27 Italian Soup Recipes You’ll Make Over and Over

From its rich history to its unbeatable pasta recipes, there are thousands of reasons to love Italy.

But if you asked me, I’d say my favorite thing about Italy is its soups. 

I’ve tasted over a dozen varieties of Italian soup and it blows me away every single time.

They’re always so deliciously filling and packed with flavor!  

To share my experience in the world of Italian cuisine, I’ve listed 25+ favorite Italian soup recipes that’ll keep you coming back for more. Let’s get cooking. 

1. Italian Sausage Butternut Squash Soup

 

Italian Butternut Squash soup is comfort food that keeps on giving. It’s a richly textured meal, full of bold flavors and just the right amount of spice to light your senses alive. 

It’s made with easy-to-find ingredients, such as Italian sausage, Northern beans, heavy cream, and, the star of the meal, butternut squash. 

This soup takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. 

Cook the onions, garlic, peppers, and sausage in a Dutch oven for about two minutes. 

Then, blend the previously softened squash with an immersion blender and add the teams, tomatoes, and sausage mixture. 

That’s it—garnish and serve! 

2. Italian Wedding Soup 

 

Despite its namesake, Italian Wedding soup isn’t eaten during weddings.

The term “wedding soup” actually came from the phrase Minestra Maritata (literally married soup), referencing the careful marriage of its ingredients. 

This hearty soup is meaty and dense with greens and pasta.

Although you only really need two ingredients (meatballs and green veggies), you can also include fava beans, prosciutto bones, broccoli rabe, and escarole. 

If you don’t have pasta, replace it with rice or bread.  

3. Italian Meatball Soup 

 

I’ve tested multiple versions of meatball soup, from the classic German meatball soup to the more flavored Mexican meatball soup. I favor the Italian version the most. 

Italian meatball soup has three main ingredients: tomatoes, meatballs, and conchiglie pasta. 

To make this soup, sauté garlic, pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and tomato paste in a pan. 

Then, add in the pasta sauce, broth, seared meatballs, and about a cup of water. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. 

Once everything is cooked through, throw in the dry pasta. 

Serve with slices of fresh or toasted sourdough, and garnish with chopped parsley. 

4. Italian Sausage White Bean Soup

 

Say hello to a warm and comforting bowl of Italian Sausage White Bean Soup! 

This meal is loaded with fresh spinach, tender cannellini beans, and sausage pieces. 

This recipe is extremely versatile. If you’re not a fan of spinach, you can instead use Swiss Chard, kale, or any other leafy greens.

All you really need for this recipe to work is sausage (preferably authentic Italian sausage) and cannellini beans. 

To add a bit of kick to the dish, you can several strips of chopped bacon and red pepper flakes. 

5. Tuscan Soup

 

Tuscan soup, locally known as Zuppa Toscana, is an Italian-style soup that hailed from Tuscany, Florence. 

In the US, Tuscan soup is a staple in Olive Garden. This recipe copies the flavors of traditional Zuppa Toscana and adds a bit of American flair. 

It’s best served with Cheese and Tomato Garlic Pizza Bread, Tomato Cucumber Salad, or a nice, crusty baguette.

You can also eat it with Lemon Parmesan Roasted Asparagus for a boost of nutrition. 

This version may be a bit on the heavier side, but trust me, it’s a meal you’ll never forget. 

6. Italian Chicken Soup 

If you’ve never had Italian Chicken soup before, you’re missing out. 

Seriously, if you had to pick just one recipe from this list to make, choose this. It’s simple yet delicious. 

This Italian Chicken soup takes less than 10 minutes to make and uses ingredients you already have in the kitchen. 

Italian chef Laura Vitale uses potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, and celery in her recipe.

She also uses chicken thighs to add flavor and richness to the soup, as well as small-cut pasta. 

7. Italian Lentil Soup 

 

Regardless of where it’s made, Lentil soup never fails to satisfy my winter night cravings. 

This Italian Lentil soup is just as delicious as its foreign counterparts. 

It’s made with tons of fresh veggies and protein-rich lentils. The addition of Italian flavors makes this dish all the more delightful. 

For this recipe, you’ll need dried brown lentils (rinsed and picked over), carrots, zucchini, kale, diced tomatoes, and dried herbs like basil, thyme, and oregano. 

Serve with a slice of fresh toast and parmesan cheese if desired or any of these lentil soup side dishes!

8. Chicken Gnocchi Soup

 

This copycat recipe is just as delicious as Olive Garden’s Gnocchi Soup, if not more. 

It’s made with perfectly seasoned chicken, flavorful creamy broth, and pillowy-soft potato gnocchi. 

It takes a bit more effort to make than some of the recipes on this list, especially if you make the Gnocchi from scratch, but it’s absolutely worth the effort. 

9. Italian-Style Garlic Soup 

For all you garlic lovers out there, you’ll adore this flavorsome Italian-Style Garlic Soup recipe. 

Two heads of garlic seems a bit much, but the pungent garlic flavor actually dissipates throughout the cooking period, leaving a pleasing, smooth note in its wake. 

This Garlic Soup is best served with a slice of bruschetta or croutons. Top it up with some coarsely chopped parsley for that extra freshness and enjoy! 

10. Lasagna Soup

 

This Lasagna Soup recipe combines two of my favorite things: lasagna and soup! 

Loaded with Italian sausage, lasagna noodles, and cheesy toppings, this soup is a fantastic feel-good cheat meal. 

Best of all, it’s easy to make. 

Sauté the sausage until it starts to brown, then add in your onions and garlic. 

Once the onions turn translucent, stir in some crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, beef broth, and lasagna noodles. 

Boil for 15 minutes or until the noodles have softened up. And voilà—you’ve got yourself a hearty Lasagne soup!  

Serve warm and top each bowl with some mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and ricotta. 

11. Ribollita Soup

Tuscany delivers yet again with Ribollita Soup, a classic Tuscan dish made with leftover bread.

This recipe has been around since the Middle Ages, but it still remains to be one of the best Italian soups in the world

Like most Tuscan cuisine, Ribollita soup has peasant origins. 

Traditionally, it’s made with leftover minestrone or vegetable soup, stale bread, and cannellini beans.

Ribollita means re-boiled in Italian, so Ribollita Soup is literally just re-boiled soup. 

In addition to stale bread and white beans, you can make this soup with whatever vegetables you have available. 

The secret to this soup is in the seasonings, so pay close attention to the measurements provided! 

12. Italian Turkey Burger Soup 

 

If you want to indulge in a hearty, meaty dish, you can’t go wrong with this Italian Turkey Burger Soup recipe. 

It has three primary ingredients: carrots, celery, and lean ground turkey breast. 

It cooks in less than an hour and doesn’t take much preparation.

 Like most Italian soups, this Turkey Burger Soup is best served with a slice of fresh buttered whole wheat bread.

13. Italian Borlotti Beans Soup

Borlotti beans are perhaps my favorite beans in the world. They’re creamy, decadent, and add a hint of nutty sweetness to any dish.

It’s much like cannellini beans, but better. 

This Italian Borlotti Beans Soup recipe celebrates the taste of borlotti beans.

With the addition of cherry tomatoes, fresh rosemary, and Italian pancetta, this dish is simple yet flavorful. 

To enjoy this soup to the fullest, serve it with several slices of Sourdough Rosemary Focaccia.

14. Italian Seafood Soup

 

Brimming with layers upon layers of flavor, this Zuppa di Pesce recipe is dressed to impress.

Seafood Soup has always been a hit or miss for me, but this recipe had me asking for seconds (and thirds, and fourths…). 

This recipe isn’t particularly tricky to make, but you do have to pay close attention to the cooking times.

Since it’s made with all kinds of seafood, you have to make sure you don’t undercook or overcook the ingredients. 

This Zuppa di Pesce recipe is made with mussels, clams, prawns, salmon fillets, and mini octopus or squid tentacles, but really, you can use any seafood you like. 

Serve the dish with crusty bread or your favorite pasta. 

15. Pappa al Pomodoro 

 

Italians love their tomatoes as much as they love their cheese, so it’s no surprise that this Pappa al Pomodoro recipe made it to this best-of list.

There’s nothing more authentic than freshly-made Italian tomato soup.

I especially love this with some Italian paninis!

Pappa al Pomodoro, AKA Tomato and Bread Soup, is a rustic soup made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, stock, bread, and Italian seasonings.

It’s served to pipe hot with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped basil. 

Although made with simple ingredients, Pappa al Pomodoro is packed with a ton of flavor.

It’s unlike any other tomato soup I’ve tried, and trust me, I’ve tried a lot! 

For best results, use fresh, ripe tomatoes instead of tomato paste or canned tomato.

Ripe tomatoes add a bit of herbal edge and citrusy brightness to your dish.

16. Minestrone Soup 

This list won’t be complete without the inclusion of Italian Minestrone Soup.

It’s been around since the 2nd century B.C. when the local diet was “vegetarian by necessity.” 

There’s no set recipe for this soup since it can be made out of whatever you have in your kitchen.

It can be vegetarian, vegan, or meat-based. 

This particular recipe is made with cabbage, borlotti beans, ground beef, and macaroni noodles. 

Sauté the vegetables and meat until tender, then stir in the tomatoes, broth, beans, and seasoning.

Simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables soften. 

Just before serving, add in some cooked macaroni noodles, Parmesan cheese, and about five shakes of cayenne pepper. 

Minestrone Soup is best enjoyed with buttered bread. 

17. Italian Lemon Barley Soup

 

This vegan and oil-free Italian Lemon Barley Soup is everything I love about Tuscan cuisine: bright, bold, and easy to make. 

The rosemary adds a welcome earthiness to the dish, perfectly complimenting the bright citrus essence from the lemon. 

To make it even tastier, this soup is made with fire-roasted tomatoes and homemade vegetable broth. Simply divine. 

18. Pasta e Fagioli 

 

Pasta e Fagioli, AKA Pasta and Beans, is a delightfully rich and savory meal made with fresh veggies, creamy beans, al dente pasta, hearty turkey sausage, and a rich tomato sauce. 

It comes together fast; saute the veggies, add the seasoning, and pour the tomato sauce beans and pasta.

Remove the soup from the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese, and serve with crusty bread. 

This recipe uses kidney beans, but if you want a more authentic flavor, use cannellini.

Pasta e Fagioli is best served immediately, as the beans and pasta soak up the broth pretty fast.

If you’re planning to store this in the fridge, don’t add in the pasta so it won’t turn into mush overnight. 

19. Tortellini Soup

 

Tortellini Soup is an easy, homey one-pot meal that can be made in between household chores or while hosting a party. 

Plus, it’s made with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen: tomatoes, cream, tortellini, and baby spinach or kale. 

To experience the full genuine taste of Tortellini Soup, I encourage you to make fresh tortellini pasta.

Fresh tortellini works better than dried with this soup. 

20. Creamy Potato Soup 

 

Made with Italian sausage, red potatoes, spinach, heavy cream, and grated Parmesan cheese, this Creamy Potato Soup is a show stopper. It’s basically comfort food personified. 

To fully bring out the flavors of this dish, pour in some wine, chicken, and beef broths, and sprinkle with thyme sprigs. 

Top it up with fresh cracked black pepper and Parmesan, and serve with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping.

21. Stracciatella Soup

Video link: Stracciatella Soup – Italian Egg Drop Soup Recipe

If you want something fast, filling, and comforting, this Italian Egg Drop Soup Recipe won’t let you down.

It quite literally takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, making it the best soup to make during lazy days. 

Stracciatella Soup has three main ingredients: broth, cheese, and, of course, eggs. 

You can use any cheese you have in your kitchen, but it works best with Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheese. 

22. Italian Sausage Ozro Soup 

 

This Italian Sausage Ozro Soup recipe is super cozy and delicious. Brimming with rich, savory flavor, it’s my go-to recipe for a cool fall night. 

Italian Sausage Ozro Soup is a 5-stage recipe.

Brown the sausage, sauté the veggies, simmer the broth, cook the Ozro pasta, and, finally, add the spinach and seasonings. Yup, it’s that easy. 

Serve immediately with your favorite toppings. I recommend freshly grated Parmesan and chopped fresh basil and/or parsley.

23. Pasta e Ceci 

 

Pasta e Ceci, translated to Pasta with Chickpeas, is a traditional Italian soup that originated from Rome. 

To make this recipe, sauté the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and rosemary in olive oil, then toss in chickpeas, chicken broth, bay leaf, seasoning, and tomato paste. 

Once it comes to a boil, add in the pasta and let it cook until soft. Top with Parmesan, chili flakes, and olive oil, and enjoy! 

24. Minestrina “Feel Better” Soup 

 

In Italy, Minestrina is served when you’re sick or feeling sad. It’s the Italian “penicillin,” as they always say.

It’s similar to Chicken Soup, except it’s much better because it has cheese. 

You heard that right; this soup is made with creamy cheese wedges, chicken/vegetable broth, and pastina (little pasta).

It’s prepared in under five minutes, making it a fantastic easy-to-make comfort soup for under-the-weather folks.

Minestrina is best served with Parmareggio or melted Parmesan cheese triangles and topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 

25. Fagioli e Cotiche 

Fagioli e Cotiche, which translates to Beans and Pork Rinds, is a classic Italian dish that emerged from Lazio. 

It’s often dubbed a “poor man’s recipe” because it uses a part of a pig that’s usually wasted. 

This soup is super flavorful, though, especially since it uses a ton of aromatic herbs and is cooked with olive oil. 

26. Zuppa Imperiale

 

Zuppa imperiale, also known as Imperial Soup or simply Broth Bread, is a rich yet clear soup made with capon or chicken and topped with small square dumplings. 

These dumplings are usually made of eggs, semolina, butter, Parmesan, and flavored with nutmeg and black pepper. 

The cubes are cooked for about 5 minutes in the clear broth and served hot. 

Zuppa Imperiale often appears on the menu during Christmas celebrations. 

27. Creamy Pumpkin, Bean, and Chestnut Soup 

 

This soup is inspired by Fagioli e Castagne, which literally translates to Beans and Chestnuts.

It’s popular in the mountainous part of Italy, particularly from the Apennines in Abruzzo. 

This creamy pumpkin soup uses cannellini beans, but it’s traditionally made with borlotti beans and sometimes chickpeas.

The two main ingredients—beans and chestnut—are cooked together in a clay pot with olive oil, onion, lard, and herbs. 

Celebrity chef Jeremy Lee puts a modern twist to the recipe by including pumpkin, smoked ham hock, carrots, and several other chopped veggies into the dish. 

Like traditional Fagioli e Castagne, it’s served hot with grated Parmesan.