Hearty Italian Ratatouille Soup

Name: Hearty Italian Ratatouille Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 large onion; 1 lb mild Italian sausage; 1 cup zucchini, sliced quartered lengthwise; 1 cup yellow squash, sliced quartered lengthwise; 1 small eggplant, 1-inch cubed; 1 red bell pepper, 1-inch pieces; 1 cup portabella mushroom; 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth; 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes; salt, pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon fresh basil

Submitted by Sarah_Star

"This blend of vegetables with Italian sausage will be sure to warm you up on a crisp winter night."

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photo by Paula M.

Ready In:: 35mins
Ingredients:: 12
Serves:: 8

ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion
1 lb mild Italian sausage
1 cup zucchini, sliced quartered lengthwise
1 cup yellow squash, sliced quartered lengthwise
1 small eggplant, 1-inch cubed
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch pieces
1 cup portabella mushroom
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
salt, pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh basil

directions

Heat olive oil in large pot, and saute onion.
Remove casings from Italian sausage and cut up into 1 inch pieces, add to pan.
Cook sausage until brown about 10 minutes, remove from pan and drain half the fat.
Add the zucchini, squash, eggplant, red pepper, mushrooms and salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, stewed tomatoes, and sausage to the pot, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium/low - low to a simmer for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked through.
Stir in fresh basil in last 5 minutes.
You can reduce the fat and calories by using a turkey based sausage, or make this a vegetarian dish by using a soy/tofu sausage or even garbanzo beans.

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Reviews

Superb soup. I love that it is full of chunky vegetables and the Italian sausage imparts divine flavor (and smell). Also, the fresh basil at the end is a great touch. Goes perfectly with hot crusty bread. Thanks for sharing this one.

ratherbeswimmin
This is awesome! I've made it a few times and I can't believe I hadn't reviewed it yet. This is a very forgiving recipe and you can add just about any vegetables you have on hand that need to be used. I add 4 cloves of garlic, about a teaspoon of italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and a cup or two of egg noodles. The first time I made it my husband said it was the best thing I ever made! I made it again last night and didn't have enough sausage so I added a pound of ground chicken...still great! Thanks!

Pickles McGee
Very, VERY satisfying soup. I made it exactly as written, EXCEPT: I added a couple of handfulls of bow-tie pasta (which worked really well,) mixed Italian spices, about five cloves minced garlic, and SPICY Italian sausage. Even our delicate, "special" palate folks loved the extra kick. It made the soup more warming but not overbearing. I also adjusted the chicken broth (I make my own with RL Schreiber base) to accomodate our own sense of "balance." Good one, Sarah. It's a keeper.

Blue Bustard
We used breakfast turkey sausage because we forgot to buy Italian sausage at the market and it was so good!!! Thanks!!!

lajeuenfille