I’m sharing Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage and pesto, and my Minestrone With Italian Sausage hides a simple secret that lets humble pantry staples shine in a whole new way.

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I found Minestrone With Sausage And Pesto From The Food Charlatan when I wanted something that surprised me, not just warmed me. In the version labeled Minestrone With Italian Sausage the contrast of Italian sausage casings removed and a dollop of basil pesto does something weird and brilliant to the whole bowl.

I wasnt expecting that bright pesto note to make the soup sing, or the sausage to give it a stubborn, savory backbone. It felt like a classic recipe thats had a little attitude added, and I kept going back for another spoon, curious what bit would hit next.

Ingredients

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Italian sausage: Rich in protein and fat, adds savory depth and a little spice.
Cannellini beans: Creamy, fiber rich, mild flavor boosts protein and keeps soup comforting.
Zucchini: Light, watery veg that soaks up broth, adds gentle texture not sweetness.
Diced tomatoes: Acidic, bright tomatoes give tang and body, balances richer sausage notes.
Pesto: Concentrated basil oil adds herby punch, fats carry flavor beautifully.
Spinach/Kale: Leafy greens pack vitamins and iron, wilting into silky nutritious bites.
Pasta: Carbs that make it filling, choose small shapes to hold more broth.
Parmesan: Savory umami finish, salty, great for finishing and extra richness.

Ingredient Quantities

1 lb Italian sausage casings removed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion chopped

2 medium carrots peeled and diced

2 celery stalks diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 medium zucchini diced

1 cup green beans cut into 1 inch pieces

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans drained and rinsed

6 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup small pasta such as ditalini or small shells

2 cups fresh baby spinach or chopped kale

1/4 cup basil pesto

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving optional

How to Make this

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1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 lb Italian sausage with casings removed and crumble, brown until no pink, about 6 to 8 minutes; season lightly with salt and pepper.

2. Add 1 large chopped yellow onion, 2 diced carrots, 2 diced celery stalks and 3 minced garlic cloves to the skillet, cook until softened about 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute to concentrate the flavor.

3. Scrape everything into the slow cooker, add 1 can (1
4.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices, 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans drained and rinsed, 6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, 1 cup water and 1 bay leaf.

4. Stir in 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes if using, and taste for salt and pepper but remember you can adjust later.

5. Add 1 medium diced zucchini and 1 cup green beans cut into 1 inch pieces to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours until vegetables are tender and flavors meld.

6. About 30 to 45 minutes before serving (20 to 30 minutes on high), stir in 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini or small shells; if your slow cooker runs hot add pasta later to avoid mushy noodles.

7. In the last 5 minutes stir in 2 cups fresh baby spinach or chopped kale so it wilts, then remove and discard the bay leaf.

8. Off heat stir in 1/4 cup basil pesto, taste and adjust salt and pepper, add more crushed red pepper if you want heat.

9. Serve bowls topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy warm with crusty bread.

Equipment Needed

1. Large skillet or frying pan (10 to 12 inch), for browning the sausage and cooking the onion, carrots, celery and garlic
2. Slow cooker or crockpot, to finish the soup low and slow so the flavors meld
3. Cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife, for chopping veg and slicing zucchini and green beans
4. Wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula, for crumbling sausage and stirring without scratching the skillet or cooker
5. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth, pasta, tomato paste and seasonings
6. Can opener and a colander or small sieve, to drain and rinse the cannellini beans
7. Ladle or large serving spoon, for transferring the soup to bowls and stirring in pesto
8. Small bowl and spoon, to hold the pesto and for tasting/seasoning as you go
9. Box grater or microplane, for freshly grating Parmesan if you want it on top
10. Kitchen timer or phone timer, so you dont overcook the pasta when you add it late

FAQ

Q: Can I make this vegetarian?

A: Yes. Skip the sausage, sauté the veg in a bit more olive oil, add extra cannellini or another bean and use vegetable broth. For a meaty bite try diced mushrooms or smoked paprika for depth. Taste and season at the end, because you lose some salt when you drop the sausage.

Q: Should I cook the pasta in the soup or separately?

A: Cook it separately if you want perfect texture. Pasta left in the soup keeps soaking and gets mushy. If you do cook it in the pot, add it at the end and leave it slightly underdone so it finishes in the bowl.

Q: Can I freeze this soup?

A: Yes but leave out the pasta. Freeze the soup (without greens and pasta) up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat with a splash of broth, then add fresh spinach or kale and freshly cooked pasta. Pesto keeps best if you stir a little in when serving.

Q: How long should I simmer and how do I get the sausage nicely browned?

A: Brown the sausage in the pot until nicely caramelized, break it up but don't over stir or it gets pasty. Remove excess fat if you want. After adding tomatoes and broth simmer about 15 to 20 minutes so the veg soften and flavors marry. Add pasta and greens in the last 10 minutes.

Q: How much salt should I add?

A: Start light. Use low sodium broth as the recipe says, then taste after simmering because the sausage and pesto add salt. Add small amounts until it tastes right. Remember pesto and grated Parmesan are salty too.

Q: Can I use jarred pesto or swap it for something else?

A: Absolutely. Jarred pesto works fine. Stir it in off the heat so the bright basil flavor stays fresh, or drop a spoonful into each bowl. If you don't have pesto, mix chopped basil or parsley with olive oil and a little garlic and nuts, or just finish with lemon and Parmesan.

Minestrone With Sausage And Pesto From The Food Charlatan. Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Italian sausage: ground pork or ground turkey (same weight, add a pinch of fennel or smoked paprika), chicken sausage links sliced, or plant-based sausage crumbles for a vegetarian option.
Cannellini beans: great northern or navy beans for similar texture, chickpeas for a firmer bite, or butter beans for a creamier mouthfeel.
Small pasta (ditalini/small shells): orzo, small macaroni, or pearl couscous; use about the same volume and watch cooking time so soup stays brothy.
Basil pesto: swap with parsley-cilantro pesto, 2 tbsp grated Parmesan plus a handful of chopped fresh basil, or a spoonful of tapenade thinned with olive oil for a different herb/olive twist.

Pro Tips

– Brown the sausage well and drain if it looks greasy. Get some nice browning for flavor, press it with your spatula so more surface gets crispy. Don’t salt too much early, the sausage and beans pack sodium already.

– Really cook the tomato paste with the veggies until it darkens and smells a little sweet, it adds way more depth. Scrape up the browned bits in the pan with a splash of broth before you dump it into the slow cooker, that fond is gold.

– Add the pasta late, or better yet cook it separately and toss in bowls when serving. Pasta keeps soaking up broth, so if you plan leftovers or freezing, leave it out or undercook it a lot. Reheat with a little extra broth to revive the soup.

– Stir the pesto in off heat so it stays bright, and add the greens in the final minutes so they don’t go mushy. Taste and finish with salt, pepper and Parmesan at the end since flavors concentrate as it sits.

Minestrone With Sausage And Pesto From The Food Charlatan. Recipe

Recipe by Francis Mead

0.0 from 0 votes

I’m sharing Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage and pesto, and my Minestrone With Italian Sausage hides a simple secret that lets humble pantry staples shine in a whole new way.

Servings

servings

Calories

447

kcal

Equipment: 1. Large skillet or frying pan (10 to 12 inch), for browning the sausage and cooking the onion, carrots, celery and garlic
2. Slow cooker or crockpot, to finish the soup low and slow so the flavors meld
3. Cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife, for chopping veg and slicing zucchini and green beans
4. Wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula, for crumbling sausage and stirring without scratching the skillet or cooker
5. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth, pasta, tomato paste and seasonings
6. Can opener and a colander or small sieve, to drain and rinse the cannellini beans
7. Ladle or large serving spoon, for transferring the soup to bowls and stirring in pesto
8. Small bowl and spoon, to hold the pesto and for tasting/seasoning as you go
9. Box grater or microplane, for freshly grating Parmesan if you want it on top
10. Kitchen timer or phone timer, so you dont overcook the pasta when you add it late

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage casings removed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped
2 medium carrots peeled and diced
2 celery stalks diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 medium zucchini diced
1 cup green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans drained and rinsed
6 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup small pasta such as ditalini or small shells
2 cups fresh baby spinach or chopped kale
1/4 cup basil pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving optional

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 lb Italian sausage with casings removed and crumble, brown until no pink, about 6 to 8 minutes; season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add 1 large chopped yellow onion, 2 diced carrots, 2 diced celery stalks and 3 minced garlic cloves to the skillet, cook until softened about 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute to concentrate the flavor.
Scrape everything into the slow cooker, add 1 can (1
5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices, 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans drained and rinsed, 6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, 1 cup water and 1 bay leaf.
Stir in 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes if using, and taste for salt and pepper but remember you can adjust later.
Add 1 medium diced zucchini and 1 cup green beans cut into 1 inch pieces to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours until vegetables are tender and flavors meld.
About 30 to 45 minutes before serving (20 to 30 minutes on high), stir in 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini or small shells; if your slow cooker runs hot add pasta later to avoid mushy noodles.
In the last 5 minutes stir in 2 cups fresh baby spinach or chopped kale so it wilts, then remove and discard the bay leaf.
Off heat stir in 1/4 cup basil pesto, taste and adjust salt and pepper, add more crushed red pepper if you want heat.
Serve bowls topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy warm with crusty bread.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.