Minestrone with Turkey Italian Sausage

My daughter has a cold and I wanted to make a comforting dinner that was healthy. She loves soups and stews so I decided to make minestrone. I know it's usually made with pancetta but I had some turkey Italian sausage to use up so I decided to try it. The soup was really good and we all loved it. I enjoyed the hint of fennel and garlic and the creaminess from the beans. It paired nicely with a tossed salad and fresh baked bread.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 turkey Italian sausage links, removed from casing
• 10 baby carrots, diced (or 2 large carrots)
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 fresh sage leaf, chopped finely
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 1 15 oz can of white cannellini beans
• 2-3 oz fresh pasta of choice (I used orecchiette), prepared per instructions
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, shredded for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven pot. Add onions and Italian sausage (don't forget to remove sausage from casing). Stir to break up the sausage so it becomes crumbles. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the carrots, celery, sage, fennel seeds, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes then add garlic stirring constantly for 45 seconds. Add tomatoes, chicken broth and beans. Simmer for at least 45 minutes. Mix in the cooked pasta, fresh basil and parsley before serving. Top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.

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