Italian Sausage and Zucchini Soup

 

🍲 Italian Sausage and Zucchini Soup

 

Warm, hearty, and full of flavor, this Italian Sausage and Zucchini Soup is ideal for cold evenings or an easy weeknight dinner. Juicy sausage provides richness, at the same time as zucchini keeps it sparkling and mild. It comes collectively in approximately 35 minutes and makes exquisite leftovers.

Serves

four–6 humans

Total Time

About 35 mins

Ingredients

four hundred–500 g Italian sausage (slight or spicy), casings removed

1 tablespoon olive oil (simplest if sausage is lean)

1 medium onion, finely diced

three garlic cloves, minced

2 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons

2 medium potatoes, diced (elective, for added heartiness)

1 carrot, chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried basil or Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

5 cups (about 1.2 liters) bird or vegetable stock

1 can (400 g) beaten tomatoes (optionally available, for tomato-based totally soup)

Salt and black pepper, to flavor

½ cup cream or milk (non-obligatory, for creamy model)

Fresh parsley or basil, chopped (for garnish)

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage

Heat a big pot over medium heat. Add sausage and prepare dinner, breaking it up with a spoon, until nicely browned. If there’s extra fats, drain some off. Add olive oil handiest if the pot looks dry.

 2. Build the taste base

Add diced onion to the pot and sauté for three–4 mins until gentle and translucent. Stir in garlic and prepare dinner for every other 30 seconds until aromatic.

3. Add veggies and seasoning

Stir in zucchini, potatoes, and carrot. Sprinkle over oregano, basil, and chili flakes. Cook for 1–2 mins, stirring, to lightly soften the vegetables.

4. Simmer the soup

Pour inside the stock and add beaten tomatoes if the usage of. Bring to a mild boil, then reduce warmth and simmer uncovered for 15–20 mins, or until potatoes and zucchini are tender.

5. Finish the soup

For a creamy model, stir in cream or milk. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.

6. Serve

Ladle into bowls, garnish with clean herbs, and finish with grated Parmesan.

Helpful Variations

Lighter model: Skip the cream and potatoes for a easy, broth-style soup.

Extra vegetables: Add spinach, kale, mushrooms, or green beans during the last 5 minutes.

Low-carb: Replace potatoes with cauliflower florets.

Vegetarian: Use vegetable inventory and switch sausage for white beans or plant-based sausage, including smoked paprika for intensity.

This soup pairs fantastically with crusty bread or simple garlic toast and tastes even better the following day because the flavors deepen.