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minestrone with sausage in a stock pot.
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4.88 from 24 votes

Sausage Minestrone Soup

I always thought Minestrone soup was kind of boring, but then I added Italian sausage. And a spoonful of pesto. And topped it with parmesan. This soup is PACKED and I love it! Classic minestrone flavors, but enhanced. And tons of veggies so you feel like you're on top of your life. Did I mention you can make it in the slow cooker?
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time7 hours 25 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 -10
Calories: 381kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces mild Italian sausage
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 & 1/2 cups celery chopped
  • 1 & 1/2 cups carrots chopped
  • 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 15 ounce can Italian style diced tomatoes*
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup zucchini chopped
  • 1 cup yellow squash chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry ditalini pasta**
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • basil pesto to garnish
  • grated parmesan cheese to garnish

Instructions

  •  In a large soup pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium to medium-high heat. Drain the fat.
  • Meanwhile, chop the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
  • Add the tomato paste, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and dried oregano.
  • Saute for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the can of Italian tomatoes and chicken broth. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30-45 minutes, until all the carrots are tender.
  • Add both cans of beans, the zucchini, yellow squash, and dry pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  • Simmer another 10 minutes, until the pasta is cooked.
  • At this point, you can add another cup or two of chicken broth, if you feel like it's not "soupy" enough.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach. I like to roughly chop mine so it's easier to eat, but you don't have to!
  • Wait about 5 minutes for the spinach to wilt, and then it's ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper. (I actually didn't add any! Sign of a killer soup, right?)
  • Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and a few grates of Parmesan cheese.

Slow cooker Instructions:

  • Follow the instructions through step 4. Pour everything into the slow cooker, then add the tomatoes and chicken broth.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
  • Stir in the beans, zucchini, yellow squash, and pasta. Cover and turn the heat to high. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
  • Turn off the slow cooker. Stir in the spinach and cover another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and a few grates of Parmesan cheese.

Notes

*If you can't find Italian diced tomatoes, regular tomatoes will work fine!
**sometimes called macaroni salad pasta. Any type of short pasta will work fine!
This is another gem of a recipe from my Aunt Shirley. Woman knows her way around the kitchen!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Potassium: 928mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5257IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 5mg