This Swiss chard soup with sausage and squash will quickly become a family favorite. This chard soup is hearty and chunky with Italian sausage simmered in vegetable broth making it a one-pot meal. Loaded with flavor, it’s comfort food at its finest.
Try pairing this tasty soup with Swiss chard with focaccia bread or this quick flatbread recipe for an even more flavorsome experience!
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Introduction
Looking for an easy and delicious soup recipe?
When the weather turns cold, it’s time to make those winter soup recipes.
You know, hearty homemade soups that include white beans, lentils, kidney beans, and everyone’s favorite escarole and beans!
Today, I’m sharing one of the best heartwarming soups you will ever make.
This Swiss chard sausage soup is perfect for chilly days. The fresh ingredients make this soup taste amazing and simple to prepare. This recipe is so versatile that you can adapt it to your preferences.
Mise en Place
Before assembling this soup, we need to chop and dice some of the vegetables and herbs.
Prep the butternut squash: Wash thoroughly. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer peel. Trim the ends and then trim the neck of the squash. Cut each section again in half. Remove all the seeds with a grapefruit spoon. Finally, dice the squash evenly into ½-¾ inch cubes.
Prep the onion: Remove the outer skin and dice the onion evenly into ¾-inch pieces.
Prep the garlic: Crush about 6 garlic cloves with the side of your knife. Remove the papery skins and cut off the tips. Please give them a coarse chop and set them aside. Feel free to adjust this amount based on your personal preference.
Prep the herbs: You will need 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage and 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped thyme.
Prep the chard: Whether store-bought or freshly picked, rinse the leaves and stems appropriately. Fill a large mixing bowl with water and gently rub off the dirt and sand from each leaf and stem. Remove the ribs from the green leafy part and keep them in two separate piles. Please give them a rough chop.
Instructions
Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sauté the chopped onion, frequently stirring for about 5 minutes or until softened.
Add ½ pound of Italian sausage, mild or hot, and continue to sauté while breaking up the meat until cooked.
At this time, add the 6 cloves of chopped garlic, the chopped herbs, and, if desired, a few pinches of red pepper flakes. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. If desired, add ¼ cup of white wine and cook for another minute.
Add the diced butternut squash, 6 cups of low-fat vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, and the rind of Parmesan cheese. Turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until you can easily insert a knife into the squash. Stir occasionally.
Add the chopped ribs of the Swiss chard. Add ⅓ cup of orzo pasta. Cook according to package directions or until almost al dente. About 2-3 minutes shy of the recommended cooking time, add the rest of the chopped Swiss chard leaves.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Adjust the consistency of the soup by adding water or broth.
Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf and rind of Parmesan cheese. Stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
If desired, garnish with some grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Adjust the consistency of the soup by adding water.
Tips
- Cut the vegetables uniformly so that they cook evenly.
- Roast the butternut squash seeds. Not only are they edible, but they are also a great source of plant protein. One-quarter cup of seeds contains almost 3 grams of plant protein.
- Frozen Swiss chard works just as well as fresh in this recipe.
- If desired, you can easily add other vegetables to this soup (carrot, celery, or even a potato).
- The addition of parmesan rind will add incredible flavor to the broth. Remove before serving.
- The orzo will absorb A LOT of the broth as the soup sits. If making this soup to serve later, cook the orzo in a separate pot, only adding it to the soup when you are ready to serve it.
- Use less broth for a thicker bowl of soup.
FAQ
Swiss chard is a green leafy vegetable with a slightly bitter and earthy taste similar to spinach. The leaves and stems are both edible and have slightly different flavors. The leaves are more delicate and have a softer texture, while the stems are tougher and have a more pronounced slightly bitter flavor.
Swiss chard can take 5 to 15 minutes to cook, depending on how soft you want. I would start with 5 minutes and then check it every few minutes to see if it’s done to your liking.
Swiss chard can be substituted with several other vegetables, depending on what you are looking for in terms of taste and texture. For example, if you want a similar texture, you can use beet greens, kale, or collard greens. If you are looking for a vegetable with a milder flavor, you can try using spinach or escarole.
Yes! You can use vegan sausage instead of Italian sausage. Another option is to replace it with legumes like lentils, chickpeas or beans.
Swiss chard recipes
Swiss chard is a great option if you’re looking for a healthy and delicious way to add some greens to your meal. This leafy green is packed with nutrients, and there are endless ways to prepare it. Here are a few of our favorite Swiss chard recipes to get you started.
Sauteed Swiss chard: Swiss chard is sautéed with garlic in this family recipe to create a tasty Italian side dish or accompaniment to your favorite meal.
Swiss Chard with Potatoes: Looking for a healthy, hearty traditional Italian side dish recipe? This Swiss chard recipe with potatoes is perfect for you! This dish is pure comfort food with earthy flavors and plenty of wholesome ingredients!
Swiss chard pizza: Pizza is an Italian classic that everyone loves. But what about using Swiss chard as a topping? This gives the pizza a unique flavor and texture that everyone will love!
Hearty vegetable soups
You might not think soup is a hearty meal, but it can be. Homemade soups can be just as filling and satisfying as any other dish. Here are a few family favorites.
Italian Lentil Soup
This tasty soup is loaded with vegetables and lentils, making this Italian lentil soup a nutrient-dense meal. The broth is rich and flavorful, thanks to herbs and spices like thyme and basil. This soup is perfect for those cold winter days!
If you enjoy escarole, then you’ll love this soup recipe! This hearty escarole and bean soup is perfect for those colder months. It’s hearty, flavorful, and nutritious. Plus, it’s really easy to make!
Recipe origins
Over a decade ago, I came across this recipe while watching Emeril Live on the Food Network. The episode was called hearty soups and featured some soups that would eventually take their place among some of my favorites.
As usual, I played around with the list of ingredients. I skipped the step to blenderize the soup, added swiss chard, switched up the spices, eliminated the cream and butter, and drizzled some olive oil just before serving. It is an Italian recipe, after all!
I’m thrilled to add this Italian sausage squash soup with Swiss chard to my soup collection. I hope you will as well!
Enjoy!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
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Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Italian sausage soup, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Swiss Chard Soup with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- ½ pound Italian sausage mild or strong, casings removed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- pinch red pepper flakes optional, or as much as you like
- 1 tablespoon sage fresh, chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme fresh, chopped
- ¼ cup white wine optional
- 1 medium butternut squash diced into ½-¾ inch cubes
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth low fat, low sodium or homemade
- rind of Parmesan cheese optional
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅓ cup orzo
- 3 cups Swiss chard chopped, about 1 bunch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
To Garnish:
- Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese
Instructions
- Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sauté the onion, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the sausage and continue to sauté, all the while breaking up the meat until cooked through.
- Add the garlic and the herbs, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- If desired, add ¼ cup of white wine and cook for an additional minute or so.
- Add the diced squash, the broth, the bay leaf, and the rind of Parmesan cheese.
- Turn the heat to high to bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, partially cover and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until you can easily insert a knife in the squash. Stir occasionally.
- Add the chopped ribs of the Swiss chard.
- Add the orzo pasta. Cook according to package directions.
- When the pasta is almost al dente, add the Swiss chard leaves.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Remove bay leaf and rind of Parmesan cheese.
- If desired, garnish with grated cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- Cut the vegetables uniformly so that they cook evenly.
- Roast the butternut squash seeds. Not only are they edible, but they are also a great source of plant protein. One-quarter cup of seeds contains almost 3 grams of plant protein.
- Frozen Swiss chard works just as well as fresh in this recipe.
- If desired, you can easily add other vegetables to this soup (carrot, celery, or even a potato).
- The addition of parmesan rind will add incredible flavor to the broth. Remove before serving.
- The orzo will absorb A LOT of the broth as the soup sits. If making this soup to serve later, cook the orzo in a separate pot, only adding it to the soup when you are ready to serve it.
- Use less broth for a thicker bowl of soup.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on November 15, 2015, republished on October 24, 2020, and more recently on September 23, 2022, with updated content.
Leslie B.
Made this on a recent chilly weeknight with some of the bounty of Swiss Chard still going strong in our midwest garden. I followed the recipe exactly and it was just delicious. The broth had such good flavor (those parmesan rinds are “umami bombs,”). The recipe gave us two dinners and will be served again, I am sure. Thank you!
Maria
My pleasure Leslie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Trina
This was excellent. My family loved it. Thanks!
Maria
How wonderful! Thanks for sharing Trina!
Lise
I had a lot of chard to use up and this recipe came to the rescue, most deliciously i might add! I didn’t have any squash so I used what I had on hand: carrots, sweet potatoes and YG potatoes. Other than that, I followed the recipe to the letter: so, so good! I will definitely make this again. Thank you for the recipe and the inspiration.
Maria
My pleasure Lise! Great variation! Thanks so much for sharing!
Lisa
One of my favorite soups. I had never used sausage or orzo in mine, but always added carrots and celery Thank you for sharing , loved your version!
Maria
My pleasure Lisa! Thanks for sharing!
Bryan
We made this as our first soup of the fall season and it was delicious. Our only addition was in the bowl, I sprinkled a little cinnamon into mine, my partner chose to sprinkle nutmeg. Really wakes this soup up even though it had plenty of flavor without it. It will be in our fall/winter rotation.
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Bryan. It is definitely soup weather!
Alissa
This was super delicious and not too complicated to make at all! I crumbled in Beyond Italian Sausage to make it vegetarian. It’s so nice to be able to enjoy Italian recipes that I remember from my childhood, while being gluten-free and vegetarian! Thank you so much for this recipe, my family and I loved every bite!
Maria
How wonderful Alissa! Thank you so much for sharing!
Elaine
Excellent recipe!!! Unfortunately I didn’t have all the ingredients called for and with covid #s being bad we are reducing trips to the store.
Here is what I did so I could make it tonight:
used 1/4 cup Pastina instead of Orzo
Used zucchini and carrots instead of butternut squash ( I love butternut squash so that is definitely on the list next time)
and because we had no crusty bread to eat with it we put croutons and Italian cheese on top
It was great on this cold evening thanks for the inspiration for dinner
But next time I do it for reals!
Maria
Thank you so much for sharing Elaine, sounds absolutely delicious. Stay safe!
Maria
This is a wonderful variation Elaine! Sounds delicious, thanks so much for sharing.
Mary Manguso
Delicious! Made with kale and will try with chard next time!
Maria
Thanks for sharing Mary! So healthy with kale!
Ur pal val
Interesting combination of ingredients… looking forward to trying this. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Maria
Hope you get a chance to try it! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Becca
Really good! Happened to have all ingredients on hand from my winter csa and freezer. Omitted noodles to make it gf and reduced spices bc I used dried. Added diced orange pepper with the onions and white beans at the end with the chard. Wonderful on a cold winter’s day 😊
Maria
How wonderful Becca! Thanks so much for sharing.