Broccoli and Chicken Sausage Soup with Orecchiete
I’m thinking about starting a section in my recipe index that is solely for “Sunday Dinner,” would you guys be into that?
I know I’ve talked about it before, but I love the idea of a nice, cozy dinner on Sunday nights. We’re usually home and we have a little extra time to make something delicious. I don’t mean something that will be laborious, but rather something that might take a little time to cook, something that can simmer on your stovetop or crockpot and make your house smell the way a house should smell on Sunday evenings.
I make soup pretty regularly during the winter here in Southern California, especially when we get a bit of rain. They’re usually loaded with veggies, or lentils and are on the healthier side. This soup is healthy as in that it has two heads of broccoli in it, but it also has a few sausage links (I prefer chicken) and cooks with a parmesan rind which really add to the richness of the broth. It is served with pasta, which I like to cook separately and add to the individual bowls of soup so they retain the right texture and don’t overcook (this also makes leftovers more appealing). You can garnish it with fresh basil and parsley if you want, but more grated parmesan would be the “Sunday Dinner” thing to do.
Honestly though, I’m making this on a Tuesday afternoon and no one seems to be upset about it.
Have fun!
- olive oil
- 2 large heads of broccoli
- 1 small white onion, or half large onion finely diced
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pound uncooked chicken sausages, casing removed (I used Trader Joe's chicken Sicilian sausage)
- 8 cups good stock
- parmesan rind
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 2 cups uncooked orecchiette, cooked
- fresh parsley to garnish
- fresh basil to garnish
- more grated parmesan to garnish
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Chop the rough ends off the end of the broccoli stems, but not the whole thing. The rough part is usually just an inch or two. Peel the stems and cut as close to the florets as you can. Finely dice the stem and set aside.
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Heat 1-2 Tbps of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and a few grinds of pepper and a pinch of kosher salt.
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Cook for a few minutes stirring often, until onion is translucent and fragrant. Add broccoli stems, red pepper flakes, garlic and the sausage in one inch chunks. Cook, stirring regularly to cook the sausage and garlic. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage a little bit, but not too much so it looks just like ground meat- there should still be some large pieces.
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When sausage is starting to brown a bit and has lost most of the pink color on the outside, increase the heat to high and add the stock and the parmesan rinds. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook the pasta separately during this time, according to instructions on the package.
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Remove the parmesan rind from the soup and discard. Add the broccoli florets, cover and remove from heat. Let broccoli cook for 3 minutes until softened but not mushy.
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and season with more pepper and salt if necessary. Ladle into bowls with the pasta and garnish with basil, parsley or more parmesan cheese.
October 30, 2021 @ 10:17 am
Just tried this soup. I used Italian chicken kale sausage. Great flavors and good idea on cooking the pasta separately. Going to separate it out and deliver to friends. . I’d definitely make again!