Italian Sausage Soup

I made this while I had the flu.  Even sick as a dog, it came together very quickly.  It had a good taste and I would make again.

Italian Sausage Soup

Photo by ALB

Lighten up a hearty sausage soup recipe with turkey Italian sausage and add flavor with canned tomatoes, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil)
Posted by NCBeaches

Ingredients
8 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage (used Italian Pork Sausage)
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano  (used Plain diced)
Added 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Added 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return to pan.

Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 216; Calories from fat: 30%; Fat: 7.1g; Saturated fat: 2.6g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.5g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.8g; Protein: 17.4g; Carbohydrate: 20g; Fiber: 1.6g; Cholesterol: 52mg; Iron: 3.2mg; Sodium: 1020mg; Calcium: 153mg

Cooking Light JULY 2004