Italian Sausage Soup

1. Medium heat one tablespoon olive oil in a heavy bottom pot. Add in the sausages. Cook them until they turn brown for about 5 minutes. Make sure to turn every sausage now and then so that they are fully cooked.
2. Put the sausage aside on a plate. Now add in the oil, carrots, zucchini, celery and onions. Add a little salt and pepper. Cook them over medium heat until the onions are golden brown, for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, slice the sausages in ¼ thick pieces. The sausages should be pink in the middle as they will continue to cook in the soup.
4. Add in the garlic in the heated pot and cook it for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, sliced sausages and a tablespoon of thyme. Cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Make sure to let the pot stay uncovered.
6. Once the soup is cooked, add in the ¼ cup of orzo. Stir thoroughly for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. After the orzo has cooked, add spinach. Stir until well-combined.
8. Taste to see if the soup requires more salt and pepper.
9. Take the soup off the heat. Garnish it with the Parmesan cheese.
10. Serve the delicious soup with garlic bread immediately.

Trivia

• Generally a sausage is made from the intestine.
• The word sausage is derived from the Latin word “salsus” which means “salted”.
• The mention of sausages has been made by Homer in the Odyssey which was written 2700 years ago.
• During World War II, sausages were referred to as “bangers”.

January is National Soup Month.