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Minestrone with Sausage

Bowl of minestrone with sausage garnished with basil pesto and parmesan cheese
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This minestrone soup with Italian sausage is packed with flavor! Classic minestrone gets enhanced with Italian sausage, basil pesto, and parmesan cheese for a hearty, complete meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 ounces mild Italian sausage (bulk or links with casings removed)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 (15 ounce) can Italian style diced tomatoes
  • 5 cups chicken broth (plus 1–2 cups extra if needed)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup zucchini, chopped
  • 1 cup yellow squash, chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry ditalini pasta
  • 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • Basil pesto, to garnish
  • Grated parmesan cheese, to garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large soup pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium to medium-high heat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces. Remove casings if using link sausage. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Remove browned sausage from pot and set aside. Drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
  2. While the sausage browns, chop the onion, celery, carrots, and mince the garlic.
  3. Add the tomato paste, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and dried oregano to the pot. Saute for about 5 minutes until vegetables soften and become fragrant.
  4. Add the can of Italian tomatoes and chicken broth. Return the browned sausage to the pot. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the carrots are fork-tender.
  6. Add both cans of beans, the zucchini, yellow squash, and dry pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  7. Simmer another 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Check consistency and add 1-2 cups broth if too thick.
  8. Turn off the heat and stir in the roughly chopped baby spinach. Cover and wait about 5 minutes for the spinach to wilt.
  9. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • For slow cooker: Brown sausage and saute vegetables with tomato paste on stovetop first (steps 1-3), then transfer to slow cooker with tomatoes and broth. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Add beans, vegetables, and pasta in last 10-15 minutes on high.
  • If you can’t find Italian diced tomatoes, use regular tomatoes and add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
  • Try adding a parmesan rind while cooking for extra depth of flavor.
  • Cook pasta separately if meal prepping to prevent it from absorbing all the broth.
  • Can sizes may vary slightly (14.5-15.5 oz is fine for the 15 oz cans).

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.benefitiany.com/sausage-minestrone-soup/