Mommy TG's Herbed Sausage and Macaroni Soup Recipe

My family and I has just arrived from attending the The Feast at PICC.  I needed to come up with a dish for dinner that is easy to prepare and can be cooked fast so I can feed my hungry family ASAP.:)  So, I decided that we'll have Sausage and Macaroni Soup tonight.  It's almost the same with the Shell Pasta Soup I included in my four-week cycle menu that I posted years ago in this blog.  You simply need to replace the shell pasta with elbow macaroni and the freshly chopped tomatoes with tomato sauce. 

There are other things about this soup that I love aside from it being quick and easy to prepare.

1.  It's delicious!  And if you follow my recipe, it can be mildly hot. :)

2.  It's a complete meal in itself.  It has macaroni (carbohydrates), sausage (protein) and vegetables (fibers).

3.  It's budget-friendly.   I can't give you the price per serving now because I don't have the luxury of time to compute it now.  But I guarantee that it's easy on the pocket.  Come back next time.  I promise to update this post to include the estimated price per serving.

4.  It's a feast to the senses.  It smells good.  It's colorful.  It's flavorful!

5.  My son likes it.  That's the best part! ;)  Isn't it what most Moms look for in recipes?

So, here's my version of Herbed Sausage and Macaroni Soup.

Ingredients:

2 Italian sausages sliced into thin ovals

1 1/2 to 2 cups elbow macaroni

1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese (or more if you love cheese)

1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables (cubed carrots, green peas and corn)

1 medium pouch of tomato sauce (I like using the tomato sauce with MMK, which stands for Malunggay, Mongo and Kalabasa, to make the dish more nutritious.  A Mommy TG Tip to include veggies in your kids' diet minus the tears.)

1 thin slice of butter (1/4 to 1/2 inch)

olive oil

1 onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

a dash of basil

a dash of thyme

a dash of rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 cups water or chicken broth (you can dissolve 1 chicken cube in boiling water to substitute for real broth)

Procedure:

 

1.  Slightly brown the sliced sausages in a pot with olive oil. 

2.  Set aside the sausages.

3.  Saute onions and garlic in olive oil and butter.  You can use the same pot where you browned the sausages.  Just make sure you leave around 1-2 tablespoons only of olive oil before adding the butter.

4.  Add the sausages again into the pot and add the broth or water and chicken cube. 

5. Bring to boil.

6.  Once boiling, add the macaroni and mixed vegetables. 

7.  Cook until the macaroni is al dente and the vegetables are soft enough for your child to chew.

8.  Add the tomato sauce, herbs and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

9.  Simmer over low heat while mixing regularly to prevent the macaroni from sticking at the bottom of the pot.

7.  Serve hot.  You can choose to enjoy it with bread or with rice.

Makes approximately 6-8 servings, depending on your family members' appetites. :)

Note: We like this with Italian sausage but if you and your kids don't like it spicy or hot, you can substitute hungarian sausage or your choice of sausage.

Our family loves to eat this hearty soup not only when it's raining or cold but even on hot evenings like tonight.  Try it!