Category
Soup and Salads
Author:
Taste of Home
My family loves soup, and we also love Circle B Ranch Sweet Italian Sausage. This soup is great on a cold winter day, so make extra! I made this recipe and it was gone in a couple of days. It was delicious and with some crusty Italian Bread it is pure heaven!
Ingredients
-
16 ounce package of Circle B Ranch Sweet Italian sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large carrots cut in to ¼” thick half moons, about 1.5 cups
2 medium zucchini cut in to ¼” thick half moons, about 1.5 cups
4 celery stalks cut ¼” thick, about 1.5 cups
1 medium yellow onion chopped medium, about 1.5 cups
2 garlic cloves chopped fine
-
14.5 ounces of Marina’s Italian Tomato Sauce
32 ounces Homemade chicken stock
32 ounces Homemade chicken stock1 tablespoon thyme
¼ cup orzo pasta (optional)
2 cups fresh spinach
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan for topping (optional)
Directions
In a heavy bottom pot, heat 1 tbs olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the whole sausages and brown the outside, about 5 minutes, turning every minute. Put the sausages aside on a plate.
In the oil, add in the carrots, zucchini, celery and onions. Add in 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper. Cook over medium heat, scraping up any brown bits from the sausage on the bottom of the pot, and stirring occasionally. Cook until the onions turn translucent, about 10 minutes.
stirring occasionally. Cook until the onions turn translucent, about 10 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, slice the sausages a little more than ¼” thick. It is ok if they are still pink in the middle, they will continue cooking in the soup.
When the onions have turned translucent, and the vegetables have cooked through, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then add in the tomato sauce, chicken stock, sliced sausages, and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Cook over low heat, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
After the soup has cooked for 40 minutes, add in ¼ cup of orzo. Stir and continue cooking for 15 minutes, uncovered.
After the orzo has cooked for 15 minutes, add in 2 big handfuls of fresh spinach, stir to combine.
Taste to see if it needs more salt and pepper.
Take the soup off heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. After the soup has rested for 5 minutes serve it topped with fresh Parmesan and warm bread.
Will keep in an air tight container for 1 week in the fridge. Can be frozen for up to 6 months.