Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup

BLAH!  You guys….It’s snowing!!!  And it’s not just a few flurries…..it’s coming down hard!  Was this suppose to happen?!?!  Ugh.  Sounds like the perfect night for a big warm, hearty bowl of soup!

Soups are definitely one of my favorite things to make lately.  Why?  For one, they are super easy to make and we always have leftovers to take to work for lunch.  They are also super inexpensive to make,  packed with nutrients, and they fill you up!  I never feel guilty going back for a little more.  They are also very versatile….the possibilities are endless!

I made this delicious, healthy soup for dinner tonight and we really enjoyed it!  Below you will notice that there are two cooking methods- a crock pot option and stove top option.  Tonight, I used the crock pot!

Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup

Adapted from this recipe

• 1-lb Ground Turkey Italian Sausage
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cups of diced zucchini (1 medium zucchini should do the trick!)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 6-oz can of tomato paste
• 1 1/2 (6 cups) quarts chicken stock (or broth)
• 1 14-oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 14-oz can cut green beans (drained)
• 1 14-oz can sweet yellow corn (drained)
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup gluten free elbow macaroni (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper (more if you like the heat!  or leave it out if you don’t!)
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Option #1 (crock pot method) :

1.  In a frying pan, brown the sausage breaking up any large pieces until it is fully cooked.   Mean while, chop up the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and garlic (if you have a garlic press, you can use instead).
2. Turn your crock pot on low.  Add chicken stock (or broth) into your crock pot along with the can of tomato paste.  Stir the paste into the chicken broth.  It’s ok if there are a few chunks of tomato paste.
3. Add the garlic, onion, and chopped vegetables into the crock pot along with the drained cans of green beans and corn.  Add the entire can of tomatoes (along with their juices) and the browned sausage.
4. Add the tablespoon of Italian Seasoning, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf to the crock pot and stir the mixture well.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  30 minutes prior to eating, add 6 oz of gluten free pasta and apple cider vinegar.
6. Remove Bay Leaf prior to serving.  Serve in soup bowls.  If desired, garnish with parmesan cheese and salt/pepper to taste.

Option #2 (stove top method):

1. In a large stock pan, brown sausage, breaking up any large pieces until fully cooked. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.  Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the stock pan and return to stove top.
2. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until softened about 5-8 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic, Italian Seasoning, red pepper flakes and cook 2-3 minutes more.
3. Add chicken stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, green beans and corn. Add the bay leaf, bring to a boil and then turn heat to low and let simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add apple cider vinegar and gluten free pasta. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.
5. Remove bay leaf prior to eating.  Serve in soup bowls.  If desired, garnish with parmesan cheese and salt/pepper to taste.

Hope you enjoy the recipe as much as my family did!