Hearty Sausage Minestrone

As a teacher, I appreciate quick and easy recipes. When there are more people at the table, every last spoonful of this soup is eaten!

—Tami Stoudt, Evans, CO

Takes: 30 min. • Makes: 8 servings

• 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 3 cans (14 ½ oz. each) diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, undrained
• 2 cans (16 oz. each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (14 ½ oz. each) chicken broth
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 1 cup ditalini or other small pasta

1. 1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, onion, celery and carrots over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender, breaking the sausage into crumbles; drain.
2. 2. Stir in tomatoes, beans, broth, garlic powder and pepper; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook, covered, 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Freeze option: Freeze cooled minestrone in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little broth if necessary.

1 ¾ cups: 372 cal., 13g fat (4g sat. fat), 33mg chol., 1481mg sod., 44g carb. (9g sugars, 9g fiber), 18g pro.