Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Tuesday at the Table

When I asked hubby what he'd like for his birthday dinner last weekend, the significance of his choice was not lost on me. Back in my dating days, this was the dish I made for any first date. Which means this was the first meal I ever cooked for my hubby. It has become a family favorite over the years, and is known in our home as simply "sausage soup."
                   
                   Italian Tomato and Sausage Soup 

4 strips bacon, minced
1 onion peeled and minced
6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced*
1/2 t. sugar
8 cups beef stock
1 1/2#  sausage (we use polish kielbasa)
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tb. butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tb. fresh parsley, chopped (optional - my family prefers it without)

Saute bacon and onion in large soup kettle until lightly browned. Add tomatoes; sprinkle with sugar and cook 10 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft. Meanwhile, in a separate skillet over med-high heat, cook sausages in water to cover for 15 minutes. Drain sausages; cut into 1" pieces. (If using fully cooked sausage, just slice into 1" pieces.) Add sausages and stock to soup kettle. Bring mixture to a rolling boil; stir in rice. Cook, covered, over medium heat until rice is tender, adding more stock/water if needed. Remove from heat, stir in cheese, butter, and parsley, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with extra Parmesan.
*If you haven't peeled tomatoes before, the best way I know is to drop each whole tomato in a saucepan of boiling water and leave for about 10 seconds. Remove with tongs and the tomato skin will easily slip off with the help of a paring knife.


7 comments:

  1. That looks delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  2. Mmmm, this sounds yummy. We are a family that likes having soup as a meal so I should try this some day for something new and different. Thanks Debbie!

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  3. Wow, that soup sounds wonderful! I'll have to make this one for sure, my husband loves soup!

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  4. Yum! I wish my daughter would eat soup - it's one of my favourite meals! I'm going to keep working at it - tastes change when you're only 4!

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  5. I make soup every Tuesday evening for my family before I go to class - easy for me to make ahead and easy for them to heat up. Italian Tomato and Sausage Soup will be on the menu next Tuesday night!

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  6. Your soup sounds great, Debbie! We love eating soup around here and my kids devour anything with Polish sausage. When my son had to fill out his survey for preschool earlier this year, "soup" was his favorite food!

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  7. Just made this for supper and it was delicious!! Thanks for the recipe, Debbie!

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