Recipe for Fall and Winter: Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage

This soup is soup-er easy and soup-er delicious. It's a great way to get vegetables into your diet without adding a ton of calories. Minestrone soup is very flavorful and satisfying enough for a main meal. If you want to cut calories and fat, mild Italian turkey sausage can be substituted without a loss of flavor. Also, if you are watching your salt intake, reduced sodium beef broth and tomatoes can also be substituted.

Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
¼ lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into ½" pieces
6 cups beef broth
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
1 ½ cup uncooked small pasta
3 tablespoons fresh parsley

Grated Parmesan cheese

In a large kettle, cook the sausage until no longer pink. Drain; add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery; cook for three minutes. Add the broth, zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, basil, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a separate pot. Add the chickpeas and parsley to soup and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and add the pasta at the very end of cooking. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

This soup makes three quarts. Individual servings may be easily frozen for later enjoyment.