BBQ Cocktail Sausage Soup (Printable version)

Tangy, sweet soup with smoked sausages, BBQ sauce and apricot jam simmered to perfection in a slow cooker.

# What you need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 pound smoked cocktail sausages, sliced into bite-sized pieces

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids and Bases

05 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
06 - 1 cup tangy-style BBQ sauce
07 - 1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves
08 - 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
13 - Salt to taste

# Steps to follow:

01 - Slice cocktail sausages into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop yellow onion, dice red bell pepper, and mince garlic cloves.
02 - Add sliced cocktail sausages, chopped onion, diced red bell pepper, and minced garlic to the slow cooker.
03 - Pour in chicken broth, BBQ sauce, and apricot jam. Stir thoroughly until jam is dissolved and mixture is well combined.
04 - Add drained diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if desired. Stir gently to incorporate all seasonings.
05 - Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 hours until vegetables are tender and flavors have melded together.
06 - Taste soup and adjust salt as needed. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been tending a slow cooker all day, but you'll have spent less than fifteen minutes actually working.
  • The sweet and savory balance hits that perfect sweet spot where everyone asks what's in it, and you get to drop the apricot jam bomb.
02 -
  • If you use regular-sodium broth and don't drain your tomatoes, you'll end up with something too salty and watery, which I learned the hard way during my first attempt.
  • The apricot jam won't fully dissolve on its own—you have to stir it deliberately into the broth, otherwise you'll bite into pockets of pure jam that throw off the balance.
03 -
  • Don't chop your sausages too small or they'll fall apart during the long cook—aim for bite-sized pieces that hold their shape.
  • Taste as you go at the end; sometimes you need more salt, sometimes the flavors surprise you by being exactly right without any adjustment.
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