Family Recipes Blog to Share Family Recipes

Copyright, 2006, Robin Miller, All rights reserved
•    3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
•    1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
•    1 (15-ounce) can white (cannellini or navy) beans, drained
•    2 carrots, peeled and chopped
•    1 celery stalk, chopped
•    1 cup onion, chopped
•    1 teaspoon dried thyme
•    1/2 teaspoon dried sage
•    2 bay leaves
•    1 ½ pounds hot sausage sliced thin
•    Salt and ground black pepper
•    2 cups cooked ditalini pasta
•    1 medium zucchini, chopped
•    2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted
•    4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
•    Basil sprigs, garnish, optional
In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.  Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add ditalini, zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes.  Remove bay leaves and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.  Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top.  Garnish with basil, if desired.