I can eat soup every day of the week. I love ones packed with vegetables but my husband and sons are happier when I add some meat. This soup fits the bill. It is tomato based, lots of vegetables, beans, and sausage. It's a great combination, can be made in advance, and perfect to warm you on a chilly day. Oh, and of course it's delicious!
Ingredients for Veggie Soup with Sausage:
serves 4-6
1 pound Italian sausage, I use a combination of sweet and hot
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 rib celery, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups tomato juice
1 -14.5 ounce can whole tomatoes, diced
1 bay leaf
1 cup diced summer squash, about half of one
1 cup diced zucchini, about half of one
3/4 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pennette
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt
pepper
Time- Saving Tips: All of the vegetables can be prepped earlier in the day and refrigerated. The soup can be prepared up until adding the beans. When ready to serve heat the soup and continue the recipe adding the squash and pennette.
Let's see what we need.
Let's make the soup.
Remove sausage casings and crumble the sausage into a pot. Saute over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel- lined plate. Set aside.
In the same, uncleaned pot, saute the carrots, onions, and celery until they start to get tender. Be sure to season them with some salt and pepper. Do not brown. This will take about 7-10 minutes depending on the size of the diced vegetables. At this point, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Return the sausage to the pot, along with the tomatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, and the garbanzo beans. Once combined, pour in the broth and drop in the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer about 35 minutes.
Add the zucchini, squash, and pennette. Once the pasta is cooked all the vegetables should be tender. Adjust the seasoning and stir in the chopped basil.
It's ready! This soup is comforting and delicious. It's perfect on its own or with some crusty bread.
Enjoy!