Thursdays are an especially difficult day for me to get through. At the Art Institute, where I work as a visitors services assistant, Thursdays are open an extra three hours for free admission, making my day a ten-hour day. Yeah…it’s pretty rough. So when I get home I want something satisfying and delicious that doesn’t take a long time to make, since it’s usually 8:30 by the time I get home.

The last time I went home my mom gave me a recipe that she acquired through unknown sources. It seemed pretty easy especially since the ingredient list was so short and I had everything on hand. Even though my mom said she really loved this soup, I was a little doubtful when I was making it since it really didn’t have many added spices or the usual flavorful garlic and shallots. But, let me tell you…I was very pleasantly surprised. The sausage itself added a lot of flavor to the soup. My boyfriend and I declared this our new favorite soup!

Italian Sausage Soup

8 oz. Italian sausage
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked shell pasta (I used whole grain penne)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 tbs shredded parmesan
2 tbs fresh chopped basil (I used fresh parsley)

Take sausage out of casings and brown in a large pot. Drain excess oil. Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Add spinach and stir to wilt. Add parmesan and basil to finish it off.