Italian Sausage Soup

I like to get fresh vegetables whenever I can, but here lately my grocery store has been out of a lot of them.

Things as basic as cucumbers, bell peppers, and zucchini have been in scarce supply.

It’s not like I live in Alaska, either. I live smack dab in the middle of the country, near a major city, so I shouldn’t really be having an issue.

Because of the supply chain issues, I’ve been giving frozen veggies a second chance. I don’t really like frozen spinach, broccoli, or cauliflower…but sometimes it’s all you’ve got.

Plus, frozen veg is WAY better than canned veg, at least taste-wise. It’s far more similar to the fresh stuff.

I bought a bag of frozen kale the other day for this soup and was highly disappointed. It was labeled as “chopped” kale which I thought would mean it was chopped into good-sized chunks. No. I was very wrong.

You know the leftover chopped-up grass when you mow the lawn? You know, the green, pulpy piles that can be left all over your lawn if you don’t have a bag? That’s what this kale looked like. It was chopped so fine, you could hardly tell what it was!

If you’re going to make this soup, make sure you buy fresh kale (if you can find it) and chop it up yourself. Don’t go for the frozen kale!

Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Soup

Servings: 6-8
Time: 40 mins
Difficulty: Easy
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A good, clean-out-your-pantry soup that's hearty and packed full of delicious ingredients.

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian sausage (I used mild)

1 TBS. olive oil

3 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1/2 lb. fusili pasta (or macaroni)

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups water

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 cups chopped kale

Juice of 1 lemon

Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, crumbling with a spoon, about 4-6 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Add carrots, onion and garlic to the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, broth and water. Let mixture come to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
Stir in pasta. Cover and let simmer until pasta is tender, about 8 minutes.
Stir in sausage and kale and let mixture warm through, about 4 minutes.
Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat. Serve topped with fresh Parmesan.

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