Description
Hearty zucchini tomato Italian sausage soup delivers robust Mediterranean flavors with rustic charm. Small kitchen gardens inspire this simple yet satisfying one-pot meal you’ll crave during cooler seasons.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450 g) Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casing removed
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 medium zucchinis, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup heavy cream (optional, for a creamy version)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
- 2 tbsps fresh basil or parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil (if needed)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
Instructions
- Sauté Sausage: Heat Dutch oven over medium flame and crumble Italian sausage, cooking until golden-brown and releasing rich flavors. Drain excess fat carefully.
- Build Aromatics: Add onions to sausage, stirring until translucent. Incorporate minced garlic, quickly sautéing to develop fragrant base without burning.
- Create Liquid Foundation: Pour chicken broth into pot, establishing soup’s initial flavor profile. Introduce diced zucchini and sliced Roma tomatoes, allowing them to integrate with developing broth.
- Season and Infuse: Sprinkle dried basil, oregano, salt, and cracked black pepper throughout mixture. Stir thoroughly to distribute seasonings evenly and ensure comprehensive flavor integration.
- Simmer and Develop: Reduce heat, allowing soup to gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. This crucial stage enables ingredients to meld, vegetables to tenderize, and flavors to harmonize completely.
- Finalize and Serve: Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle steaming soup into bowls, optionally garnishing with fresh parsley or grated Parmesan cheese for enhanced presentation and flavor complexity.
Notes
- Optimize Meat Browning: Ensure Italian sausage develops deep golden-brown color by not overcrowding the pot, allowing meat to caramelize and release maximum flavor without steaming.
- Drain Fat Strategically: Tilt pot carefully to remove excess grease, preventing soup from becoming overly oily while maintaining rich, concentrated meat flavor profile.
- Vegetable Texture Control: Cut zucchini into uniform medium-sized pieces to guarantee even cooking and prevent mushy consistency, keeping vegetables tender yet slightly firm.
- Low-Sodium and Dietary Adaptations: Select low-sodium chicken broth to control salt content, and substitute Italian sausage with plant-based alternatives or ground turkey for lighter, diet-friendly version without compromising authentic taste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 60mg