Recipe // Spicy Italian Sausage Soup

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Who doesn't love crockpot meals? I know we do! With winter in Portland comes rain almost every day, so we've been indulging in one of our favorite soups quite frequently lately. But let's be real - soup is delicious anytime of year, right?

This recipe is so simple and really only requires about 20 mins of real effort and prep, then 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. 

Before I dive into the details, let me say that I am definitely not claiming this to be our own recipe - just one that was shared with us and needs to be shared with you all because of how amazing it is! Unfortunately,  I'm not sure where it originated, but I do know it says the recipe was created by a Kalyn. So thank you, Kalyn! ;)

The ingredients you'll need are:

  • 2 tsp. olive oil

  • 1 pkg. (19.5 oz.) raw turkey Italian Sausage (we like hot but it's good with mild, too)

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 1 T minced garlic

  • 2 tsp. Italian Herb Blend

  • 2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed well and drained

  • 2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 1/2 cup basil pesto

  • Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

  • Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the sausage over medium-high heat

  2. When the sausage is cooked, add the onions to one side of the pan until they start to soften

  3. Add the minced garlic and Italian herb seasoning and cook one minute more

  4. Once steps 1-3 are complete, transfer the mix into the crockpot

  5. Drain the garbanzo beans into a colander and rinse well until foam disappears

  6. Add the beans to the slow cooker with the diced tomatoes and water

  7. Cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low

  8. About 20 minutes until it's done, add the pesto to the crockpot (or if you're like us and a little impatient because it smells so good, add the pesto, mix it in, and serve right away)

  9. Season to taste and add Parmesan if desired

One of the best parts is how amazing the house smells while it's cooking. We like to pair the soup with fresh french bread and some delicious red wine. Let me know what you think and happy cooking!