Tuscan Peasant Soup

Tis the season for soup. Homemade soup has always been one of my favorite things to make. I love a simmering pot on the stove, full of ingredients that fill the house with fragrant notes of herbs and vegetables. This particular soup, which we are calling “Tuscan Peasant Soup”, is simple, tasty, and inexpensive to make. It reminds me of old-fashioned stews that were thrown together out of necessity with whatever ingredients were left in the pantry. This is often the best, most authentic kind of cooking.
The idea for this peasant soup came to me one evening when there was not much in the refrigerator and we needed to eat quickly. I looked around and found the always reliable sack of potatoes in the pantry. Immediately, I wanted to make a cream of potato soup with homemade spätzle. That idea was quickly nixed when I realized we had no cream. I then discovered some sausage that was purchased for a Sunday breakfast that never happened. We had some beans and peppers (stragglers from our garden) on hand that I knew would compliment this concoction of mine beautifully.
You simply can’t go wrong with sausage and potatoes. This comforting soup was a crowd-pleaser that tastes even better the next day (that is if you have any left). Fresh Italian parsley and grated parmesan make this meal in a bowl a true delight. Jackie and I love it, both for its delicious flavors and for its artful simplicity. We’ll be enjoying this while I figure out just how that cream of potato soup will play out. Stay tuned!

Tuscan Peasant Soup

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

A quick, easy and flavorful soup that tastes even better the next day. Be sure to make enough to have leftovers.

Author: Superman Cooks

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Italian American

Serves: 6 8 oz bowls

Ingredients

• 1 pound sausage (we use a breakfast style pork sausage)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 ounces fresh green beans
• ½ C diced red pepper
• ¼ C olive oil
• ½ C Italian leaf parsley
• 4 Medium Potatoes
• 1 TBSP Chicken Base
• ¾ C Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 TBSP crushed Red Pepper flakes
• 1 Quart water

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, add olive oil, diced onion and diced garlic and cook over medium heat until translucent ( about 5 minutes)
2. Add sausage and cook until all sausage is browned, breaking up sausage as it cooks.
3. Peel and dice potatoes into ½ inch pieces.
4. Add potatoes to pot and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add 1 quart water and chicken base and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
6. Add cut green beans and crushed red pepper and reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.
8. Serve and enjoy

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