delicious healthy italian sausage minestrone

Name: Delicious Healthy Italian Sausage Minestrone
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon(s) light olive oil (not extra virgin); 3/4 pound(s) turkey italian sausage, appx 3 links, casings removed; 1 - onion, chopped; 2 stalk(s) celery, chopped; 3 - carrots, medium, sliced; 3 clove(s) garlic, sliced; 8 cup(s) chicken broth; 2 cup(s) water; 1 or 2 teaspoon(s) chicken boullion granules; 1 can(s) big 28 ounce crushed tomatoes; 2 can(s) small 8 ounce tomato sauce; 1 tablespoon(s) oregano, dried; 1/2 tablespoon(s) rosemary; 1/2 tablespoon(s) basil; 1/2 tablespoon(s) thyme; 1 - bay leaf; 1 pinch(es) white sugar; 12 ounce(s) potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 2 potatoes); 1 can(s) kidney beans, rinsed and drained; 1 can(s) cannelini beans, rinsed and drained; 8 ounce(s) or one bunch curly kale or lacinato (dinosaur) kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces, stem removed. may substitute spinach; 1 small zucchini, halved and sliced; 1/2 pound(s) fresh green beans, cut to 1-inch; 2 small aged, hard cheese rinds, such as parmesan, asiago, aged gouda, romano. appx. 2-3 inches of rind; 1/2 cup(s) dry small pasta, such as orzo

10 Pinches

Margaret G

Cleveland, OH

Updated on Aug 12, 2014

They say that in addition to the 4 main tastes (Salty, Bitter, Sweet, and Sour) there exists a fifth taste, well-known to eastern cooking, but not as prevalent in western cuisine- "Umami," a Japanese word translating roughly to, "A Plesant savory taste". Some natural foods high in the umami glutamates include mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, fish sauces, seaweed, meat, and soy sauce. The secret infusion of beautiful umami in this soup comes from the aged cheese rinds (Asigo, Parmesan, and Gouda) which I let simmer with the broth. To get the full effect, you GOTTA have the cheese rind!

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prep time 25 Min

cook time 1 Hr

method Stove Top

yield 12 serving(s)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon light olive oil (not extra virgin)
3/4 pound turkey italian sausage, appx 3 links, casings removed
1 - onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 - carrots, medium, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
8 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 or 2 teaspoons chicken boullion granules
1 can big 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
2 cans small 8 ounce tomato sauce
1 tablespoon oregano, dried
1/2 tablespoon rosemary
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1 - bay leaf
1 pinch white sugar
12 ounces potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 2 potatoes)
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
8 ounces or one bunch curly kale or lacinato (dinosaur) kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces, stem removed. may substitute spinach
1 small zucchini, halved and sliced
1/2 pound fresh green beans, cut to 1-inch
2 small aged, hard cheese rinds, such as parmesan, asiago, aged gouda, romano. appx. 2-3 inches of rind
1/2 cup dry small pasta, such as orzo

How To Make delicious healthy italian sausage minestrone

Step 1

Tip: I recently started buying wedges of aged cheese and grating them myself for my various recipes, rather than buy the pre-grated stuff. It saves money and tastes better, plus has a better texture. You might see the price tag on a wedge of cheese and not be impresed, but the quality of flavor you get is so well-worth it, plus, it fluffs up when you grate it, so one wedge can go a long way. Give it a try! Once you make the switch, you'll never want to go back to that stuff in a can or plastic tub! Just make sure you have a trusty, good quality grater around. Of course, this also means you will inevitably end up with the rinds, or heel of the cheese when it's all spent. Don't throw those away! Save them for soups like this one! I recommend waiting on making this recipe until you have accquired the cheese rinds. It really makes the soup! If you get a cheese rind in your bowl of soup, it's good luck (and chewy and tasty)!

Step 2

Remove sausage casings if using links. In a stock pot, Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute the crumbled italian sausage, onions, carrots, and celery, until onions are translucent and sausage is almost cooked.
Step 3

Drain fat. Add garlic and saute one minute more. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, water, boullion, all seasonings, cheese rinds, beans and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, stir in kale, and simmer 20 minutes.
Step 4

Add green beans and Zucchini, simmer about 15-20 minutes more. Keep an eye on the zucchini and don't over cook unless you like soft squishy zucchini. While it simmers for this last stretch, cook the pasta in a separate pot til al-dente. Drain pasta and add to the soup.
Step 5

Fine-tune the soup throughout the process and at the end by tasting, adding more water, salt and pepper, as needed to suit your taste. Serve with garlic bread, a salad, and some fresh grated aged cheese. YUM!
Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!

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