Italian Sub Stoup and Garlic Toast Floaters

I was with Niña helping with paint samples, and then I get a text from my husband asking what time I was going to be home. About an hour later, I walked in the house, and he had this soup ready on the cooktop!

He actually got this recipe from his mom, who got it from Niña, and Niña got it from a friend….LOL! This is how you know a recipe is worth trying if it gets passed on from one person to the next! The recipe is from FOOD NETWORK by the talented Rachael Ray, but I will add it here as well:

INGREDIENTS:

extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 pound (3 links) hot or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing

1/4 pound piece pepperoni, diced

1 ham steak, diced (about 1/2 to 3/4 pound)

1 green bell pepper, seeded, quartered and sliced

1 medium yellow onion, quartered and sliced

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups chicken stock or broth

1/2 pound gemelli pasta or other short-cut pasta

5 cups cubed crusty bread

3 large cloves garlic, cracked from skin

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bunches arugula, trimmed and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)

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DIRECTIONS:

-Place a soup pot or deep sided skillet on the stove top. Preheat to medium high heat.

-Add olive oil and sausage. Brown and crumble the sausage, drain off excess fat if necessary.

-Add the ham and pepperoni to sausage. Cook meats together 2 minutes.

-Add peppers and onions and cook 2 or 3 minutes more.

-Add diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper.

-Add chicken stock and bring stoup to a boil.

-Stir in pasta and cook for 8 minutes.

-Make croutons while pasta cooks: In a large skillet heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add bread to garlic oil, toss and toast the cubes 5 or 6 minutes. Season the toasty cubes with red pepper flakes, oregano and lots of grated cheese. 

-Stir arugula into soup just before you serve it up. Ladle up the stoup and float several toasty garlic bread cubes in each bowl.

Let me know if you make it! The entire family loved it. The kids didn’t want the arugula in their stoup but ate everything else in their bowl!