This savory, Italian-inspired pizza soup is a delicious, hearty meal that comes together quickly and easily! With only a few key ingredients and half an hour of your time required to make it - this dish is perfect for busy weeknights and will delight your guests with its flavorful broth and pizza toppings.
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
This delicious pizza soup is a perfect balance of flavors, combining the classic Italian taste of marinara sauce and Italian seasoning with protein-packed ground beef, vegetables, and pepperoni to create a flavorful soup that's sure to satisfy.
It has all those delicious flavors that you find in pizza but combined in soup form. It has a spiced and smokey broth thanks to the addition of fire-roasted tomatoes, marinara sauce, and beef broth. I highly recommend to serve this dish with my easy tiramisu as a dessert!
The onions, peppers, and garlic form the base of this dish and offer an earthy and savory taste, while the pepperoni adds an extra layer of flavor as well as some smoky notes. It is topped with shredded parmesan cheese for extra richness, as well as fresh basil and croutons for an added crunch.
What's great about this easy pizza soup recipe is that it is incredibly easy to make and requires minimal prep time, making it a great choice for midweek dinners or even lunches. You can enjoy it with my pizza pockets made with homemade empanada dough.
Now you can enjoy your favorite pizza toppings in a light soup that boasts more flavor than its dough counterpart!
Check out our other flavorful soup recipes:
🍽 Key Ingredients
Enjoy all your favorite pizza flavors in one bowl of soup!
Base ingredients - For the base of this soup, onions, red and green bell peppers, and garlic are sautéed until soft and fragrant.
Ground beef - Cooked lean ground beef adds an extra layer of flavor and some protein to the soup.
Seasoning - A sprinkle of Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste brings out the best flavors.
Pepperoni - To give this soup that pizza feeling and an extra punch of flavor, add in some sliced pepperoni.
Marinara sauce - Any marinara sauce will work in this recipe, adding sweetness and a full-bodied tomato flavor to the soup.
Canned diced tomatoes - A can of fire-roasted tomatoes adds an extra layer of smokiness to the broth.
Broth - Since we're cooking with ground beef, use beef broth to strengthen that beefy flavor and combine it with the tomato broth.
Topping ingredients - To top this delicious soup, we're adding some shredded parmesan cheese to melt on top and add a salty texture, some freshly chopped basil for flavor, and croutons for added crunch.
Substitutions
Feel free to tweak this recipe to your taste!
Ground beef
If you're a fan of Italian sausage, feel free to use that instead of ground beef. You could also use ground chicken or turkey if you prefer.
Broth
Chicken broth or vegetable broth will work in this recipe just as well.
Marinara sauce
As a substitute for marinara sauce, you can use your favorite jar of pizza sauce or make our simple homemade marinara sauce that tastes better than anything you can in a jar!
Cheese
If you don't have parmesan cheese, use what you have on hand. I like to use shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese if I don't have parmesan.
🔪 How to make
This delicious and easy pizza soup recipe is the perfect midweek dinner for busy nights! It's quick to make, requires minimal ingredients, and kitchen equipment. Follow the simple step-by-step instructions below to make the best pizza soup.
Preparations
- Finely dice the garlic, onion, and bell peppers.
- Slice the pepperoni into small pieces.
Cooking instructions
Step 1
Set a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef with the onions, bell peppers, and garlic for 6 to 8 minutes.
Step 2
Add the Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
Step 3
Once the meat is no longer pink, drain any excess grease that is left in the pot.
Step 4
Next, add the pepperoni, marinara sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, and broth to the pot, stirring to combine.
Step 5
Reduce to medium heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes before reducing to a simmer. Place lid on top and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the broth has thickened.
Step 6
Remove the soup from the heat and ladle it into serving bowls topped with shredded cheese, fresh basil, and croutons.
Topping suggestions: Diced tomatoes, diced red onion, bacon bits, sour cream, or tortilla chips. For more topping inspirations, check out these 37 soup toppings ideas.
💭 Cooking tips
Thickening soup
If your pizza soup needs to be thickened further, use a small amount of corn flour. If you don't have corn flour, use one of the methods in our guide on how to thicken soup.
Draining the excess grease
It is important to drain the beef fat from the pot once it is cooked so that the pizza soup doesn't end up with a greasy layer on top.
📖 Recipe Variations
This pizza soup is so versatile that you can switch it up and make different variations each time. Here are three delicious ways to mix things up!
Make it spicy
If you're looking for something with a bit more kick, use a can of fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles and add ½ teaspoon of chili powder or red pepper flakes to the soup. You can also use spicy chorizo instead of pepperoni.
Add extra veggies
Throw in 1 cup of your favorite chopped veg. Some great additions to this soup are mushrooms, corn, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli florets.
Make it creamy
If you want a creamier soup, add ¼ cup of heavy cream or half and half to the pot. You can also stir in ½ cup of sour cream for added creaminess.
🥗 What to serve with
This delicious pizza soup pairs perfectly with a variety of sides and toppings. Here are some ideas for what to serve with it:
Bread
Some crusty bread is always a good option to pair with soup. Buy a fresh baguette from the grocery store or make one of these homemade bread recipes: Texas Roadhouse rolls, Challah bread, Brioche hamburger buns, or buttermilk biscuits.
Sandwiches
If you're looking for something heartier, sandwiches are the way to go! From the best BLT sandwich with garlic aioli to the grilled cheese sandwich - they taste amazing with soup. Or try our list of tasty gooey panini sandwiches.
Salad
A fresh salad is a great way to round out the meal. Try one of our favorite salads such as tomato, basil, mozzarella salad, the best potato salad, or a simple BLT wedge salad with chipotle ranch dressing.
🙋 Frequently asked questions
Can I make pizza soup in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can make this soup in a slow cooker. Follow the same steps as outlined above and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
Why is my soup too acidy?
If your soup is too acidic, it is likely because of the can of tomatoes you have used. You can counter the acidity by adding a tablespoon or 2 of sugar to the pizza soup.
🧊 Storing and ♨️ reheating
Any leftover pizza soup can be refrigerated or frozen and enjoyed another day.
Fridge - Store leftover soup in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer - To freeze pizza soup, transfer the contents to a freezer-safe container or bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat - To reheat, thaw if necessary and heat in a pot over medium-low heat until hot. Alternatively, you can also reheat it in the microwave.
🍳 Related recipes
For more soup recipes, check out our curated list of easy soup recipes with few ingredients, the best Mexican soup recipes, the best chicken soup recipes, and the best potato soup recipes. No matter which soup recipe you choose, you can guarantee it will be tasty!
👪 Serving size
This pizza soup recipe makes 8-10 servings, so it's perfect for feeding a crowd. If you are looking for a smaller serving size, simply divide the ingredients accordingly.
Pizza soup is a lighter way to enjoy the flavors of pizza in one hearty bowl! It's an easy and comforting meal that will please the whole family. Give it a try, or mix it up with one of the different variations.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!
📋 Recipe
Pizza Soup Recipe (Easy 30-Minute Meal!)
Ingredients
- ½ cup Chopped onions
- ½ Red pepper - diced
- ½ Green pepper - diced
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 pound Ground beef - or ground Italian Sausage
- 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup Pepperoni - sliced in half
- 2 cups Marinara sauce
- 14.5 ounces Canned fire roasted tomatoes
- 2-3 cups Beef broth - Any broth beef, chicken, vegetable, etc. Less broth for thick soup
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil and croutons for topping
Instructions
Preparations
- Finely dice the garlic, onion, and bell peppers.
- Slice the pepperoni into small pieces.
Cooking instructions
- Set a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef with the onions, bell peppers, and garlic for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Once the meat is no longer pink, drain any excess grease that is left in the pot.
- Next, add the pepperoni, marinara sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, and broth to the pot, stirring to combine.
- Reduce to medium heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes before reducing to a simmer. Place lid on top and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the broth has thickened.
- Remove the soup from the heat and ladle it into serving bowls topped with shredded cheese, fresh basil, and croutons.Topping suggestions: Diced tomatoes, diced red onion, bacon bits, sour cream, or tortilla chips. For more topping inspirations, check out these 37 soup toppings ideas.
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