Sausage Minestrone Soup | PALEO, Keto, Whole30

Soup season is one of my favorite seasons- and to be honest I make it a year-round thing around here!

I love how easy soups are to throw together, and how they fill me up without making me feel overly stuffed- you know what I mean?  

They also store SO well, so I can easily save a serving or two in the freezer and defrost when I'm in a pinch for lunch or dinner.  Sometimes I'll even double the whole batch and make several servings at once!

That's exactly what I did a few months back before having Hudson.  I made a big batch of this, froze, and have been enjoying it so much for lunch postpartum!

Check out my FREEZER GUIDE for tips on how I cook, store, and freeze for later.  I also link to my favorite containers there for easy storage.

The flavors in this soup are my favorite- Italian!  It's a play on a minestrone, but without the beans or pasta and with sausage added instead.  

It's super customizable- add whatever veggies or sausage you like!  You could even do ground beef.

To me it's like a pizza- whatever toppings you would throw on a pizza will be perfect in this soup!  (except maybe pineapple, but I don't like that on pizza anyway- haha!)

Give this soup a try, and let me know if you try freezing it too!  Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Italian sausage 
• 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium to large zucchini, diced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes 
• 32 oz beef broth
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp dried Italian herb blend (I like this one from Primal Palate)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 to 2 cups baby spinach or kale, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, cook the sausage until browned and broken into small pieces.  Set aside on a plate.
2. Add the olive oil to the saucepan, then add the mushrooms and garlic.  Cook until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini, and cook while stirring occasionally until veggies are tender-crisp.
4. Stir in the diced tomatoes, broth, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and spices.  Add the sausage back to the soup.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
5. Cook covered on low heat for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours for the flavors to combine.
6. Season with additional salt & pepper to taste, and stir in chopped spinach or kale before serving.

*Notes:

• We get our squeaky clean Italian sausage from ButcherBox.  Check Whole Foods or your local butcher for a compliant option.
• Don't have beef broth?  No worries!  I like the flavor this adds, but you can also use chicken broth.  Or even substitute half water.
• Want to make ahead and freeze for a rainy day?  Check out my FREEZER GUIDE for a complete how-to!