Thursdays Are For Cooking

 

Soup, you say? How about a good Tuscan bean soup made with stuff from the cupboard and fridge? When made properly, soup is always filling and satisfying and will keep you going all day. This gives you a chance to use stuff you bought a while back but never got around to using.

Tuscan Sausage Soup

• Prep 35 minutes
• Total 60 minutes
• Servings: 6 to 8 (depending on growling tummies)

Recipe by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated November 22, 2019

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian ground pork sausage

1 cup chopped onions

1 large carrot, peeled, cut into quarters lengthwise and into 1/4-inch slices (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional if you don’t like heat)

6 cups Progresso™ reduced sodium chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)

1 can (19 oz) Progresso™ cannellini beans, drained, rinsed (If you don’t have cannellinis, any beans will do as long as they are not canned in chili sauce.)

1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (Use 3 teaspoons of dried oregano if you don’t have fresh stuff.)

1 bay leaf

¾ cup (3 oz) small ring pasta, such as ditalini  (Any short pasta will do if you don’t have ditalini.)

3 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup Progresso™ plain panko crispy bread crumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

• 1 – Heat 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onions and carrot; cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up sausage, until sausage is no longer pink. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
• 2 – Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes, oregano and bay leaf. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Add pasta; simmer 8 to 9 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove bay leaf, and discard.
• 3 – Stir in spinach; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes; stir.
• 4 – Meanwhile, in 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat Add bread crumbs; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until toasted and golden brown. Remove from heat.
• 5 – Divide soup among serving bowls; garnish each with cheese and toasted bread crumbs.
• Expert Tips
• In the cold months, we can’t get enough soup, particularly hearty soups with plenty of veggies in the mix. With 3 cups of spinach, a can of Muir Glen™ fire roasted diced tomatoes, onions and carrots, it’s the easiest way we know to get everyone to eat their vegetables. After all, there’s pasta and sausage in the mix, and the topping of buttery bread crumbs and Parm doesn’t hurt either. Keep this recipe on hand for a night when you’ve got a crowd to feed or a bunch of veggies to use up! We predict it’s about to become a new family fave.
• Leftovers aren’t a problem with this recipe, as the soup freezes beautifully.
• Ditalini pasta is a short tubular pasta that is sometimes labeled as ring pasta. Orzo or small elbow-shaped pasta are both good substitutes if ditalini isn’t available.
• The simple finishes of Parmesan and toasted Progresso™ panko bread crumbs make this soup an instant family favorite.

Category: Cooking, Economy