Adjust the heat level in the dish by choosing either hot or mild Italian sausage. You can add red pepper, too, to make it extra hot. Serve this slow-cooker minestrone with crusty bread, if desired.

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces spicy turkey italian sausage, casings removed
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onions (from 1 medium onion)
  • 1 cup chopped carrots (from 1 medium carrot)
  • ¾ cup chopped celery (from 2 celery stalks)
  • 6 cups unsalted chicken stock
  • 2 (14.5 ounce) cans no-salt-added fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
  • 2 cups packed fresh baby kale leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

  1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the sausage to the skillet, and cook, stirring to crumble with a wooden spoon, 4 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned and the vegetables are lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup of the stock; cook 1 minute, stirring and scraping to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  2. Transfer the sausage mixture to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the remaining 5 cups stock. Cover and cook on LOW until the vegetables are tender, about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Stir in the pasta; cover and cook on LOW until the pasta is al dente, about 1 hour. Stir in the kale and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve hot.