Sandwich Remix: Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Soup

I thought I was seriously living on the edge when I turned my favorite SP&O hoagie into the cheesiest of grilled cheeses. You guys remember that one right? It was a beast! Ever since that sandwich, I’ve been a sausage, pepper, and onion fiend.

Until now.

Now you’re going to need a straight-jacket to get me away from this flavor combo.

I’ll eat the spoon if I have to. I mean business!

Well that was dramatic. And awkward.

Continuing along with my penchant for turning comfort food classics into slurpable soups, I give you the most amazing sausage, pepper, and onion soup. I wish you all could smell how amazing my house smells right now. The aromatics off this pot are killer and so is the in-your-face flavor of this dish! I took my go-to soup base (a combination of veggie broth and fire-roasted crushed tomatoes) and added delicious partially-caramelized onion, an array of tasty bell peppers, and the perfect amount of oomph from my favorite, local, hot Italian sausage.

Toss in a little smashed garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and OMGWHYAREYOUNOTMAKINGTHISRIGHTNOW!?

It’s because I’m still talking, isn’t it? I’ll shut up now.

Sandwich Remix: Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Soup

• 3-5 large links hot Italian sausage
• 1 ½ yellow onion, sliced or diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• ¾ large red bell pepper, diced
• ¾ large orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• 3 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes (I used this fire-roasted variety)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• extras:
• homemade croutons seasoned with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper
• freshly grated mozzarella and hot habanero cheddar or pepper jack
• fresh chopped parsley
• Add the croutons, the cheese, or both! The soup is also phenomenal all on it’s own and is both paleo and gluten-free sans toppings!
• recipe yields approx 2.5 quarts of soup and serves 4

1. Before you begin: You’ll be able to belt out your prep-work while your sausage cooks and your onions start to caramelize away. Once you pile everything together, you’ll then have enough time to let it simmer on the stove, allowing all the awesome flavors to meld and intensify. A little multi-tasking goes a long way!
2. First decide how you’d like your onions! Sliced onions will give the soup a French Onion Soup-esque feel to it while diced onions will be uniform with your peppers and a bit easier to fit on the spoon. I went with sliced, both will work fantastically.
3. Bring a large pot to medium heat with 2 TBSP of olive oil and add your onions. Stir to coat and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir often.
4. While your onions are cooking, chop your peppers, mince the garlic and prep the remainder of your ingredients.
5. Cook sausage via your favorite method.
6. I boil mine for about 20 minutes while the onions get all gorgeous and golden.
7. Keep stirring your onions to prevent sticking/burning. Once they start to semi-caramelize and take on a golden hue, add your bell peppers, garlic, salt, and black pepper, then allow them to simmer away until the peppers are tender.
8. Once they’ve softened, add the vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, and sliced sausage (which should be done by now!) and reduce heat so the soup is gently bubbling/simmering.
9. Prep you toppings while the soup simmers and the flavors deepen.
10. Grate your cheeses (YUM!) and, if desired, crisp a few slices of your favorite bread (I used a fresh garlic onion loaf) into homemade croutons by spritzing them with oil, seasoning with garlic, salt, and pepper, and toasting in the oven at 350F until golden.
11. Back to the soup. Give it a taste, and if you’d like a little burst of heat to the soup, add the red pepper flakes. They’re not essential but I LOVE the kick!
12. Serve piping hot with your choice of extras on top and dig in!

So if you’ve been reading for a while, you know I tend to over-explain my recipes a little. Don’t let that fool you! This recipe is super easy and really really ridiculously good. In fact, chances are that while you’re reading this, I’ll have a leftover bowl in my face.

And for those of you still wondering how I manage to feed your faces with new recipes while a toddler scales my leg…

Each recipe is a team effort!

When she’s not stealing the food off the table, the chickpea actually makes a fabulous assistant. She can frequently be found holding my foam board at ridiculous angles, dropping random objects into the shot, closing the shutters, dancing on the tripod, rearranging my props, texting Maria photos of her foot, and, above all else, eating all my food. It’s our thing!

This soup should be your thing. Get on it!

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