This Instant Pot Sausage Soup with Orzo is not only satisfying but also quick and easy thanks to pressure cooking.
Top with parmesan cheese and serve with a big hunk of crusty bread for optimal enjoyment!
Related: Air Fryer Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- Italian Sausage - Spicy or a combination of Spicy with Sweet Italian is nice
- Vegetables - Spinach, onion, garlic
- Broth - Chicken or Vegetable
- Spices - Salt & Pepper
- Pasta - Orzo
- Cheese - optional but freshly grated parmesan is recommended
Substitutions and/or Additions
- Vegetables - carrots, zucchini, kale, diced tomatoes
- Pasta - any short pasta such as macaroni, corkscrew pastas etc.
- Sausage - flavored chicken sausage, other varieties of Italian sausage
Instructions
- Start off by sauteeing the onions and garlic and then the sausage.
- DEGLAZE the pan with a little of the broth.
- Next, add in the rest of the broth, salt and pepper and orzo. Pressure Cook.
- Last step is to add in the spinach. You don't have to cook to wilt in the spinach, the soup should be hot enough to wilt it with a quick stir and trapping the heat in by popping the cover on for a few minutes.
For full instructions and ingredients see printable recipe card below.
FAQ
Yes. Follow instructions as is but in a large pot. Simmer the soup for about an hour and a half. Cook the orzo separately and stir in at the same time spinach is added.
Top Tip
Be sure to deglaze the pot after browning meat. If you don't know what it means to deglaze, in simple terms, a small amount of liquid is added to the pot so you can scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot.
Deglaze - a cooking technique for removing and dissolving browned food residue from a pan to flavor sauces, soups, and gravies (source Wikipedia).
If you don't deglaze after browning meats you will most likely result in getting the dreaded BURN message. You've been warned!
Check out my entire collection of Instant Pot recipes: INSTANT POT RECIPES including my most popular recipe which is Instant Pot Taco Pasta
Printable Recipe Card
Instant Pot Sausage Soup with Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ Cup diced sweet onion
- 2 Cloves garlic minced
- 1 Pound spicy ground sausage
- 6 Cup chicken broth
- 1 Cup orzo pasta dry
- 6 Ounce baby spinach fresh
- ½ Teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ Teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Optional parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Set IP to saute. Once hot, add oil and then onions. Saute 2-3 minutes, stirring cocasionally. Add in garlic and cook just 30 seconds more before adding in sausage. Allow sausage to cook with onion and garlic, stirring every few minutes until cooked thru.
- Pour in about ¼ C of the broth and deglaze the pot by scraping cook bits from the bottom of pot.
- Add the rest of the broth, salt and pepper and orzo pasta. Cover and seal pot. Set to 4 minutes high pressure and then quick release the steam.
- Open pot and quickly stir in spinach. Pop the cover back on just for a minute or two to help the spinach wilt.
- If desired, grate fresh parmesan cheese into soup just before serving.
Nutrition
This recipe for Instant Pot Sausage Soup with Orzo was inspired by HowSweetEats.
peppylady (Dora) says
It been a while since I had orzo soup.
Coffee is on
lowcarbdiabeticJan says
This looks a very tasty recipe …
All the best Jan
foodyschmoody says
Thank you!
Tina Rinella says
I can see the recipe for IP version, but not the timing/buttons.......???
foodyschmoody says
Wow, I have no idea what happened! Thank you so much for letting me know so I can fix this! All set now! My apologies.
Mimi says
This is beautiful. And I can see enjoying this soup year round.
Rachel Richardson says
Question- can I substitute green beans for spinach??
How long to cook or when add in ??
foodyschmoody says
I’m sure green beans would be a welcomed addition. Unfortunately, I have not tried this so I can not comment on timing.