Fall is here along with a busy schedule at my house which means time crock pot cooking. One of my family favorites is Italian sausage soup . It is healthy and easy to throw together with a hectic schedule since I usually have most of the ingredients in stock.
- 1 15-ounce can of any beans you like, drained; I use Pinto
- 1 pound of lean sausage, your choice cut into bite size
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 medium carrot, diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 6 to 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup small pasta
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
My kids and my husband love, love, love sausage – – any kind of sausage, and the greasier the better to them. However, they will get a healthier choice when I cook for them. I like using deer sausage which is leaner and more flavorful especially when lucky enough to receive some from a friend, who is an avid hunter.
Here is the easiest part. Throw everything into your Crockpot, even sausage precooked and cook 6-8 hours on low.
For the last hour, add your pasta and cook on high. When pasta is tender, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and you are ready to go.
This is a perfect meal on a cold night or a busy day when you don’t have time to stew in the kitchen. It’s filled with lots of protein and fiber. The carrots give one serving of a vegetable; however, you could add other vegetables such as zucchini or squash. To add in a few more greens, I like to serve with a toss salad.
Italian Sausage Soup, it gives a kick to the name soup and salad.
I can’t wait to share more recipes and tips on how to plan meals that are quick and easy for a busy schedule in my upcoming Weight Loss Teleclass. Check it out and email me to sign up for my FREE ORIENTATION to learn more.
In Good Health,
Crystal
I love soups like this on a fall or winter day!! Thanks Crystal!!
Christi
It is good but so easy too. Glad you like it
looks delish, crystal…i can almost smell it! <3
I just put this on to cook, put it on high though for 3 hours. Hope it’s still good cooking on high for less time. I also used hot Italian sausages that I browned and drained prior to putting them in the crockpot. I’ll let you know how it turns out! Wish me luck 🙂
Awesome Stacey,
How was the soup?
It was phenomenal!!! I tweaked it a bit (no offense!)… just used chick peas instead of pintos (pintos are hard to find in Canada for some odd reason), but the chickpeas were awesome. Sprinkled in a pinch of sugar too. Anytime I cook with tomatoes I put just a pinch of sugar or honey or maple syrup in, so in the case of a soup that is savory I used a bit of organic brown sugar. Thanks so much, this one is a keeper, hubby loved it!! Had the rest for lunch today! 🙂
Love the tweaks and have to try those myself. Glad you have a new favorite.