photo credit: Nieve44/La Luz

This is a very delicious Italian soup that can be served in 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Preparation time is 15 while cooking time is 55 minutes.  This recipe has a total yield of 6 servings.  Each serving has 253 calories, 9g fats, 22mg cholesterol, 574mg sodium, 29g carbohydrates, 4.5g dietary fiber and 12.5g protein.

Ingredients

Sweet Italian sausage (casings removed) – 1 (3.5 oz) link
Onions (chopped) – 1 cup
Garlic (minced) – 2 cloves
Beef stock – 5 cups
Water – 1/3 cup
Red wine – 1/2 cup
Tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped) – 4 pieces
Carrots (chopped) – 1 cup
Dried basil – 1/2 teaspoon
Dried oregano – 1/2 teaspoon
Tomato sauce – 1 cup
Zucchini (chopped) – 1 piece
Cheese tortellini – 8 ounces
Green bell pepper (chopped) – 1 piece
Fresh parsley (chopped) – 1 tablespoon
Parmesan cheese (grated, for toppings) – 2 tablespoons

Directions

1.  Sauté the Italian sausage in a pot for 10 minutes over a medium high heat.  Stir occasionally until the sausages are well browned.  Drain the excess fats but leave at least 1 tbsp in the pot.  Sauté the garlic and onion on the sausage fat for 5 minutes.

2.  Pour the beef stock in the pot. Then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, carrots, oregano.  Pour water and add the wine.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 30 minutes while skimming the fat that may appear at the surface.

3.  Add the tortellini and the zucchini.  Then put the bell peppers and parsley to taste.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  When the tortellini is cooked, ladle into individual bowls.  Garnish each bowl with cheese.  Best served hot.

photo credit: fugzu

This irresistible soup can be prepared in 25 minutes while cooking time is 1 hour.  The soup should be ready in 1 hour 25 minutes.  This recipe will make 6 servings.  Each serving has 567 calories, 34.1g fats, 100mg cholesterol, 2007g sodium, 44.9g carbs, 6.1g dietary fiber, and 21g protein.

Bulk Mild Italian sausage – 1 pound
Red pepper flakes (crushed) – 1 1/4 teaspoons
Bacon (cut into 1/2 inch pieces) – 4 slices
Onion (diced) – 4 slices
Garlic (minced) – 1 tablespoon
Chicken broth – 5 (13.75 oz) cans
Potato (thinly sliced) – 6 pieces
Heavy cream – 1 cup
Fresh spinach (tough stems removed) – 1/4 bunch

Directions

1.  In a Dutch oven over a medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage for 10 to 15 minutes or until crumbly, browned and no longer pink.  Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

2.  In the same Dutch oven, fry the bacon for about 10 minutes then drain.  Leave a few tablespoons of dripping in the Dutch oven then begin to stir in the onion and garlic.  Stir occasionally for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

3.  Pour the chicken broth in the Dutch oven.  Stir the broth, bacon and onion mixture.  Boil it over a high heat.  Then add potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender.  Reduce the heat and continue stirring the soup.  Pour the heavy cream and the cooked Italian sausage.  Continue heating.  Before serving the soup, add the spinach leaves.

photo credit: Nieve44/La Luz

This recipe can make 8 servings.  Preparation time is 20 minutes while cooking time is 1 hour and 15 minutes.  The soup will be ready in 1 hour and 35 minutes.  Each serving has 324 calories.  Total fat content is 20.2g, cholesterol 50mg, sodium 1145mg, carbs 19.1g, protein 14.6g and total dietary fiber is 3.1g.

Ingredients

Sweet Italian sausage (casings removed) – 1 pound
Onion (chopped) – 1 cup
Garlic (minced) – 2 cloves
Beef broth – 5 cups
Water – 1/2 cup
Red wine – 1/2 cup
Tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped) – 4 large pieces
Carrots (thinly sliced) – 1 cup
Fresh basil leaves (packed) – 1/2 tablespoon
Oregano (dried) – 1/2 teaspoon
Tomato sauce – 1 (8 oz) can
Zucchini (sliced) – 1 1/2 cups
Fresh tortellini pasta – 8 ounces
Fresh parsley (chopped) – 3 tablespoons

Directions

1.  Brown sausage using a five quart Dutch oven.  Remove the sausage and drain.  Reserve one tbsp of the drippings.

2.  Use the drippings to sauté the garlic and onions.  Pour the beef broth, wine and water then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, Basil, oregano, and the sausage.  Stir the mixture and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Leave it uncovered.

3.  Remove the fat from the soup.  Add the zucchini and parsley and stir.  Simmer again for another 30 minutes. Add the Tortellini.  Garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese.  Serve hot.

photo credit: stevendepolo

This soup makes 6 servings and it could be done in 50 minutes.  Preparation time is 10 minutes and you can cook it in 40 minutes.  Each serving of this soup contains 385 calories, 24.4g fats, 58mg cholesterol, 1259mg sodium, 22.5g carbohydrates, and 18.8g protein.  It has a total dietary fiber of 5.7g.

Ingredients

Italian sausage – 1 pound
Garlic (minced) – 1 clove
Beef broth – 2 (14 oz) cans
Italian-style stewed tomatoes – 1 (14.5 oz) can
Carrots (sliced) – 1 cup
Great Northern Beans (un-drained) – 1 (14.5 oz) can
Small zucchini (cubed) – 2 pieces
Spinach (packed, rinsed and torn) – 2 cups
Ground black pepper – 1/4 teaspoon
Salt – 1/4 teaspoon

Directions

1.  Put sausage and garlic in a stockpot or Dutch oven until brown.  Pour the broth and mix the tomatoes and carrots.  Add the salt and pepper to season.  Reduce heat and cover the mixture.  Allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes.

2.  Add the Great Northern Beans with liquid and the zucchini.  Stir.  Again, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Make sure that the zucchini is tender.

3.  Once the zucchini is tender, remove from heat then add the spinach.  Cover the soup again in order to cook the spinach leaves.  After five minutes, this Italian sausage soup should be ready.  Serve while hot.