Make Sausage penne soup for a quick, comforting meal

Sausage Penne soup, Yum! I can almost taste it can’t you? This week guest blogger Karyl from Karyl’s kulinary krusade brings us a warm and comforting soup recipe perfect for cold winter evenings. Sit by a crackling fire as you watch the snow coming down and enjoy this  yummy, cheesy bowl of Sausage Penne soup.

Be sure and visit Karyl at her blog, Karyl’s kulinary krusade and you can read all about how she creates her recipes and so much more!

Sausage Penne soup

• 2 links spicy italian sausage with casings removed and crumbled
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 raw and 2 roasted)
• 2 cups baby spinach or kale
• 1 Tablespoon whiskey
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• ½ can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano
• ½ teaspoon each dried basil and dried parsley
• Half-cup water
• 4 ounces uncooked penne pasta
• 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
• 2 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• ½ cup shredded Provel cheese (found in specialty cheese aisle at grocery store)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

First brown sausage in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft. (Approximately 3-4 minutes.) Next add garlic and cook additional minute. Then add spinach and cook until wilted. (Approximately 3-4 minutes.) You can substitute kale, chopped into fine pieces.

Now add whiskey and using spoon remove the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add vegetable broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the beans, basil, parsley and water and bring to a low boil.

Next add the penne pasta and cook for about 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Now turn the soup to low and add fresh oregano and basil. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Combine melted butter with flour creating a smooth paste. Add slowly to the soup and stir. Continue cooking on low until slightly thickened.

Finally divide soup between 2 ovenproof bowls and top each with a slice of Swiss cheese and ¼ cup Provel. Bake on a cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes or until cheese melts. Turn oven to broil and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.