Zuppa Romana: An Easy, Adaptable Slow Cooker Soup

I love how easy slow cookers are. Do a little browning of meat, a little chopping of veg, a little adding of spices, throw it in the pot, and wait. Hours of free yummy scents! Then an amazing meal!

I also love soup, not the least because a recipe is more of a guideline. I’ll post the whole original recipe at the end, and you can, as I have (and you’ll see in the instructions I put throughout) use whatever you have around the house to make the recipe yours. One change I always make is to replace zucchini, to which I am allergic, with another vegetable. I had some broccoli, so into the pot it went! I also had some spinach that was about to go, so I put it in when it was time to add the pasta. Turned out just fine! I also decided to replace the orzo or bowtie pasta with some cheese tortellini–that was also a good replacement! Don’t worry so much about putting the same vegetables or pastas or even spices. Do make sure you have enough liquid to make a soup. And whatever you do, will likely turn out fine, so long as you know that those options go harmonically together.

So, let’s get started!

First, take a skillet, a rather large one, and heat some oil, about a tablespoon. Add the sausages (I would suggest skinning the Italian sausage and tossing the casings. The recipe also called for smoked sausage, which I omitted in my version). Once the meat is browned, add it to the slow cooker.

Next, take 2 large onions, chop them, and cook them until softened in the skillet that is already heated. Once softened, add garlic, cook about a minute longer. I also added the chopped pepper (recipe called for green, I used orange and yellow mini peppers) when I put the onion. Then I put the veg into the slow cooker.

Then it was time to deglaze the skillet with wine. Deglazing is pretty much making sure that I got all of the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Then add the wine to the slow cooker.

Then, add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. I put broccoli instead of zucchini and the pepper had already been softened and added, so now it was time for the canned tomatoes, beef broth, water, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. Then, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. You can also use the high setting and cook it half the recommended time.

After the time is up, add the pasta. The recipe calls for orzo or bowties, either of which would be yummy. But I had some cheese tortellini that was calling to me, so that’s what I used. Then, make sure the setting is on high, cover, and cook about 30 minutes more, or until the pasta is cooked.

You can also sprinkle some cheese on the top!

Zuppa Romano

recipe from Slow Cooker Magic by Linda Rehberg and Lois Conway

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3/4 lb Italian sausage, crumbled

3/4 lb smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, sliced into 1/2″ pieces

2 large onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced (I used at least 3, because garlic!)

1 cup dry red wine, such as a cabernet or chianti

1 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2″ pieces

1 medium green pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced into 1/2″ pieces

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree

1 10 oz can condensed beef broth (I used a salt-free packet I dissolved into water)

1 soup can-full water (I put about 2 cups, honestly)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

4 oz orzo or bowtie pasta

Parmesan cheese garnish

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker with a slotted spoon.
2. Add the onion to the same skillet and cook until softened. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute more. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil, and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
3. Add the zucchini, green pepper, tomatoes, broth, and water, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Turn the heat to high and add the orzo or pasta. Cover and cook 30 minutes more.
5. Taste before serving. If necessary, reseason with a dash of salt, pepper, and any other flavors that may have cooked out. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.