The girl behind the Lama: 11. Italian Sub Stoup and Garlic Toast Floaters

I love soup in the winter. A steaming warm bowl just warms you up on a blustery snowy day.

I’ll have to admit that I didn’t love this soup. It was pretty good, but just not what I like in a soup. The pepperoni and sausage needed a lot of straining to get all the fat off. The flavor was great, but there is just something I don’t like about sausage in soup. I like sausage in sauces …. or on a bun.

Loved the croutons! I don’t make croutons often, but I should, yum! I was so in love with the croutons and wanted to eat that I totally forgot to add the spinach. Sad :(

**This recipe comes from Rachael Ray 365 – No Repeats. Most of the recipes are directly from the book, but some I do change out ingredients a bit for things my family prefers. I’ll add my own comments in with a **.

What do you need?

Stoup:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) (twice around the pan)
3/4 pound (3 links) hot or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1/4 pound piece pepperoni, diced ***(I don’t like big pieces, so I get the thinly sliced pepperoni and chop it)
1 ham steak, 1/2 to 3/4 pound, diced ***(Not a huge fan of ham in soup so I omit this)
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and quartered, and sliced
1 medium yellow onion, quartered and sliced
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup gemelli pasta or other shaped pasta
4 cups arugula (2 bunches, trimmed and coarsely chopped) ***I prefer to use a bag of spinach instead

Croutons:
1/4 cup EVOO
3 large garlic cloves, cracked from skins
5 cups crusty bread, cubed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano0Reggiano (a couple of handfuls)
***I completely skipped the garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano and used Penzy Spice’s Sandwich Sprinkle (otherwise known as crouton seasoning)

Now what?

Place a soup pot on the stovetop and preheat to medium high. ***I love this cast iron pot from Rachael Ray***

Add the EVOO and the sausage. Brown and crumble the sausage, drain off excess fat if necessary, then add the pepperoni and ham. **While your meat is browning, cut up the veggies ** Cook for 2 minutes, then add the bell peppers and onions and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta and cook for 8 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, heat the 1/4 cup EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the bread cubes, toss and toast the cubes for 5 or 6 minutes. Season the toasty cubes with the red pepper flakes, oregano and grated cheese.