• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Peak to Plate
  • Spring Favorites
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Spring Favorites
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Spring Favorites
    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Peak to Plate » All Wild Game » Venison

    Venison Sausage and Gnocchi Soup

    Published: Feb 12, 2023 by Annie Weisz · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    Jump to Recipe

    Venison sausage and gnocchi soup is the perfect winter warmer meal. It's creamy, flavorful, colorful, comforting, and delicious. The seasoning from the venison Italian sausage perfectly flavors the broth and brings together all the ingredients in this delicious soup. Give it a try today!

    scooping spoon into bowl of venison sausage and gnocchi soup.
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works:
    • Ingredient Notes:
    • Equipment Notes:
    • Step by Step Instructions:
    • A note on venison Italian sausage:
    • Putting it All Together:
    • Recipe FAQ's:
    • Other Recipes to Try:
    • Recipe:
    • Venison Sausage and Gnocchi Soup

    Why This Recipe Works:

    Venison Italian sausage is a versatile ingredient that can be used for so much more than spaghetti and meatballs! The blend of herbs and spices in the sausage gives the broth in this soup a wonderful flavor. The roasted red peppers add a little bit of sweetness and the kale adds beautiful color to this vibrant soup.

    The gnocchi are perfect fluffy little pillows of goodness tucked in among the other ingredients. Paired with crusty bread for dipping, this delicious creamy soup is sure to warm your belly and fill you up!

    Ingredient Notes:

    venison sausage and gnocchi soup ingredients with labels.
    • Venison Italian Sausage: This recipe uses my venison Italian sausage but if you already have some in your freezer, you can use that instead!
    • Gnocchi: Gnocchi come in all sorts of varieties. This recipe uses plain potato gnocchi but you can use whatever gnocchi you'd like.
    • Tuscan Kale: Tuscan kale can be replaced with any other hearty green like Swiss chard, spinach, other varieties of kale, etc.

    Equipment Notes:

    • Dutch Oven: This recipe uses a Dutch oven but you can also use a large pot.
    venison sausage and gnocchi soup in dutch oven.

    Step by Step Instructions:

    How to make roasted red peppers:

    Roasted red peppers are a delicious ingredient whether you buy them or make them yourself. But, you can usually make them for a lot cheaper than you can buy them and they're super easy to make! They lend a delicious savory and sweet flavor to any dish you add them to. Read below for how to make them!

    cutting red bell pepper in half.
    Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise.
    seeds and membrane removed from bell pepper.
    Remove stems, membranes, and seeds.
    red bell pepper halves on sheet pan.
    Place peppers cut side down on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
    roasting red bell peppers in oven.
    Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the skin is bubbling and pulling away from the flesh. You can remove them at this point or leave in the oven for another 5-10 minutes
    red bell peppers roasting in oven.
    If you leave them in the oven until they look like this, you'll get a lot more flavor out of them!
    peeling skin off roasted red pepper.
    Let peppers cool slightly and remove the skins.
    roasted red pepper in jar.
    Store in an airtight container in the fridge or use immediately for recipes.

    Pro Tip: Look out for when bell peppers are on sale, make a big batch, and freeze or can the peppers for future use!

    How to make sausage and gnocchi soup:

    Once you have your sausage and peppers made, this soup is super easy to make! Check out the step-by-step instructions below.

    melting lard in dutch oven.
    Add lard or other cooking fat to Dutch oven and heat until melted.
    cooking venison Italian sausage in dutch oven.
    Add Italian sausage and cook until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
    melting butter in dutch oven.
    Add butter to Dutch oven and heat until melted.
    cooking onions and garlic in dutch oven.
    Add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent.
    broth simmering in dutch oven.
    Add broth and simmer 5-10 minutes.
    gnocchi added to pot of simmering broth.
    Add gnocchi and bring to a boil.
    broth with gnocchi simmering in dutch oven.
    Simmer for 5 minutes.
    adding roasted peppers and sausage to pot of soup.
    Add roasted red peppers and Italian sausage.
    venison sausage and gnocchi soup simmering.
    Add cream and bring back to a simmer.
    kale added to pot of sausage and gnocchi soup.
    Add kale and cook until slightly wilted.
    venison sausage and gnocchi soup in dutch oven.
    Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
    bowl of venison sausage and gnocchi soup.
    Serve and enjoy!

    Pro Tip: Add salt and pepper at the end of cooking. The saltiness of your soup will depend on the salt in your sausage and broth. Adding it at the end helps ensure your soup isn't too salty!

    A note on venison Italian sausage:

    Italian sausage is a popular choice when you take your deer to the butcher. But, you can also make your own! Making your own can be really rewarding and you can adjust the seasonings to your liking. Looking for a recipe? Check out this recipe for ground venison Italian sausage.

    pouring Italian sausage seasoning into bowl of meat.
    cooked venison Italian sausage in bowl with red towel.

    Putting it All Together:

    Once your soup is ready, it's time to dig in! Top it with a little freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley for a little extra brightness. Tear off a piece of crusty sourdough bread for dipping and enjoy!

    scooping spoon into bowl of venison sausage and gnocchi soup.

    Recipe FAQ's:

    What gives Italian sausage its distinctive flavor?

    Fennel is the main ingredient that gives Italian sausage its distinctive flavor but a blend of other herbs and spices make Italian sausage special as well.

    Do you have to add pork to deer sausage?

    No, you can make sausage with 100% ground venison. You will need to add some fat to the pan to cook it but it doesn't have to be ground in. If you are making sausages in casings, you do need to add fat to the ground venison to prevent it from drying out.

    What part of the deer is best for sausage?

    You can make sausage out of any cut of meat you'd like. But, the popular choice is to turn your trim meat from steaks and roasts into sausage. If you're not big on roasts, you can grind those into sausage as well.

    Other Recipes to Try:

    • dipping spoon into bowl of pheasant noodle soup.
      Classic Pheasant Noodle Soup
    • spoon scooping out french onion soup.
      French Onion Soup with Wild Game Stock
    • venison dumpling soup in bowl on deer hide.
      Venison Dumpling Soup
    • scooping spoon into bowl of elk and wild rice soup.
      Elk and Wild Rice Soup

    If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to me and fellow readers. And if you want more delicious, wild game recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram and Pinterest!

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Recipe:

    scooping spoon into bowl of venison sausage and gnocchi soup.

    Venison Sausage and Gnocchi Soup

    Annie Weisz
    This sausage and gnocchi soup is creamy, delicious, a little bit spicy, and so comforting on a cold winter day! It's the perfect use for the venison Italian sausage you have sitting in your freezer!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Course Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 8
    Calories 485 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • dutch oven or large pot

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tablespoon pork lard (or other cooking fat)
    • 1 lb venison Italian sausage
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 medium onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
    • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
    • 5 ½ cups light-colored broth (chicken, game bird, etc.)
    • 2 roasted red peppers, diced (about 1 cup) - directions below, or jarred
    • 1 lb gnocchi
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
    • 1 bunch Tuscan kale, cut into ribbons (about 4 cups)
    • ½ cup parmesan, freshly grated
    • ⅓ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

    Instructions
     

    • To large pot, add lard. Heat over medium-high heat until melted.
    • Add sausage and break up meat into pieces. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until browned. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
    • Turn heat down to low, add butter and stir until melted.
    • Add onions and garlic and stir to coat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Add broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
    • Add gnocchi and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 5 additional minutes.
    • Add diced roasted red peppers and sausage. Bring back to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
    • Add cream and bring to a low simmer. Add in kale and stir to combine. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
    • Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. You may not need any depending on the seasoning in your sausage and broth.
    • Top with fresh grated parmesan and parsley. Serve with crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy!

    How to make roasted red peppers:

    • Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
    • Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove stems, seeds, and white membranes.
    • Place peppers, cut side down, on parchment paper-lined pan.
    • Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the skin is bubbling and pulling away from the flesh. You can remove them at this point or leave in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until the skin is starting to blacken and the peppers start losing their shape. You'll get more flavor out of them if you leave them in!
    • Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove peels and discard. Refrigerate until ready to use.
    • You can pressure can roasted peppers in oil if you'd like to preserve them.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 23gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 936mgPotassium: 589mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 4528IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 222mgIron: 5mg
    Nutrition Information Disclosure
    Love this recipe?Mention @peak.to.plate on Instagram and tag #peaktoplate

    More Recipes:

    • venison mushroom hand pie cut open.
      Venison and Wild Mushroom Hand Pies with Stout Beer
    • sliced venison tenderloin on white rectangle plate.
      Simple Cast Iron Venison Tenderloin
    • venison breakfast sausage bites on plate.
      Maple-Glazed Venison Breakfast Sausage Bites
    • venison mushroom swiss burger up close.
      Venison Mushroom Swiss Burgers

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. CW says

      February 15, 2023 at 3:57 pm

      5 stars
      As with every recipe I’ve made from Peak to plate, this is a home run! Wyoming was snowy yesterday so I decided to cook this in place of my traditional valentines Surf and Turf. This was so easy and my husband LOVED it. It reminds us of a Philly cheesesteak soup I’ve made in the past but ups the ante with gnocchi. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!

      Reply
      • Annie Weisz says

        February 15, 2023 at 9:01 pm

        Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed this recipe. It's the perfect cozy meal for all this snow we've been getting!

        Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    posing with whitetail doe

    Hi, I'm Annie! I'm a wife, mom of 2 boys, Registered Dietitian, Wyoming native, lover of all things food, and the creator of Peak to Plate. I believe that preparing delicious meals and enjoying them mindfully is the best way to pay respect to animals harvested for our consumption. I hope to inspire you to take your cooking skills to new creative heights.

    More about me →

    Follow Me:

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Spring Recipes

    • halibut green curry in white bowl with wood spoon.
      Halibut Green Curry
    • miso halibut with shiitakes and green onions.
      Easy Broiled Miso Halibut
    • sliced medium rare elk steak with chipotle butter.
      Elk Steak with Chipotle Compound Butter
    • venison poke bowl with chopsticks.
      Venison Poke Bowls
    • elk meatballs with stout and mushroom gravy in cast iron pan.
      Elk Meatballs with Stout and Mushroom Gravy
    • cutting into breakfast strata on plate.
      Breakfast Strata with Antelope Sausage (Overnight Breakfast Casserole)

    Featured On:

    company logos peak to plate is featured at.

    Popular Posts:

    • cooked venison Italian sausage in bowl.
      Ground Venison Italian Sausage
    • stack of elk quesadillas with guacamole.
      Ground Elk Quesadillas
    • marinated shiitake mushrooms in jar with ginger.
      Soy-Marinated Shiitake Mushrooms
    • smoked trout on plate with tail and honey dipper.
      Honey Smoked Rainbow Trout with Dry Brine
    • pork lard on spoon with jars in background.
      Homemade Pork Lard (Rendered Pork Fat)
    • sliced venison backstrap on slate board.
      Perfect Venison Backstrap
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Spring Favorites
    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Subscribe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Amazon Store

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Need Help?

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Disclosures

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Peak to Plate, LLC - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED