Sausage Minestrone Soup
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces sausage links
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 can (14 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces ditalini pasta (or any small pasta)
- 1 cup diced butternut squash
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Cook the sausage in a skillet for 5-7 minutes, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil, on medium heat until golden brown on all sides. Chop into smaller pieces and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning and stir.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the cannellini beans, ditalini pasta and butternut squash to the pot. Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking.
- Add the spinach and the sausage, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
- Serve with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- We used thinner sausage links in this recipe but feel free to use a heartier sausage and different varieties like Italian sausage, smoked sausage or Andouille.
- You can experiment with substituting the butternut squash with potatoes, like Yukon Gold potatoes. Just make sure that the potatoes are fully cooked through before serving.
- This soup is great served with fresh bread or garlic bread for dipping.