The Best Gluten-Free Sausage and Fennel Soup Recipe

I think you can enjoy a good bowl of soup throughout the year regardless of the season. Especially when that soup is delicious, and made with fresh ingredients like this gluten-free sausage and fennel soup recipe.

This is just a symphony in a bowl. Simple flavours coming together in balanced harmony. It’s a hearty soup, but not overly heavy. Oh and don’t let the fennel scare you, as it is such a subtle influence in the complex balance of flavours – it is not over-powering. You are going to love it.

The Best Gluten-Free Sausage and Fennel Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 bulbs of fennel, diced into 1 inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large Spanish onions, diced
• 900g hot or sweet Italian fennel sausage- I used sweet Italian fennel sausage from REA foods, but any good quality Italian fennel sausage will work
• 2 pounds fresh spinach chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil or an olive oil and canola oil blend like Puroliva
• 9 cups gluten-free chicken stock
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp ground fennel
• Rind from a piece of Parmesan cheese about 1 inch long (omit if dairy free)
• 1 package gluten-free pasta. I used Rummo gluten-free mezzi penne rigate no. 28

Directions

• Clean and prep onions, garlic, fennel, and set aside.

• Take sausage meat out of casing, if using sausage in the casing. Skip this step if you bought loose ground sausage meat.

Tip: If you can’t get fennel Italian sausage you can add fennel to hot or sweet Italian sausage at this point. If you only have unseasoned sausage meat, mix it with salt, pepper, ground fennel, granulated garlic, and granulated onion to taste. Add in hot pepper flakes if you like spicy sausage.

• In a large heavy bottom pot heat 2 tbs of oil over medium heat until shimmering.
• Add in sausage and break up using a spatula or wooden spoon.

• Cook until sausage pieces are crumbled, but not hard and crisp – this takes 5-7 minutes over medium heat approximately.

• Add in onion, fennel, garlic to the broken up sausage and stir.

• Season with salt, pepper, granulated onion, and ground fennel.

Tip: You could add in chilli pepper flakes now if you want a spicy soup. You can choose to add chilli pepper flakes here even if you used sweet sausage or leave out the chilli flakes, if you are using hot sausage.

• Allow vegetables to sweat with the lid on, for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Pour 9 cups of chicken stock into the pot.

• Add in your Parmesan rind.
• Allow soup to simmer for 1 hour on medium low heat stirring occasionally.
• Remove stem from spinach leaf and discard.
• Chop spinach into strips, wash, and set aside.

• Add spinach to soup stirring it in.

• Leave pot on low heat for another 30 minutes- stirring occasionally.
• Boil 400g favourite gluten-free pasta. Drain pasta and return to pot with 1 cup of water to help keep the pasta from clumping.
• Scoop pasta into the bowls.
• Ladle soup over the top of the pasta and serve.
• You can offer Parmesan cheese or hot chili pepper flakes as toppings if you like.

Recipe Tips:

• If you keep pasta in its own salted water to keep it from drying out or sticking together, it will absorb that salt and takes away from the soup. I add the cup of fresh water to the pasta, as I like to keep the pasta separate from the soup but don’t want it absorbing salt. You can avoid adding the water to the pasta by adding the cooked pasta right into the soup, but then the pasta will absorb some of your broth. When scooping the pasta out of the water use a slotted spoon, so the water doesn’t get in your soup.
• You can use 2 bunches of Swiss Chard or frozen chopped spinach if you don’t have fresh spinach. 
• If you buy whole pieces of Parmesan cheese, keep the rind in a Ziplock freezer bag in your freezer. Then you can add the rinds to soups, sauces, and stews for added flavour. If you get your cheese freshly grated for you at the cheese counter, you can ask for the rind in a separate bag.

This is the best gluten-free sausage and fennel soup ever, with such a well-balanced and complex broth. You’ll love making this recipe any time of the year. As it’s warming and filling, and truly a meal in a bowl! This will help to increase your soup repertoire, exponentially. If you enjoy soups you may like our gluten-free Italian wedding soup recipe, or our gluten-free cream of broccoli soup recipe.

Enjoy!

The Best Gluten-Free Sausage and Fennel Soup Recipe

Print Recipe/Tips

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

2 bulbs of fennel, diced into 1 inch pieces 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 large Spanish onions, diced 900g hot or sweet Italian fennel sausage- I used sweet Italian fennel sausage from REA foods, but any good quality Italian fennel sausage will work 2 pounds fresh spinach chopped 2 tbs olive oil or an olive oil and canola oil blend like Puroliva 9 cups gluten-free chicken stock 1 tsp granulated garlic 2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 1/2 tsp ground fennel Rind from a piece of Parmesan cheese about 1 inch long 1 package gluten-free pasta. I used Rummo gluten-free mezzi penne rigate no. 28

INSTRUCTIONS/NOTES/TIPS

• Clean and prep onions, garlic, fennel, and set aside.
• Take sausage meat out of casing, if using sausage in the casing. Skip this step if you bought loose ground sausage meat.
• In a large heavy bottom pot heat 2 tbs of oil over medium heat until shimmering.
• Add in sausage and break up using a spatula or wooden spoon.
• Cook until sausage pieces are crumbled, but not hard and crisp this - takes 5-7 minutes over medium heat approximately.
• Add in onion, fennel, garlic to the broken up sausage and stir.
• Season with salt, pepper, granulated onion, and ground fennel.
• Allow vegetables to sweat with the lid on, for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Pour 9 cups of chicken stock into the pot.
• Add in your Parmesan rind.
• Allow soup to simmer for 1 hour on medium low heat stirring occasionally.
• Remove stem from spinach leaf and discard.
• Chop spinach into strips, wash, and set aside.
• Add spinach to soup stirring it in.
• Leave pot on low heat for another 30 minutes- stirring occasionally.
• Boil 400g favourite gluten-free pasta. Drain pasta and return to pot with 1 cup of water to help keep the pasta from clumping.
• Scoop pasta into the bowls.
• Ladle soup over the top of the pasta and serve.
• You can offer Parmesan cheese or hot chili pepper flakes as toppings if you like.

NOTES/TIPS

If you can’t get fennel Italian sausage you can add fennel to hot or sweet Italian sausage. If you only have unseasoned sausage meat mix it with salt, pepper, ground fennel, granulated garlic, and granulated onion to taste. Add in hot pepper flakes if you like spicy sausage. You could add chili pepper flakes if you want a spicy soup but be cautious if you are also using hot sausage. If you keep pasta in it’s own salted water to keep it from drying out or sticking together, it will absorb that salt and it takes away from the soup. I add the cup of fresh water to pasta, as I like to keep the pasta separate from the soup but don’t want it absorbing salt. You can avoid adding the water to the pasta by adding the cooked pasta right into the soup, but then the pasta will absorb some of your broth. When scooping the pasta out of the water use a slotted spoon, so the water doesn’t get in your soup. You can use 2 bunches of Swiss Chard or frozen chopped spinach if you don’t have fresh spinach. If you buy whole pieces of Parmesan cheese, keep the rind in a Ziplock freezer bag in your freezer. Then you can add the rinds to soups, sauces, and stews for added flavour. If you get your cheese freshly grated for you at the cheese counter, you can ask for the rind in a separate bag.

Did You Try This Recipe or These Tips?

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