YUM! This recipe is FANTASTIC! I used low-sodium fat-free chicken broth omitted the green peppers (I don't like them) and used dried parsley instead of fresh. I also accidentally tripled the garlic to 2 tablespoons. I loved it. I served it with a loaf of fresh sun-dried tomato bread and it made for a nice hearty dinner. One word of caution: where the recipe says "large pot " it really means "the biggest pot you've got!" EDIT 01/28/2009: This is my most frequently used and requested recipe. I've made this more times than I can count! A couple things I've learned over time: 1. For a bit more flavor mix hot and sweet sausage half and half. 2. Cook the pasta separately (or add a lot more broth). I cook and store the pasta separately except when freezing portions. To freeze it I add the pasta and cooled soup into one container and freeze immediately. This prevents the pasta from soaking up all the liquid in the soup. Thanks again for a great recipe!
Very nice soup as is but I played with it a little adding some things not measuring precisely and just simply enjoying cooking (and the aroma). First I used homemade chicken broth that already had pieces of chicken in it. The combination of the chicken with the Italian sausage was a nice contrast in flavors and textures! I added fresh cremini mushrooms Italian seasoning rather than just basil leeks as well as onions zucchini cannellini beans a good glug of red wine (an appropriate Sangiovese) and a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (I keep them stored in the freezer). I also subbed fresh escarole for the spinach (had I used spinach I would have used fresh). Quick easy aromatic incredibly flavorful and immensely satisfying.
THANK YOU for this 5 star recipe! A definite keeper so versatile. As Jackie said feel free to add...and I did. I added chopped celery and a can of rinsed canaloni beans and used fresh spinich. I forgot to add the parsley but it was fabulous the way I fixed it and I don't think I deviated too much from the recipe originally posted. Next time I'll add zucchini.
This soup was extremely easy to prepare. I used bulk sausage instead of links and did not change pans. I just used a large skillet and kept all the juices together. I also rounded off the measurements to use full pagkages of the ingredients. It smelled fabulous while cooking and to my amazement tasted even better. I served it with French bread. You would be hard pressed to find an easier or more satisfying meal.
This soup is perfect on a cold and rainy evening. It also freezes well - just don't add quite as much orzo as it calls for as it will soak up too much liquid during the freeze/thaw process. The whole family liked it - just don't tell them it contains spinach;)
Thanks Jackie for one of the best soups i have tried from this site! It was such a crowd pleaser and affortable to make. I added some hot sauce and garlic. It was great with some garlic bread...
This is 5 stars PLUS for how easy yet delicious and nutritious it is. My sausage loving husband loved it declaring the flavour of the broth "excellent" and took a huge container for lunch the next day. My young children ate it all and said they liked it! It was a quick satisfying weeknight meal for us that will be made many many times again! I added a can of drained and rinsed romano beans for a little extra nutrition but this soup would be great exactly as the recipe instructs. Awesome soup Jackie - THANK-YOU!
Thank you Jackie! My family loved this soup. I used fresh spinach instead of frozen. My mother-in-law came over when I was cooking and took some home with her - she too loved it and she is one of the best cooks I know.
We loved this hearty soup even my 9 yr. old daughter loved it. I added rice instead of orzo and low sodium broth. I will definately make this again.
OK I wasn't crazy about this soup. I used low sodium chicken broth and ended up adding 2 bouillon cubes and black pepper to add flavor. That didn't do it for me. The orzo absorbed most of the stock - I should have precooked it as suggested but we do like a thicker soup. It just didn't seem to have any flavor. Maybe hot sausage or red pepper...I do like Italian wedding soup so this was a disappointment for me. My husband ate a bowl out of obligation and my son at least tried it. Use a big pot if you do try it!
