Vegetable and Sausage Soup
Hearty and healthy, this is the perfect soup for cold winter days!
This vegetable and sausage soup is quick to make and so warming and nutritious on a winter day. And the bonus is you get a nice variety of vegetables. It's also nice to make ahead of time to refrigerator or freeze, then warm as needed.
Chicken Stock and Broth
Stock and broth are quite similar and either can be used in soup. Stock is made from bones and tends to be thicker and form a gel when cold. It usually has more flavor and is richer. Broth is generally made from meat or vegetables and will be thinner.
Homemade stock and broth are both easily made by boiling bones, meat, and vegetables in water for several hours. I tend to use a combination of all three, so the result turns out to be a mix between stock and broth. The taste is wonderful, particularly compared to store bought. If possible, try to use homemade stock or broth when making soup.
How to Make Vegetable and Sausage Soup
This soup is very straight forward and requires little explanation. You can't really go wrong. Simply chop and prepare all the vegetables. Cook the sausage first, drain and set aside. Cook the onion and garlic, then add the rest of the vegetables and stir to coat with oil. Add salt, then add the cooked sausage and stock. Let simmer until vegetables are soft. And just like that you have a wonderful vegetable and sausage soup.
Serve hot soup in serving bowls. It can be a meal in itself or served as a starter. Enjoy!
Make ahead
When soup is done, let cool for 1 to 2 hours, then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Warm when ready to serve.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Store leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Vegetable and Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage or breakfast sausage
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- 1 turnip, chopped
- 2-3 cups cauliflower, chopped
- 2-3 cups broccoli, chopped
- 4 cups green cabbage, chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Cook Italian sausage in a large stock pot on medium heat, breaking up the sausage into chunks as it cooks. When browned, remove from the stove and drain into a colander. Set aside for later.
- Chop onions and mince garlic. Chop the rest of the vegetables into bite sized pieces.
- Heat the oil in a large stock pot on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add rest of vegetables and salt. Stir to coat about 1-2 minutes.
- Add stock and cooked sausage and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add more salt to taste.
- Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.