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Make this Italian Sausage Stew in the Instant Pot or the Slow Cooker and you might have some leftovers to eat later in the week! And this tasty stew with Italian sausage and peppers is low in net carbs and gluten-free!

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Italian Sausage Stew with freshly-grated Parmesan shown in serving bowl

Before I talk about this delicious Italian Sausage Stew you can make in the Instant Pot or the Slow Cooker, I want to say a bit about how food blogging has changed. When I started sharing recipes I never imagined blogging would become so competitive, search engines would be so important, and new cooking gadgets would make previously-loved recipes less appealing. And then I changed my site to feature carb-conscious recipes.

I’m doing my best to manage all those changes! Today I’m updating this crockpot stew that originally had Italian Sausage, red and green pepper, and Cannellini beans. (You can find the original version here if you’re curious.)

Of course now many of my readers would make the recipe in the Instant Pot and wouldn’t want beans. I’m working on updating slow cooker recipes with an Instant Pot option and trying to make lower-carb versions of recipes I posted when I ate more carbs.

And we were so happy with this Instant Pot Italian Sausage stew! Kara and I used more Italian Sausage, switched out the beans for mushrooms, and added some Rao’s Pasta Sauce to thicken and flavor the stew. And it was such a success! I hope you’ll try this tasty stew that’s so good eaten with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top!

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What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What kind of Italian Sausage did we use for the stew?

For months I haven’t been able to find my favorite turkey Italian sausage, so when I saw these one-pound rolls made by the same company I grabbed a bunch for the freezer. If you have turkey sausage links, just squeeze the sausage out. You can also use pork Italian sausage, but it will add more fat to the stew.

What mushrooms did we use for the stew with Italian Sausage?

We used brown Cremini mushrooms for this recipe, but any mushrooms you have will be fine.

What Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Did I Use?

I originally used a 5-Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe. I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for all my Instant Pot Recipes!

How low in carbs is the Italian Sausage Stew?

This tasty stew has only 10.3 net carbs per serving with 40 grams of protein!

Italian Sausage Stew process shots collage

How to make Italian Sausage Stew:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe. Check the recipe notes for the slow cooker instructions and changes.)

    1. Chop onions into pieces about 1/2 inch.
    2. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in the Instant Pot on SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT.
    3. Add onions and cook until they’re starting to soften and brown. Then add dried basil, Greek oregano, ground fennel, Spike Seasoning and black pepper and cook a few minutes longer.
    4. I was excited to find these one-pound rolls of turkey Italian sausage. If you have sausage in links, just squeeze it out of the casings.
    5. Add a little more olive oil to the Instant Pot and cook the Italian Sausage until it’s well-browned and most of the liquid has evaporated.
    6. I used this Meat Chopper (affiliate link) to chop up the sausage while it cooked. (My new favorite cooking gadget!)
    7. While sausage cooks chop mushrooms and red and green bell peppers. 
    8. When sausage is nicely browned add mushrooms, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, canned tomatoes, Rao’s Pasta Sauce, and chicken broth to the Instant Pot.
    9. Set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH HEAT, 5 minutes.
    10. After the cooking time ends, let the stew natural release for 5 minutes.
    11. That’s it! Serve hot with some freshly-grated Parmesan to sprinkle on at the table if desired.
    12. See NOTES in the complete recipe to find instructions for Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Stew.

    Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

    You might serve the Italian Sausage Stew as a one-dish meal. But if you want something more, it would be good with any of these low-carb side dishes:

    Italian Sausage Stew in serving bowl with spoon, salt-pepper shakers, and Parmesan

    Weekend Food Prep:

    This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

    Are you an Italian Sausage fan?

    Check out Low-Carb or Keto Italian Sausage Recipes if you’re also a fan of this flavorful sausage!

    Italian Sausage Stew in serving bowl with spoon, salt-pepper shakers, and Parmesan
    4.5 Stars (22 Reviews)
    Yield: Makes about 6 servings

    Italian Sausage Stew

    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 4 hours
    Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

    Make this Stew with Italian Sausage in the Instant Pot or the Slow Cooker; it will be delicious either way!

    Ingredients

    • 12 oz. mushrooms
    • 1 medium onion
    • 1 red bell pepper
    • 1 green bell pepper
    • 1 T + 1 tsp. Olive Oil
    • 1 tsp. dried basil
    • 1 tsp. Greek oregano
    • 1 tsp. ground fennel
    • 2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (see notes)
    • ground pepper to taste
    • 2 lbs. turkey Italian Sausage
    • one 14 oz. can petite dice tomatoes
    • 2 cups Rao's Marinara Sauce
    • one 14 oz. can chicken broth (see notes)
    • freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Chop onions into pieces about 1/2 inch or slightly larger.
    2. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in the Instant Pot on SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT.
    3. Add onions and cook until they're starting to soften and brown. Then add dried basil, Greek oregano, ground fennel, Spike Seasoning and black pepper and cook a few minutes longer.
    4. Add a little more olive oil to the Instant Pot and cook the Italian Sausage until it's well-browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Break the sausage apart as it cooks. (Don't rush this step. The browning adds flavor.)
    5. While sausage cooks chop mushrooms and red and green bell peppers. We made the peppers just slightly over 1/2 inch square and chopped the mushrooms into thick half-slices.
    6. When sausage is nicely browned add mushrooms, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, canned tomatoes, Rao's Pasta Sauce, and chicken broth to the Instant Pot. 
    7. Set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH HEAT, 5 minutes.
    8. After the cooking time ends, let the stew natural release for 5 minutes.
    9. That's it!
    10. Serve the stew with Italian Saysage hot with freshly-grated Parmesan to sprinkle on at the table if desired.

    Notes

    SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:

    --I would use just 1 1/4 cup of chicken broth for the slow cooker recipe.

    --You can add the onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and chopped mushrooms to the slow cooker without pre-cooking if you prefer. If you do they will release some water; I would reduce the amount of chicken broth to one cup. (The instructions below call for pre-cooking them, which is how I made it when I used the slow cooker.)

    --Cook chopped onion, chopped red bell pepper, and chopped green bell pepper in olive oil until they are starting to soften, then add to slow cooker.

    --Cook mushrooms until they release their liquid and are partly done, then add to slow cooker.

    --Brown the Italian in the same pan, adding a bit more olive oil if needed, then add sausage to slow cooker.

    --Add petite diced tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, ground fennel, and black pepper to slow cooker.

    --Pour the broth over the other ingredients, add Rao's Pasta Sauce, and stir to combine. Cook on high for about 3 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

    --Serve hot, with plenty of parmesan cheese to sprinkle over at the table.

    If you don't have Spike Seasoning, use any all-purpose seasoning blend.

    Use Salt-Free Spike Seasoning if you prefer. I used reduced-sodium chicken broth.

    You can use turkey or pork Italian Sausage (either hot or mild) but the pork Italian sausage will definitely make the stew higher in fat.

    If you don't have Rao's Marinara Sauce, choose the pasta sauce with the lowest amount of sugar you can find.

    This recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from a red and green bell pepper hanging out in the crisper.

    Nutrition Information

    Yield

    6

    Serving Size

    1
    Amount Per Serving Calories 430Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 4.6gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 15.2gCholesterol 141mgSodium 435mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 3.7gSugar 6.7gProtein 40g

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

    © Kalyn Denny
    Category: Can Freeze

    Italian Sausage Stew square thumbnail image

    Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
    This tasty stew with Italian Sausage is great for low-carb and Keto diets and you might prefer pork Italian sausage for Keto. When it’s made with turkey Italian Sausage, the stew is perfect for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

    Find More Recipes Like This One:
    Use Soup and Stew Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

    Historical Notes for this Recipe:
    This Italian Sausage Stew recipe was first posted in 2010. It was adapted into a lower-carb stew that can be made in the Instant Pot in 2021. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2026.

    Pinterest image for Italian Sausage Stew shown in serving bowl with Parmesan cheese in back.

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