Description
This Hearty Sausage Minestrone Soup is a cozy, twist on traditional minestrone. It’s packed with bold flavors from sausage and crisp bacon.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon, diced
- 3 Italian hot sausage links (12 ounces), casings removed
- 1/2 white or yellow onion, minced
- 1/2 cup carrots, minced
- 1 celery stalk, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced small
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 14-ounce box chopped/diced tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 pound ditalini pasta
- 2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
- Parmesan cheese, for garnish
- Cracked black pepper, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the diced bacon until crisp. Remove half of the bacon and reserve for garnish. Drain excess fat, leaving about one tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the sausage to the pot and cook, breaking it into small pieces as it browns.
- Stir in the minced celery, onion, carrots, garlic, diced zucchini, and thyme leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-8 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- While the vegetables cook, prepare the pasta to very al dente. Drain without rinsing.
- Add the diced tomatoes and chicken stock to the pot along with the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaves, then add the spinach, cannellini beans, pesto, and pasta. Stir gently until the spinach wilts and the beans are heated through.
- Serve in bowls, garnished with fresh basil, Parmesan, cracked black pepper, and reserved bacon pieces.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- For a vegetarian minestrone, leave out the bacon and sausage.
- Feel free to use whatever vegetables are in season.
- Fresh tomatoes can be used instead of boxed or canned tomatoes.
- Cook the pasta just to al dente, as it will continue to cook as it soaks up the hot broth.
- For convenience use jarred pesto. Feel free to make your own.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Soup, Dinner
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American, Italian