold® Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 14.5- oz. can Red Gold® Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. dried rosemary
- 4 oz. sliced pepperoni chopped
- ¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh basil and/or Italian parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium to medium-high heat, sauté sausage and onion, stirring occasionally.
- When the pink color in the sausage has almost disappeared, fold in the mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are softened.
- Add water, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and pepperoni. Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Before serving, stir in Parmesan cheese. Top with mozzarella cheese. Garnish with fresh basil and/or parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
The Best Canned Tomatoes
For four generations, the Red Gold family has been working with local farm families in the Midwest to grow some pretty fantastic tomatoes. This company started out with a father and daughter team that has grown into a full-time operation with over 50 family farm partnerships across three states: Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Some of these growers have been with Red Gold for over 30 years!
Take a look in our pantry; you’re sure to find Red Gold Tomatoes in there. I’ve been buying them for years. These are the tomatoes you want to use in this cheesy pizza soup.
Red Gold is obsessive about producing the best tomatoes in the most sustainable and environmentally conscious way. They grow Roma tomatoes with the optimum combination of heartiness, texture, sweetness, color, and consistency, and are NON-GMO Project Verified. During the canning process, tomatoes are selected by hand and then washed and sorted multiple times. The results are obvious. Just take a look at my findings in the Red Gold Challenge…
The Red Gold Tomato Challenge
When I agreed to take the Red Gold Challenge, to compare Red Gold’s tomatoes side-by-side with another major brand’s, let’s just say that I wasn’t completely enthused. I questioned how two brands of tomatoes could be that different. But I was quickly – very quickly – proven wrong.
From the moment I opened the two cans, just peering into their tops, I knew this was going to be a good lesson for me.
I was given very precise directions for this challenge, with multiple steps, to judge these two cans of whole peeled tomatoes. I was to rate each step using their numerical grading system, writing down my scores for the tomato color, uniformity, integrity, visible peel and seeds, color and consistency of the juice, and the intensity and flavor attributes of each tomato brand.
Just look at the two trays of tomatoes above. The difference shocked me, and I called Blake into the kitchen to take a look.
The Red Gold Challenge had me slicing open the whole tomatoes, scrutinizing the color, texture, and flavor. There really was no comparison. Red Gold’s tomatoes were much (MUCH!) firmer, with a more intense color of red, and a more natural garden-fresh tomato flavor.
I was amazed at the very obvious difference in quality. Know that you’ll now find even more of Red Gold’s tomato products in our pantry in the future!!
This post was originally published in 2016, and sponsored by Red Gold Tomatoes. I updated some of the photos and text in 2020. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this site possible.
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! :)