1 1/2 lb bulk Italian Sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced zucchini
8 cups chicken broth
15 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning (or, if you’re me, more to taste)
1 bay leaf
20 oz cheese tortellini OR 1/2 cup orzo or small shape pasta
finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1. In a large pot, cook sausage, onion, carrot, and celery over medium heat until sausage starts to brown, stirring to break up meat as it cooks. Add zucchini and cook for another for another 3-5 minutes.
2. Add broth, tomatoes with their liquid, tomato sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf.
3. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for one hour.
4. Add pasta. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes more. Discard bay leaf. If desired, top each serving with Parmesan cheese, and serve with some delicious french bread.
Note: To make this soup in the crock pot, complete step 1 and then transfer sausage mixture to crock pot. Add ingredients stated in step 2 to crock pot; stir to combine. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Remove bay leaf, turn heat to high and add pasta. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until pasta is cooked to desired tenderness. Garnish servings with Parmesan cheese.
Time to make: 1 1/2 hours (or 4-5 hours in crock pot)
Yield: 8-10 servings
Source: Angela Peterson Hoffman (altered from a recipe in my soup cookbook – a present from Mommy for Christmas!)