Sausage Vegetable Soup
(Minestra di Salsiccia e Verdura)
Ingredients:
1 pound hot or sweet sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups beef broth
One 15 and 1/2-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 cups water
1 cup beer
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon ground or rubbed dried sage
Salt and pepper
Additional chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Cook sausage in medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat until brown, breaking up with fork, about 7-8 minutes.
Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, 1/3 cup parsley and garlic.
Cook until onion is translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
Mix in next 6 ingredients.
Simmer 15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls.
Sprinkle with additional chopped parsley. Serves 4 to 6.