Low-Carb Italian Sausage Soup with Tomatoes and Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients

• 19.5 oz. pkg. turkey or pork Italian Sausage
• 1 T olive oil
• 8 cups homemade chicken stock
• 2 14.5 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 T dried basil
• 2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
• 2 tsp. ground fennel
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 2 medium zucchini
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Warm 2 tsp. olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Slip the sausage from its casings into the pan, breaking it up as it cooks, until the moisture has cooked off and the sausage is well browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer the browned sausage to a medium-sized soup pot. Stir in the chicken stock, canned tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, dried basil, dried oregano, and ground fennel, then bring the soup to a gentle simmer over low heat.
3. As the soup gets going, chop the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onion. Add the remaining 1 tsp. olive oil to the same pan used for the sausage, cook the peppers and onion for a few minutes, and scrape them into the soup pot.
4. Simmer the soup over low heat for 30-60 minutes. 60 minutes gives the fullest flavor, but the shorter time works when dinner needs to move along.
5. Once the soup has simmered, prepare the zucchini noodles. Rinse the zucchini, dry it well, trim both ends, and make a lengthwise cut halfway through 1 side of each zucchini. With a Spiralizer fitted with the thicker noodle blade, or your preferred zucchini noodle method, turn the zucchini into thick half-noodles; the slit keeps them from becoming 1 extra-long strand.
6. Stir the zucchini noodles into the soup and continue simmering for 20-30 minutes, depending on how tender you want the zucchini.
7. Taste and adjust with salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Serve hot, with freshly-grated Parmesan for adding at the table if desired.