Soup Series #2 – Hearty Sausage Minestrone Recipe – Piemonte Sausage

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

MAKES: 8 servings

1 pound bulk Piemonte Italian Beer sausage (Garlic flavored Agilio-fresco or Bernie’s Classis Sweet or Hot)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, undrained
2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup ditalini or other small pasta

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, onion, celery and carrots over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain.
Stir in tomatoes, beans, broth, garlic powder and pepper; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook, covered, 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Freeze option: Freeze cooled minestrone in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary. Yield: 8 servings (3-1/2 quarts).

1-3/4 cups: 372 calories, 13g fat (4g saturated fat), 33mg cholesterol, 1481mg sodium, 44g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 9g fiber), 18g protein.

Originally published as Hearty Sausage Minestrone in Simple & Delicious October/November 2014

Soup Series #2 – Hearty Sausage Minestrone Recipe