Make Minestrone a Meal with Italian Sausage

Hearty Minestrone stew loaded with All Grass Farms Sweet Italian sausage, a plethora of veggies and pantry staples. Feed the family straight from the pot and savor the leftovers! 

This Italian sausage Minestrone recipe is a tasty twist on the original. My family needs a hearty, chunky stew to fill their bellies. I love the flavors of the original Minestrone, but it needed more substance.

Gather Equipment

I use the term “equipment,” loosely. I am not a gadget-heavy cook. I love my cast iron, wooden spoons and a few extras here and there. Here’s what I suggest for this recipe.

Pull out the Dutch oven. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, consider buying one. A cast iron enameled Dutch oven is a work horse in my kitchen. It tackles roasts, soups, stews and sears meat like a champ. I love how I can build flavor, deglaze the pan, grabbing up all the brown bits. Non-stick will never gift you brown bits! (Maybe Teflon bits.. yikes!) A large, enameled cast iron, braiser is another option. The sides aren’t as tall, but it makes up for it in surface area.

Next, get a 3 qt pot out on the stove for the noodles. If you have a pasta pot with a strainer, even better.

I bought myself my first chef’s knife when I was 22. I grew up in a house that used steak knives for everything. Once I used a proper knife, I realized that you don’t have to be a Food Network chef to chop veggies efficiently. I would rather have a nice knife than a million gadgets that cut veggies in different ways. Make sure the knife is sharp. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s actually a safety hazard to use a dull knife. Start out slow. You will gain speed gradually. Years later, I feel that my 8-inch chef’s knife is now an extension of my hand.

A wooden spoon just feels right with this recipe. It’s rustic, homey, warm. It gets the job done. I have a wooden spoon with little teeth to help break up the meat and a regular spoon for the rest of the recipe.

Parmesan’s salty, nutty flavor is perfect for this Italian sausage Minestrone. Have a cheese grater handy while cooking and for serving.

How to make Italian Sausage Minestrone

Add oil to the Dutch oven and light that stove! Keep the heat at a medium. Be sure to not overheat and smoke the oil. That makes for a bitter, off taste.

The Italian sausage is sourced from All Grass Farms in Dundee, Illinois. Heritage breed Berkshire pigs are raised in the woods and meadowland. One of the many benefits of raising pigs in woody areas is the natural shade provided for them. Pigs can’t sweat so the shade is welcomed. Along with their foraged finds, their diet is supplemented with organic grain and goodies found around the farm (raw milk, veggies, etc). It is very difficult to find organic, let alone pasture raised or woodland raised pork in the grocery store. I am so grateful for farms like All Grass!

Add the sausage and cook until browned. Breath in the wonderful aroma of fennel and pepper. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon. If some larger chunks remain, that’s fine, it makes for good texture. Remove the Italian sausage and set aside to add back later.

What veggies go in Minestrone?

Our veg begins with butter. But real veg follows once the butter melts. Again, butter has a relatively low smoke point, so keep a handle on the heat so it doesn’t burn. Diced onions are first to the party. Sauté them until translucent. Throw in diced carrots, celery, roasted red pepper and garlic. If peppers are in season by all means use a fresh one. I opted for roasted from a jar since peppers won’t be in season in the Midwest for a few months. I also like that being already roasted, the skins won’t separate, creating unpleasant shards of peppers in the stew. Stir so the butter coats everything. The aroma should be tantalizing–but it gets better.

Seasoning & Canned

Salt the veggies when they are warmed up, ready to absorb the seasoning. Add the tomato paste. The tomato paste deepens the flavor, giving it a cooked-all-day taste. Italian herbs such as thyme, oregano, red chili flake, and bay leaf are all added to the pot, adding freshness. and depth. Let the flavors mingle for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

We are adding layers of flavor and texture. Next comes tomatoes, beans, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Tomatoes add acidity and sweetness. The beans are a hearty, smooth textural addition. Worcestershire sauce is a secret weapon. Full of umami flavor, it’s a robust zing of deep richness. If I’m not making my own beef broth, I typically buy bone broth. I find the flavor to be stronger and overall tastier. Leftover oxtail bones make an incredible broth. Bring the pot to a gentle boil. Cook uncovered for around 20 minutes.

Serving Minestrone

In the meantime, boil and salt water for noodles. Make sure the water comes to an actual boil before salting. If not, the salt will sink to the bottom. Boil noodles al dente. They will be added to the stew and soften further. Once 20 minutes is up, the stew should have reduced a bit. Add the cooked Italian sausage, parmesan and finely chopped kale to the pot. Stir so the kale wilts and the sausage is warmed through. Now would be the time to taste to make sure the salt level is right. Combine the noodles with the stew and stir. Dinner is done. Pat yourself on the back and set out more grated cheese for your dinner guests.

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