Tuscan Vegetable Soup
If you are wanting something a little more substantial for a main course, this recipe is perfect because it is still light and flavored with summer sunshine. What a great way to get the kids to eat the fresh greens you have cultivated in your garden.
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- 2 small mixing bowls
- 5-quart soup kettle
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- ¾ tsp. garlic salt
- ½ tsp. fennel seed crushed
- ½ tsp. Italian herb blend
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ pound thick-cut bacon diced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 small carrots peeled and sliced thin
- ½ sweet red bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock
- 8 small red potatoes quartered
- 1 bunch fresh chard, spinach or kale ribs removed and leaves torn
- 1 large bay leaf
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves torn
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
Instructions
- About 30 minutes or more before starting the soup, make the Italian sausage by blending into the ground pork the garlic salt, fennel seed and Italian herb blend. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a 5-quart soup kettle, brown the sausage in the oil until cooked; transfer to a warm bowl.
- Drain the fat from the kettle and add the bacon. Cook until crisp. Remove to the same bowl as the sausage.
- Drain the excess fat from the kettle, reserving about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring, until soft.
- Add the meats, stock, potatoes, greens and bay leaf. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 35 minutes.
- Stir in the fresh basil and cream; check for salt and bring back to hot before serving. If using half-and-half, do not cook further.
Notes
⇒Garnish with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
⇒All this meal needs is a good, crusty loaf of bread and a light dessert.
⇒Pressed for time? Instead of making your own sausage, omit the ground pork, fennel seed and Italian herb blend from your ingredient list and substitute with a commercially prepared brand of Italian sausage.