Tuscany Sausage Soup

Tuscany Sausage Soup

 

4 mild Italian sausages (preferably turkey)

1 inner stalk celery, diced

3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1 small onion, chopped

3 cups beef stock

8 oz can tomato sauce

2 tsp fresh chopped basil OR 1/2 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish

 

Slice sausages 1/2 inch thick. Using a large saucepan, brown sausages. (If turkey, spray pan first with vegetable spray.) Pour off any fat. Add celery, zucchini and onion. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring. Put stock, tomato sauce and basil into crockpot and mix. Heat on high for 30 minutes. Add sausage-vegetable mixture to crockpot. Turn to low and cook 2-3 hours. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated cheese.

Slow-Cooker Sausage and Vegetable Risotto

Today is Slow Cooking Thursday! Post your favorite crockpot recipe on your blog and go visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM and add your link and title. Don’t forget to comment!

Please come back and join me for Freezer Food Friday!

Slow-Cooker Sausage and Vegetable Risotto
ACTIVE TIME: 35 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 30 MIN
SERVES: 6

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
3 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups arborio rice (14 ounces)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon kosher salt
5 cups baby spinach (5 ounces)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Freshly ground pepper

Turn a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker to high. In a saucepan, bring the
broth to a simmer. In a skillet, cook the sausage with the water over
moderately high heat, breaking it up with a spoon until the water has
evaporated and the sausage is browned, 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage
to the slow cooker. In the same skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion
and cook over moderate heat until translucent, 4 minutes. Add the wine
and cook, scraping up any browned bits until the wine is reduced by
half, 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until all of the wine has
been absorbed. Scrape the rice into the slow cooker. Add the hot broth,
zucchini and salt and cover. Cook for 1 hour, stirring once halfway
through. The risotto is done when the rice is al dente and most of the
liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the slow cooker. Stir the spinach into the risotto until just wilted. Stir in the
remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the grated cheese, season with
pepper and serve immediately, passing additional cheese at the table.

Sausage, broccoli and tortellini chowder

Sausage, broccoli and tortellini chowder

1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 ribs celery, sliced

1 bunch broccoli florets, stems peeled and sliced (about 1 pound)

2 carrots, sliced

2 cans (14 ounces, each) chicken broth

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) low-fat cream of mushroom soup

9 ounces dried cheese-stuffed tortellini, cooked and drained, or 1 package (20 ounces) refrigerated tortellini

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 quart milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION: In Dutch oven or stock pot, add sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat. Crumble sausage as it cooks.

When sausage is cooked through, add celery, broccoli, carrots and chicken broth. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add mushroom soup, cooked tortellini, pepper, basil and thyme. Heat through. Whisk cornstarch into milk. Add to soup, blending well. Stir in Parmesan cheese; mix well. Heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.