Italian Zucchini-Vegetable Soup

Italian Zucchini-Vegetable Soup

Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/232096/slow-cooker-zucchini-soup/


Ingredients
1 ½ pounds sweet Italian sausage
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces celery
2 pounds zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 cup chopped onion

1 tbs minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste


Instructions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Mix celery into cooked sausage; cook and stir until celery is softened, about 10 minutes.

Put sausage mixture into crock pot and using the remaining grease add garlic, onion, and pepper in the hot skillet until starting to get soft. Add to crock pot. Add some butter to skillet and sear zucchini slices, just until they get some color on the outside but before they get soft add them to the crock pot. 

Add tomatoes to the crock pot. 

Combine sausage mixture, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, salt, sugar, oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, and garlic powder in a slow cooker.

Cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.