Crazy Easy Italian Sausage & Basil Soup

 Picture this scenario: A blizzard is blazing outside, you’ve been busy working all day, the kids are complaining of hunger and it’s nearly six o’clock. You’ve got maybe half an hour before your house breaks out into all kinds of mayhem and you’ve somehow got to get supper on the table.

This calls for something EASY, something TASTY, and something EASY (oh, I think I already said that.)

What to do?

Make some soup.

I’m not talking about cooking-chopping-has-to-simmer-all-day soup; I’m talking about throw-it-all-in-a-pot-and-eat soup. Chances are, you’ll already have a lot of this stuff on hand, and whatever you don’t – it’s easy to substitute or omit altogether. This is our go-to recipe in our family when time is short, and tummies are growling! It’s our favorite, CRAZY EASY Italian Sausage and Basil soup. Major yum factor on this one – and I promise, it’s easy. (I mean it – my kids know how to make it.)

Here are the players:

•  2 large cans of diced tomatoes (with Italian seasoning) Don’t have the kind with the seasoning? Just add in your own from spices you have on hand in your pantry – a mix of basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme works great. Like I said – I’m going for EASY, so I always get the already seasoned tomatoes.
• 4 cups of chicken broth (or just use water mixed with bouillon)
• One pkg. Italian sausage. We like using the spicy kind, but get whatever. I’ve even substituted breakfast sausage that I had on hand – just squeezed the thawed sausage out of the casing and fried it up. It was good!
• 1-2 cups dried pasta – use whatever kind you’ve got around. Have macaroni? Use that. Have seashell pasta? Use it. You could even just break up spaghetti noodles and use those.
• 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach (or you can use frozen – or omit all together. Anything goes!)
• 2-3 Tbsp fresh basil (or use dried – or omit. I’m telling you – this is easy peasy)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. If you’ve got the shredded stuff, use it. We just have the powdered stuff handy. Still good.

Instructions:

1. Scramble fry the sausage until cooked. Get ready to smell some crazy good aromas. You’ve been warned!

 2. While the sausage is cooking, pour the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and noodles into a pot and turn on the heat to med-high.

3. Drain the sausage and pour into the pot with the tomatoes, broth, and noodles. Bring to a boil.

4. Simmer the soup for about 10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender (this time will be different depending on the type of noodles you are using.)

5. Right before serving, add in the fresh baby spinach and stir until it wilts.

The soup is ready to go!

6. Slice up the basil for garnish. Stack the leaves from biggest to smallest, roll them up like a cigar, then slice. You’ll have thinly sliced basil in no time!

 7. Dish up the soup, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh basil – then gobble it up like a soup maniac.

Have mercy, this stuff is so good.

The nice thing about this soup is – it’s good for any time of year, since it doesn’t have to simmer and won’t over heat your kitchen, even in summer months. This is also something that the kids can learn to make. Love that. Enjoy! 

Crazy Easy Italian Sausage & Basil Soup

Print

Ingredients

• 2 large cans of diced tomatoes (with Italian seasoning)
• 4 cups of chicken broth (or just use water mixed with bouillon)
• One pkg. Italian sausage.
• 1-2 cups dried pasta - use whatever kind you've got around.
• 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach (or you can use frozen - or omit all together. Anything goes!)
• 2-3 Tbsp fresh basil (or use dried - or omit. I'm telling you - this is easy peasy)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Instructions

1. Scramble fry the sausage until cooked. Get ready to smell some crazy good aromas. You've been warned!
2. While the sausage is cooking, pour the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and noodles into a pot and turn on the heat to med-high.
3. Drain the sausage and pour into the pot with the tomatoes, broth, and noodles. Bring to a boil.
4. Simmer the soup for about 10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender (this time will be different depending on the type of noodles you are using.)
5. Right before serving, add in the fresh baby spinach and stir until it wilts.
6. Slice up the basil for garnish.
7. Dish up the soup, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh basil - then gobble it up like a soup maniac.