Italian Sausage and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup with Parmesan Crisps
- Servings: 6
San Giorgio 100th Anniversary Winning Recipe - our thanks to Grand Prize Winner Dawn from Pittsburgh, PA. Robust Italian sausage and tangy fire-roasted tomatoes simmered to perfection in a comforting soup. Bellissimo!
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INGREDIENTS:
| 1 cup | San Giorgio® Orzo |
| 1 cup | grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1 lb | bulk Italian sausage |
| 1 Tbsp | extra virgin olive oil |
| 1 | onion, finely chopped |
| 1 cup | green bell pepper, diced |
| 1/2 cup | banana pepper, finely chopped |
| 6 cups | chicken stock |
| 3 | garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| 1/4 tsp | ground black pepper |
| 2 cups | (14 1/2 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes |
| 2 cups | fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped |
| 3 Tbsps | fresh oregano, chopped |
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Divide the Parmesan cheese into small mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can make the mounds any size, based on your preference.
- Bake for 3-5 minutes, just until the cheese starts to brown. Remove from
oven and place pan on a cooling rack to cool completely. - Meanwhile: in a large pot, cook the Italian sausage over medium-high heat until crumbly and browned, about 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer sausage to a dish and drain any grease from the pot. In the same pot, add the olive oil, onion, green pepper and banana pepper.
- Sauté, stirring occasionally until the vegetable begins to soften, about 6-8 minutes.
- To the pot, add the chicken stock, garlic, salt, pepper and one can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Cover, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Let simmer for 15 minutes. Empty the other can of tomatoes into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Add the pureed tomatoes and cooked sausage to the pot. Add the pasta and cook uncovered, 8-10 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Add the spinach and oregano just before serving. Stir just until they begin to wilt about 30-45 seconds.
- To serve, place one cheese crisp in the bottom of each individual soup bowl. Ladle the soup into the bowls and top each with another cheese crisp.
- Serve with crusty rolls or bread, if desired.
