Sausage Soup

A big-pot Italian sausage soup that could feed a crowd. Chunky pieces of hot Italian sausage browned hard on all sides, then simmered for an hour in beef stock and tomato puree with red wine, bell peppers, celery, onions, garlic, oregano, basil, and parsley.

Browning the sausage first and sauteing the vegetables in the rendered fat is what gives this soup its deep, savory base. That fond on the bottom of the pot, the caramelized bits from the meat, dissolves into the broth and adds a layer of flavor that just dumping everything in raw never achieves.

The red wine goes in with the stock and simmers for the full hour, cooking off the alcohol and leaving behind a rich, slightly acidic depth that balances the fatty sausage and sweet tomato.

Serve ladled over cooked rotelli pasta in wide bowls with a generous shower of grated Parmesan.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the sausage chunks well on all sides before removing. You want deep color, not just grey.
• Reserve only enough sausage fat to saute the vegetables. Too much grease makes the soup oily.
• Cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl when serving. Pasta left in the pot absorbs all the broth overnight.

Variations

• Use mild Italian sausage if you prefer less heat, or mix hot and sweet for balance.
• Add cannellini beans or kidney beans in the last 15 minutes for extra body.
• Stir in a handful of fresh spinach just before serving.