Italian Vegetable & Sausage Soup

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 small zucchini, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup dry wine (optional)
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, in tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled or 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
• 1/2 cup orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
• 2/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Recipe

• 1 remove the casings from the sausage and discard.
• 2 brown the sausage meat, breaking it up with a spoon until the meat is cooked. remove excess fat from the pot.
• 3 add the onions and garlic and gently sauté, cook until soft but not browned.
• 4 add carrots, zucchini, pepper, wine, chicken broth, tomatoes, basil, and oregano and bring to a boil. add orzo and simmer for 20 minutes.
• 5 season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 6 if desired, sprinkle parmesan cheese over each serving.
• 7 tastes best if reheated the next day.