BBQ Cocktail Sausage Soup (Printable)

Smoky cocktail sausages in tangy BBQ broth with apricot jam, peppers, and spices—comfort in every spoonful.

# 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 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Add sliced cocktail sausages, chopped yellow onion, diced red bell pepper, and minced garlic to the slow cooker
02 - Pour chicken broth, BBQ sauce, and apricot jam into the slow cooker. Stir thoroughly until jam is fully dissolved and mixture is evenly combined
03 - Stir in drained diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using
04 - Cover and cook on low setting for 4 hours until vegetables are tender and flavors have fully melded together
05 - Taste soup and adjust salt as needed. Serve hot, optionally garnished with fresh chopped parsley

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been fussing over the stove for hours, but your slow cooker does all the heavy lifting.
  • The sweet-tangy-savory balance keeps people coming back for another bowl without being able to pinpoint exactly what they're tasting.
  • Prep work is genuinely quick, leaving you free to handle actual party tasks instead of being chained to the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the tomatoes—wet tomatoes will make your soup taste diluted and watery instead of rich and intentional.
  • The apricot jam must be stirred in immediately while the liquid is still hot, or it'll harden into sticky clumps that refuse to dissolve.
03 -
  • If your BBQ sauce is already quite sweet, use less jam and add an extra splash of apple cider vinegar to sharpen everything up.
  • The night before a party, prep your vegetables and store them separately in the fridge, then assembly takes five minutes flat when you need it.
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