RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
January Pick: Instant Pot Meals

Sausage, Cauliflower, and Spinach Soup

Homemade fennel sausage browned in the Instant Pot, then cooked with cauliflower and broth, half puréed until creamy, and finished with spinach.

Why you'll love Sausage, Cauliflower, and Spinach Soup

This is a creamy, hearty soup for the coldest weeks of the year, with all the flavor of an Italian sausage soup. The sausage is your own: ground pork mixed with salt, crushed fennel seed, garlic, sweet paprika, oregano, sage, and a pinch of chili flakes, which is all fresh Italian sausage is. It browns in the Instant Pot first, and the cauliflower then cooks under pressure in the same pot, in broth flavored by the browned bits.

Puréeing half the soup is what makes it creamy. Cauliflower blends into a smooth, velvety base, so blending half and leaving the rest in chunks gives you a soup with body and texture, thickened by the vegetable itself. The sausage waits on the side while the soup cooks so it stays in browned, savory pieces, and the spinach goes in at the end, wilting in the heat of the soup in a minute so it stays bright green.

A little cream, a handful of parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon finish it. It reheats well, so make it once and eat it all week.

Quick overview: This Sausage, Cauliflower, and Spinach Soup takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 1 hr in all and makes 6 servings, each about 1 3/4 cups. You'll need an Instant Pot and a blender.

Jump to recipe

Sausage, cauliflower and spinach soup with parmesan
Prep 15 minCook 45 minTotal 1 hrServes 6Serving about 1 3/4 cupsYou'll need Instant Pot, Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lb ground pork, or the same weight of fresh Italian pork sausage, casings removed, with a label of pork, salt, and spices and nothing else
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried rubbed sage
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 5 cups chicken bone broth Label: chicken bones, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt, with no sugar, natural flavors, or oil
  • 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 lb), cut into 1-inch florets
  • 5 oz baby spinach (about 5 cups)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream Label: cream, with no gums or carrageenan
  • 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan, plus more to serve
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Season the sausage: In a bowl, mix the ground pork with the fennel seeds, half the garlic, the paprika, oregano, sage, red pepper flakes, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper, working it with your hands for about 30 seconds until evenly seasoned and slightly tacky. Mixing in the salt helps the meat hold together in browned chunks. If you are using store-bought fresh sausage, skip this step and its spices.
  2. Brown the sausage: Set the Instant Pot to sauté on high and heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into bite-size chunks, until well browned with no pink remaining and it reads 160°F (71°C). Lift it out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
  3. Cook the aromatics: Add the onion and celery to the fat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  4. Scrape the bottom: Pour in about 1 cup of the broth and scrape up every browned bit from the bottom of the pot. Those bits are concentrated flavor, and clearing them keeps the Instant Pot from overheating and stopping as it comes to pressure.
  5. Pressure-cook: Add the cauliflower, the rest of the broth, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the rest. A short natural release keeps hot soup from spitting out of the valve.
  6. Purée half: Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Use an immersion blender to purée about half the soup right in the pot, leaving plenty of cauliflower in chunks. The puréed cauliflower makes the soup thick and creamy.
  7. Finish: Stir in the sausage, spinach, cream, and parmesan and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the spinach wilts and the sausage is hot. Turn off the pot, stir in the lemon juice, and taste for salt. Serve with more parmesan.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate in sealed containers for up to 4 days. The soup thickens as it sits; loosen it with a splash of broth when you reheat it.

Freeze for up to 3 months, leaving room in the container for it to expand. The spinach darkens and the cream may separate slightly, so stir it well as it reheats. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently until steaming.

Variations

  • Kale: Use 4 cups chopped kale in place of the spinach and simmer it 5 minutes to soften.
  • Turkey: Use ground turkey for the sausage, cooking it to 165°F (74°C).
  • Dairy-free: Use full-fat canned coconut milk in place of the cream and skip the parmesan.
  • Spicier: Double the red pepper flakes in the sausage seasoning.

Notes and tips

  • Buy the sausage by its label: Store-bought fresh sausage works when its label lists pork, salt, and spices and nothing more, with no sugar and no celery powder or other curing agent.
  • Crush the fennel: Press the seeds under the flat of a knife or in a mortar so they release their flavor into the meat.
  • Use a countertop blender if needed: Without an immersion blender, ladle half the soup into a countertop blender, fill it no more than halfway, and blend with the lid vented and covered with a towel, since hot liquid expands.
  • Stay under the fill line: Keep the soup below the pot's maximum fill line for pressure cooking. A 6-quart Instant Pot holds this recipe comfortably.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Pork brings protein, thiamin, selenium, and zinc, and seasoning your own sausage means it is nothing but meat, salt, and spices.
  • Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable with fiber and vitamin C, and puréed, it gives the soup its creamy body.
  • Spinach adds folate, vitamin K, and iron, and cooking it only a minute keeps its color and texture.
  • Cream, parmesan, and the pork's own fat are the real fat that make a bowl of soup satisfying.
  • As you eat, notice the fennel and garlic in each bite of sausage and the creamy broth, and check in through the afternoon: a full bowl should keep you comfortable and steady for at least 3 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Sausage, Cauliflower, and Spinach Soup? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

What makes sausage fresh sausage?

Fresh sausage is ground meat seasoned with salt and spices and sold raw. Mixing your own takes a minute and gives you exactly that.

Can I make it on the stove?

Yes. Brown the sausage and vegetables in a Dutch oven, add the broth and cauliflower, and simmer covered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is very tender, then finish the same way.

Can I make it without cream?

Yes. Puréeing more of the cauliflower makes it creamy on its own, and an extra spoonful of parmesan adds richness.

Why chicken bone broth?

It brings body and a rich, savory flavor that stands up to the sausage. Choose one with a label of chicken bones, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt.

You might also like

Tags: January Pick, Instant Pot Meals, Italian-American