Pizza Soup Recipe (Easy, Protein-Packed & Full of Pizza Flavor)

This Pizza Soup recipe is basically everything you love about pizza turned into an easy, high-protein soup. It’s made with Italian chicken sausage, turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, tomatoes, and mozzarella, so you still get all those familiar pizza flavors in a hearty soup that is simple to make and actually keeps you full.

It’s also one of those recipes that works so well for real life. You can make it ahead for the week, portion it out for lunches or meals, or make a double batch and freeze some for later. It has 24 grams of protein per serving, reheats really well, and honestly tastes even better after it sits for a day.

During fall and winter, this pizza soup is on our menu about once a month, and I almost always make extra for the freezer. If I don’t, there usually isn’t much left.

Quick Look at This Recipe

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Servings: 6
• Method: Stovetop
• Perfect For: Weekly meal prep, high-protein lunches and dinners, freezer cooking, and pizza night with a twist
• Flavor & Texture: Rich tomato broth with savory Italian sausage, pepperoni, tender mushrooms, and melty mozzarella

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this Pizza Soup, along with a few of my notes on what I use and what works best. You’ll find the full ingredient list with exact amounts in the recipe card below.

• Italian chicken or poultry sausage. Use raw Italian sausage, not the smoked precooked kind. You’ll usually find poultry sausage sold in links, so just remove the casings before cooking. I personally like hot Italian sausage because we like a little spice, but mild works perfectly if you want a more mellow soup. Wegmans Italian poultry sausage is the one I buy most often, and Mineo & Sapio is another favorite here in Buffalo. I’ve also used brands from Aldi with good results, so use a brand you already like.
• Turkey pepperoni. Use your favorite brand and cut the slices into bite-size pieces so you get pepperoni throughout the soup instead of one giant piece in every few bites.
• Onion and garlic. These start the flavor base before the mushrooms and tomato ingredients go in.
• Mushrooms. White mushrooms are my usual choice, but you can absolutely use cremini, portobello, shiitake, or another mushroom you like. If mushrooms are not your thing, just leave them out and add another pizza topping instead.
• Italian seasoning. A good store-bought Italian seasoning works great. You can also use dried basil and oregano if that’s what you have.
• Chicken broth. Because broth makes up a big part of the soup base, use one you actually like the flavor of. I often buy organic chicken broth from Aldi or Wegmans. Chicken bone broth also works and can bump up the protein a little more.
• Diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Using all three gives the broth a richer tomato flavor and better body than using just one. Quality matters here. I use Wegmans Organic often, and Cento is another brand I really like.
• Mozzarella cheese. Bagged shredded mozzarella is totally fine, but if you have a block and can shred it yourself, it melts even better and gives you that extra ooey-gooey pizza feel.

How to Make Pizza Soup (step-by-step)

Step 1: Brown the sausage and pepperoni. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the Italian chicken sausage and break it into small pieces as it cooks. When the sausage is almost cooked through, add the chopped pepperoni and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until the sausage is fully cooked. Transfer the sausage and pepperoni to a bowl.

Step 2: Cook the vegetables. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the same pot. Cook the onion for about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 2–3 minutes, just until fragrant. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened.

Step 3: Build the soup. Stir the Italian seasoning, cooked sausage, and pepperoni back into the pot. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Stir until everything is combined.

Step 4: Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Step 5: Taste before serving and add salt and pepper if needed. Sausage, pepperoni, and broth can all bring plenty of salt on their own, so I always wait until the end before adding more.

Step 6: Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with shredded mozzarella. The hot soup will melt it right in. Then add any other pizza-inspired toppings you want.

Expert Tips

• Expect it to thicken as it sits. This soup gets thicker after a day or two in the refrigerator. Just add a splash of chicken broth when reheating if you want to loosen it up.
• It really does get better by the day. The flavors have more time to come together after it sits overnight, which is why I love this one for meal prep. Make it Sunday and it is even better Monday or Tuesday.
• Make a double batch if you want leftovers. I’m not kidding – unless I double it, there usually isn’t much left. I freeze the extra so we have an easy lunch or dinner ready later.

Variations & Swaps

Use pork Italian sausage. Mild or hot pork sausage works if you want a richer flavor.

• Change the pizza toppings. Bell peppers, green or black olives, banana peppers, zucchini, spinach, broccoli, artichoke hearts, or red onion can all work. Just adjust the cooking time based on the vegetable. Peppers and zucchini need time to soften, while spinach can go in near the end.
• Add pasta. If you want to make the soup even heartier, cook a small pasta separately and add it to individual bowls. Keeping it separate prevents the pasta from getting mushy in leftovers.
• Add more cheese. Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago are all good finishing cheeses.
• Make it spicier. Use hot Italian sausage and/or add crushed red pepper flakes.

What to Serve With Pizza Soup

This soup is filling enough to be a meal on its own, but a simple green salad works well on the side.

And if you want the full pizza-night feel, warm garlic bread or breadsticks are never a bad idea.

Make-ahead tips

This pizza soup recipe stores and reheats excellently, so it’s perfect for weekly meal prep and freezer cooking. I recommend storing the soup in individual containers for easy portioned-out lunches and dinners.

For the week: After the pizza soup cools, spoon it into large or small airtight containers. Individual containers work best if you’re planning on taking this for lunches. Store in the fridge for five days and either reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

For the freezer. After the pizza soup cools, spoon it into 1-2 cup airtight containers, so it’s easier to reheat for individual lunches or dinners. You can also use 1-cup silicone trays like Souper Cubes to freeze soup into portions. See my freezing soup tutorial for more tips.

More Healthy Soup Recipes

• Chicken Tortellini Soup with Spinach
• Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
• Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Buffalo Chicken Soup
• Healthy Cheeseburger Soup

Did You Make This Recipe?

Have you tried this pizza soup recipe? I can’t wait to see it! If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences.