REC Italian Sausage Soup

I just saw a post from somebody asking for LC soup recipes. There are
hundreds, but this is one of my homely, hearty favorites. I originally found
it on an AOL board, years ago, revised it a little, and start getting a
taste for it each year in the fall when the weather starts to cool down.

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Italian Sausage Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage (mild or spicy, depending on taste), thinly
sliced
½ onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
Garlic clove, minced
Celery, 3 stalks, minced
Canned or homemade chicken broth, 2 quarts
Zucchini, 2 med, cubed (about 3 cups or so)
Tbsp. tomato paste
Seasonings to taste (depends on sausage seasoning)

Sauté onion and sliced Italian sausage in olive oil in soup kettle.
Add garlic, celery, and green peppers when sausage and onion start to brown,
continue cooking over medium heat till the onion is partially caramelized on
the bottom of the pan and vegetables are partially cooked. (Caramelizing the
onion really adds to the flavor, so let it slowly reach a nice brown).

Add broth, zucchini, tomato paste, and seasonings to taste. I usually use
spicy (hot) sausage and add a bit of oregano and basil, plus enough salt and
crushed red pepper to suit. Bring to a boil, turn down, cover and simmer all
day. Trust me, the longer this cooks the better. The sausage almost melts in
your mouth and the flavors are well blended with long, slow cooking.

This is great on a cold, winter day served in a big heavy earthenware bowl,
sprinkled with a big handful of grated parmesan cheese (NO, not the stuff in
the cylindrical box, the stuff you get in the dairy case and grated finely
by hand - much better).

Note: you can vary this a lot by using different vegetables. I have become
enamored of adding shredded kale to soups, and that's good here. Green
beans, diced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms are all good too. The carb count
will depend on the broth you use - canned/boxed broths are good and
convenient, but can be carby, read the label!

HG