In fact, it is the tomatoes that will be creating that familiar taste that you will probably recognize from memories you have of batches of your very own grandma’s veggie soup. They give this soup its comforting “taste of home” appeal. Serve it with crusty bread or a batch of homemade biscuits and you will have a hearty and filling meal.

The Italian sausage you choose is going to make all the difference in how this soup ends up tasting. You can use the traditional mildly-seasoned Italian sausage, or be daring and opt for the hot Italian sausage. If neither of them sounds like it is quite what you are looking for, use a regularly-seasoned, or even sage-flavored pork sausage.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 pound bulk Italian sausage, mild or hot
2 cloves garlic, minced
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups beef stock
3 stalks celery, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
3 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
4 small red potatoes, diced into ½-inch cubes
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the sausage in a large skillet and brown it over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon into smaller pieces. When the sausage is nearly browned, add in the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain off any grease and set aside.

Add both types of tomatoes, the raw veggies (celery, carrots and onions), the stock and the Italian seasoning into your slow cooker. Stir the drained sausage mixture into the slow cooker until well-combined with the veggies. Cook on High for about 3 hours or Low for about 6 hours.

Then stir in the potatoes, along with the frozen peas and corn. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue cooking on High for another hour or on Low for another 2 hours. Serve in bowls.

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Quick Tip:  This soup is one of those that can be different every time you make it, as it is the perfect soup for using up any leftover veggies in your fridge, or produce that is starting to get a little past its prime. Don’t be afraid to add the more unusual items, such as broccoli, kale, spinach or asparagus – any veggie is good in this soup. Just be sure you add the more solid-form raw veggies along with the other raw veggies so they have long enough to cook until tender. The previously-cooked veggies can be added with the frozen veggies, toward the end. Add your leafy greens, such as spinach, at the very end, as it doesn’t take them long to cook at all.

Recipe and image courtesy of Jacqueline DiNuoscio for The Slow Roasted Italian