Minestrone with Turkey Italian Sausage

My daughter has a cold, and I wanted to make a healthy comforting dinner. She loves soups and stews so I decided to make minestrone with turkey Italian sausage. I know it’s usually made with pancetta but I had some turkey Italian sausage to use up so I decided to try it. The soup was delicious and we all loved it. I enjoyed the hint of fennel and garlic and the creaminess of the beans. This easy minestrone soup recipe paired nicely with our house salad and freshly baked bread.

Minestrone with Turkey Italian Sausage

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 2 turkey Italian sausage links, removed from casing (pork Italian sausage also works)
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, diced
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 (28-oz) can of crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 1 (15-oz) can of white cannellini beans
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 oz fresh pasta of choice (I used orecchiette), prepared per instructions
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, shredded for serving

How to Make Minestrone with Turkey Italian Sausage

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven pot. Add onions and Italian sausage–removed from the casing. Stir, breaking up the sausage into crumbles, cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Add the carrots, celery, sage, fennel seeds, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add garlic stirring constantly for 45 seconds.

Add tomatoes, chicken broth, beans, and bay leaf.

Simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf and taste and re-season if needed.

Mix in the cooked pasta, fresh basil, and parsley before serving.  **Side Note: I cook the pasta separately so it won’t become mushy in the leftover soup. 

Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Minestrone with Turkey Italian Sausage

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Course: Main, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
• ½ yellow onion diced
• 2 turkey Italian sausage links removed from casing (pork Italian sausage also works)
• 2 large carrots peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 5 cloves of garlic diced
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves only
• 1 tsp fennel seeds crushed
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 (28-oz can) of crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 1 (15-oz can) of white cannellini beans
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 oz fresh pasta of choice I used orecchiette, prepared per instructions
• 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• Parmesan cheese shredded for serving

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven pot. Add onions and Italian sausage–removed from the casing. Stir, breaking up the sausage into crumbles, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the carrots, celery, sage, fennel seeds, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic stirring constantly for 45 seconds.
• Add tomatoes, chicken broth, beans, and bay leaf.
• Simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf and taste and re-season if needed.
• Mix in the cooked pasta, fresh basil, and parsley before serving.  **Side Note: I cook the pasta separately so it won't become mushy in the leftover soup.
• Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy.

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