BBQ Cocktail Sausage Soup (Print version)

Tangy, sweet soup with smoked sausages, BBQ sauce, apricot jam, and spices. Perfect for gatherings or cozy evenings.

# What You'll 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 & 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Add sliced cocktail sausages, chopped onion, diced red bell pepper, and minced garlic to the slow cooker
02 - Pour in chicken broth, BBQ sauce, and apricot jam, stirring until jam dissolves and mixture is well combined
03 - Add drained diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using, stirring gently
04 - Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until vegetables are tender and flavors have fully melded
05 - Taste and adjust salt as needed, then serve hot, optionally garnished with chopped parsley

# Tips from the pros:

01 -
  • It requires barely any prep work, and the slow cooker does the heavy lifting while you live your life.
  • The flavor combination of tangy BBQ, sweet apricot jam, and smoky sausage is unexpectedly sophisticated for something this easy.
  • It's a crowd pleaser that works for casual weeknight dinners or when you need to impress at a gathering without spending hours in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Drain that canned tomato liquid completely or your soup will be too thin and the flavors will be diluted instead of concentrated and rich.
  • The apricot jam needs a moment to fully dissolve when you first stir it in—don't panic if you see chunks at first, they'll disappear completely as everything heats.
03 -
  • Don't skip draining the tomato juice—this is the difference between a soup that tastes concentrated and complex versus one that tastes watered down and flat.
  • Taste it one final time just before serving and add salt gradually, because the slow cooker has concentrated everything and it's easy to overshoot.
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