Italian Sausage Soup

Last Year's Post: Rosemary-Lemon Grilled Ahi with Pearl Couscous
Two Years Ago:  Broccoli, Cabbage and Brussels Sprout Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Having spent far too many years of my life in cold climates, I can sympathize with everyone who has been shivering their way through the polar vortex during the past week or so.  "Polar vortex" sounds so dramatic, like you're going to get sucked in and end up in the middle of the earth or on another planet, don't you think? Or maybe you'll pop out in the Bermuda Triangle, which would be a nice change of temperature except for the little problem of needing a boat.

Although I now live in Phoenix, I promise never to be one of those people who wait until the absolute coldest day of the year and then call you to gloat.  I mean really, talk about kicking someone when they're down and cranky.

Instead, I extend my warmest thoughts to you along with this hot and hearty soup recipe.  Is anything better when it's cold or you have a cold than soup? (And it doubles as a great hand-warmer.)  This is absolutely the best Italian sausage soup ever, featuring zucchini, fettuccine and sausage in a beef broth seasoned with tomatoes, red wine, basil and oregano.  Serve it with a loaf of hot crusty bread and you have a feast for the coldest night.

I particularly like spicy Italian sausage in this recipe, but of course you can use mild sausage or half and half.  To cut calories and fat I recommend turkey sausage, but any Italian sausage will taste great.  If you use pork sausage just be sure to drain off most of the fat after browning.  You could also add some baby spinach if you want to bump up the nutritional value even further.

Those of you who read this blog regularly are probably sick of hearing me talk about sodium levels, but I checked the sodium levels of all the beef broth products in the store and they vary wildly.  Be aware of the sodium level you choose, and adjust seasonings at the end.  Many years ago before I became aware of sodium levels I used a common high sodium broth to make this soup and thought it tasted great without adding salt.  When I started cutting down on sodium I tried a beef broth with no sodium added and thought the soup tasted flat without salt, which was easily fixed after I tasted it. When did life become so complicated?  Anyway, start with lower sodium broth and add a little bit of salt at a time when the soup is done until you're happy.

This is a slow cooker recipe, but you could easily make it in a big pot on the stove and simmer it for a hour or two instead.  Don't be tempted to cook the pasta in the soup - it will soak up too much of the broth and is likely to become mushy.  Several people who have tried this recipe over the years have commented that they prefer to use a short-cut pasta such as penne or shells rather than fettuccine for ease of spooning up.  I like the fettuccine broken into short lengths but feel free to use whatever type of pasta you prefer or have on hand.

I grated some parmesan that I had on hand for an optional topping, which was very good but not necessary.

Stay warm and out of the Bermuda Triangle!

printable recipe
Italian Sausage Soup

Serves 8

Note:  This recipe could also be made in a soup pot on top of the stove, simmered for an hour or two.  Do not add pasta until shortly before serving.

1 tablespoon olive oil

19.5 oz pkg mild or spicy turkey Italian sausage, removed from casings

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

32 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes

1 ¼ cups dry red wine

5 cups beef broth

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 zucchini, cut in half length-wise and sliced into half-moons

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

8 oz dried fettuccine, broken into shorter lengths

Salt and pepper to taste

While still in the can, snip the tomatoes with a kitchen scissors into smaller pieces. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook, crumbling with the edge of a spoon, until browned.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. 

Add onion to the same skillet and cook for 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 additional minute.  Transfer to a slow cooker and stir in tomatoes and their juices, wine, broth, basil, and oregano.  Add sausage, zucchini, bell pepper, and parsley.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta in boiling water until barely al dente accordingly to package directions.  Drain and add pasta to slow cooker.  Simmer for a few minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings prior to serving.

Note:  If you save some of the soup for later you may want to add additional beef broth as the pasta will absorb some.

Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Smoked Mozzarella

Last Year's Post: Balsamic Vinegar Chicken with Almond Peppers
Two Years Ago:  Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Cashews

Although eggs with tomato sauce might sound a little odd, it's wonderful Italian comfort food.  Compared to your normal tomato-based pasta dish, eggs take the place of meat protein and crusty bread substitutes for pasta.  On a cold winter night it really hits the spot, plus it's easy and inexpensive yet filling.  The tomato sauce can be made in advance or if you're really pressed for time you could buy a jar of tomato basil sauce - just be sure to buy one that's relatively light and not too thick or it will overwhelm the eggs.  Once you have the sauce (one way or another), it's a one pot meal that takes just a few minutes to make - just heat the sauce, crack the raw eggs right on top, scatter chunks of smoked mozzarella around, and let cook covered for 5 minutes.  Toss some fresh basil leaves on top and serve with crusty bread.  The cheese becomes melty and gooey, the eggs go very well with the tomato sauce and the bread sops up any leftover sauce.

A word about the cheese - the original recipe called for scamorza, a classic Italian smoked mozzarella that comes in a distinctive pear shape.  I couldn't find it but could find smoked mozzarella made in the United States, which worked perfectly well.  You could also use a high-quality fresh mozzarella if you want but I thought the smoked cheese was an interesting change of pace.

You can adjust the spiciness to your liking by the amount of crushed red pepper you add - I added a very small pinch and found it resulted in a spiciness you could just barely taste.  I'd probably add a little more next time, or you could always add more sprinkled on top at the table to each person's preference.  I used no-salt tomato puree because I always use low-sodium canned tomato products - most regular varieties have a really high sodium level.  If you use a regular puree with salt added I would wait to add any salt until you taste the sauce.  Saltiness is such an individual preference that I try to err on the side of less salt and let everyone add at the table if they prefer.

As I said, this makes a great and comforting cold weather dinner but it would also make a very nice brunch dish.  It's easy to double either by using a very large skillet or by using two medium skillets.

YUM

printable recipe

Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Smoked Mozzarella

Serves 4

1 recipe tomato sauce (see below)

4 tablespoons olive oil

8 eggs

4 ounces scamorza or smoke mozzarella, sliced

12 small basil leaves or 6 large basil leaves, torn

Salt and pepper

Crusty bread

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan and add the tomato sauce.  Bring to a brisk simmer.

Add the eggs, one at a time to different spots in the pan, allowing them to cook right in the sauce. Tear the cheese slices into small pieces and scatter over the top.  Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the basil at the very end.  Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Tomato Sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 small pinch dried red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1 (28 ounce) can no-salt tomato puree

½ teaspoon salt (or less depending on the sodium level of the tomato puree)

3 fresh basil leaves, torn

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add onion, garlic, and chili peppers.  Gently cook on medium-low for 5-8 minutes until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally so the garlic doesn’t burn.  Add the tomato puree and simmer and additional 5 to 10 minutes.  Season with salt to taste and add basil leaves at the very end.

Lemon Chicken and Fennel Pot Pies

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Pot pies are wonderful winter comfort food that got a bad rap back in the 1970s with the advent of those frozen pot-pies-in-a-box with little peas and carrots.  OK, time for a confession - I ate a ton of those frozen pot pies in my college days (along with Hamburger Helper minus the hamburger) because they were the cheapest food I could find. ($.79 each)  Bleh. 

Homemade pot pies are an entirely different thing.  This is one of my absolute favorite pot pie recipes and it only takes about 60 minutes to prepare before baking.  The good news is that they freeze beautifully so you can make some on a weekend and have them ready any night of the week.  Have you noticed that upscale comfort foods like pot pies are all the rage at restaurants these days?  You'll be very trendy. I served pot pies at a dinner party once and dressed them up with a cloth napkin underneath (kind of the like picture below, come to think of it) and some fresh herbs tucked in to the napkin folds.  Looked kind of fancy if I do say so myself. 

No little peas and carrots in this recipe - it has moist chunks of chicken, savory fennel, tender green beans, prosciutto, and a lemony sauce. The reason why the chicken stays so moist is because it's gently simmered in chicken broth rather than using a dry cooking method. The fennel is also cooked in chicken broth and imparts a subtle flavor that goes amazingly well with the chicken and lemon. This recipe is lighter in calories than a typical pot pie but sacrifices nothing in terms of taste or...comfortivity.

Of course you could make this recipe as one large pot pie in a quiche pan or pie pan but then you lose the benefits of being able to freeze some for later.  Plus it's not nearly as cute to serve.  :-)  Individual ramekins are readily available in kitchen stores and stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Crate and Barrel, or even Target.  They're not expensive and they're available in different sizes.  For this recipe I used 1-1/4 cup ramekins which make a nice-sized dinner with a salad.  If you have big eaters in your house (aka teenaged boys) you might want to get the next size larger which is typically a 2 cup ramekin.

I also chose to use a refrigerated pie crust.  I've made pie crusts from scratch and really can't tell the difference.  If you have deeply held beliefs regarding homemade pie crusts don't let me stop you!  I even hesitated to bring the subject up at all.



* * click here for a printable recipe version * *

Lemon Chicken and Fennel Pot Pies
Makes 6 individual pot pies or one large pot pie

Your favorite recipe to make 2 pie crusts - or - two refrigerated pie crusts
2 fennel bulbs
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 ¾ - 2 lbs), cut into 1” cubes
½ cup green beans, cut into 1” pieces
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 cups 2% milk
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds
½ teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
Black pepper
¼ lb thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin 2” long strips
1 egg white, lightly beaten

6 (1-1/4 cup) ramekins or 1 deep dish pie pan



Prepare pie crust recipe (if using) and refrigerate dough.

To prepare filling: blanch green beans in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then remove and immediate submerge in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.

Cut leaves and stalks from fennel. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise and remove the triangular core with a small sharp knife. Cut each half lengthwise again to make four fennel quarters per bulb. Slice thinly crosswise.

Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the fennel and cook uncovered for 7 minutes. Add chicken and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes more. Remove and strain the chicken and fennel. Discard the broth.

Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and continue to whisk until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add chicken, fennel, green beans, lemon juice, fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper and prosciutto. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Let cool slightly before filling ramekins so the filling won’t start to melt the dough when it’s placed on top.

Roll out the dough (if using) or pie crusts to roughly rectangular shapes and use the bottom of a small plate to make circular indentations approximately 1-2” larger than the diameter of your ramekins. Cut the circles out using a small knife and place on top of the filled ramekins. (Alternately roll out one large pie crust as usual if using a deep dish pie pan.) Fold the extra dough up and in to form a decorative edge. Cut a 1 ½” slit in the top of each to serve as a vent.

At this point the pot pies can be covered and refrigerated for up to a day, or wrapped and frozen. If frozen, thaw overnight before baking.

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375d. Brush each crust lightly with egg white and bake until pastry is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.