Spicy Zucchini Soup with Sausage

Yields about 12 cups of soup

Ingredients:

1 pound hot pork sausage (can use chicken or turkey), chop links into 1-inch pieces
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
3 cups zucchini, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cans of Del Monte (or your favorite brand), 14.5 oz cans of stewed tomatoes, original flavor
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, crushed
5 teaspoons Knorr tomato/chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
5 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup jack cheese, shredded, for garnish
3 green onions, chopped, for garnish
Your favorite crusty bread to serve with soup

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium/high heat, add the sausage and cook until browned on all sides. Add the onions, jalapeno and celery, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

2. Add the stewed tomatoes,cumin, oregano,bouillon,crushed red pepper, and water. Stir well to combine, when it comes to a boil, taste for salt, lower the heat, cover and cook for a good 2 hours.

3. This will reduce and thicken the soup, but if you would like it slightly thicker, you could make a quick slurry of cornstarch and water (¼ cup cornstarch mixed with ½ cup of water). Add to soup while it's simmering. But, if you are like me and have masa harina in your pantry, I like to use that instead of cornstarch, it adds a great corn flavor to the soup!I don't add my thickener until the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

I like to garnish the soup with jack cheese and green onions, serve with any crusty bread. You could make this soup mild by substituting the jalapeno for green bell pepper and eliminating the crushed red pepper.

Note: If you cannot find the Knorr tomato/chicken flavored bouillon, just add low-sodium chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. This soup makes about 12 cups of soup. Serve 6 as a meal with salad and bread or as an appetizer for a dinner party.

Other recipes by Sonia:

Mexican Red Rice
Buñuelos
Tacos al Pastor
Cheesy Chorizo Bread
Pork Chile Colorado
Frijoles Borrachos con Chorizo
Pork Chile Verde
Lemon Pepper Chicken Fajitas
Chorizo Pozole Soup with Lime Pickled Red Onions
Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chip Chimichangas