Minestrone with Turkey Italian Sausage
Servings 6
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.