HOW TO 3: TOMATO SAUSAGE SOUP

While recovering from the game last night, and I'll not get into that at all here...ahem, recovering from last night overindulgences gave me an appetite for something hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, and a little spicy. Considering the level of beer intake, my head feels kinda like this:



My delicate condition also dictated that it be fairly simple to make, and something I didn't have to do much / any shopping for.

So, here we go. One of my favorite winter recipes!

Ingredients:
* 1 pound Italian sausage
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 (14 ounce) cans petite cut or diced tomatoes (do NOT drain!)
* 6 cups (or 2x26oz) stock - I use beef and chicken
* 1-2 teaspoons dried basil
* 2 cups pasta - I use egg noodles, also macaroni or spirals
* 2 whole garlic cloves (sliced thin)
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 1 cup chopped carrots
* 1 cup chopped mushrooms (fresh is best)
* 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
* black pepper to taste

As usual, I prep all my ingredients before starting to cook. I like having everything laid out so I don't wind up missing something. The cat wandered in and decided to supervise...she is so spoiled rotten it isn't even funny.



Here it is, all portioned out. I like using paper plates (disposable/recyclable/compostable) to hold things.



Directions:

1. In a soup pot, cook sausage over medium heat until no pink remains. Stir often, using medium high heat. Only put a wee bit of olive oil in the pan for the start...fat will cook off quickly and prevent further sticking.



2. Add onions, mushrooms, celery, garlic and carrots. Cook uncovered until onions and celery are soft. I cook a minute, stir the whole mess, cook another minute, stir vigorously, cook another minute, stir, etc. Takes 8-10 minutes for it to all cook down.



3. Add tomatoes (including juice), stock, cabbage, and basil. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10. Yes, this will look vaguely like one of satan's bowel movements. Trust me, your patience will be rewarded.



4. Stir in pasta and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender to your liking.



Season with garlic salt & pepper to taste. Serve.



I promise you, you'll LOVE the flavor of this on a cold winters' day.