What You Can Substitute for Italian Sausage in Soup

Italian sausage is a great addition to many soups and stews, but it can be difficult to find. Instead of forking over a few dollars for a package of Italian sausage, make your own Italian sausage and add it to any of your favorite soups and sauces!

Italian sausage is made from a combination of pork and veal, and it is seasoned with fennel pollen and anise to give it a unique flavor. You can purchase it pre-cooked or uncooked, and it comes in either sweet or hot varieties.

Before you begin, it is important that you read the label to ensure that the sausage you are using is clear of any fillers or other ingredients.

Shredded Pork

Shredded pork can be substituted in place of ground pork in any recipe that calls for it. It is also excellent in soups and stews.

Ground Pork

Ground pork can be substituted in half in any recipe that calls for ground pork, but you will need to increase the amount of other meats in the other ingredients to replace the lost pork.

Ground Veal

Ground veal can be substituted for ground pork in any recipe that calls for it. It has a stronger, more gamey flavor than pork, and it works beautifully in soups and stews.

Ground Beef

Ground beef is what you want to use when making meatballs or meat loaf. It also works well in soups and stews.

Ground Turkey

Turkey is a cheaper alternative to ground beef and pork, and it also has less fat and calories than the beef and pork. It can be substituted in half in any recipe that calls for ground beef or pork.

Game Hams

Game hams, such as prosciutto, can be substituted for ground pork in any recipe that calls for it.

Fowl Mince

Fowl mince can be substituted in half for ground pork in any recipe that calls for ground pork. It is made from the leftover scraps of birds that are not fit for human or animal consumption.

Flavors and Varieties

There are many different types of Italian sausage on the market, and some are spicier than others. Additionally, many grocery stores now offer organic versions of sausages. Below are some of the more common varieties.

Sweet Sausage: Typically found in the deli counter, sweet sausages are made from pork and beef, and they are often stuffed into a casaba or Italian squash. Because they are sweeter, they pair well with savory herbs. Examples include sweet Italian, hot Italian and summer sausage.

Bratwurst: With paprika as one of its main ingredients, bratwurst is often described as the “gateway sausage” to the world of German cuisine because its mild flavor makes it a great base for adding other seasonings such as garlic, thyme and bay.

If you cannot find any Italian sausage in your local grocery stores, you can substitute any other type of sausage, but you may want to add additional seasonings to give it a more authentic flavor. You can also substitute ground pork, ground beef, ground fowl or even reconstituted minced beef.

The size of the sausage is important because it will affect the amount you will need to substitute. For example, a bratwurst is usually much smaller than a summer sausage. If you are using a ground pork substitute, you would want to use two cups of pork for every one cup of ground pork.

If you want to make your own Italian sausage, you can use any combination of pork and veal, though there are some guidelines to follow. The meat should be at least 70% pork and should not contain more than 30% veal. The meat should be well-seasoned, and no more than 2% salt should be used. The meat should also be ground, but not in a meat grinder because it would turn your pork and veal into ground meat.