Quick Italian Stew with Eggs

Looky looky, a recipe! Truth be told this is one that I developed for Goldrich eggs before Austin surprised us by coming a week early, but it’s also one that we’ve had several times and just continue to love. I think my next move may just be poaching the eggs IN the soup (WHOA), so if I choose to be brave I’ll be sure to update this with the results. Sounds almost too good to be true…but we’ll see!

While soup may not be on the forefront of the mind during the summer months, this is still a crowd-pleaser that utilizes the egg for extra protein. We love to serve this year-round with some crusty bread and butter or a light salad on the side. It’s also a fantastic way to add more veggies to the diet; if you can’t find good spinach, kale is a great alternative!

Italian Stew with Fried Eggs

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 28 ounces crushed Italian tomatoes
• 10 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups short-cut pasta of choice
• 4 cups spinach, chopped
• 6 Goldrich eggs
• butter (optional if frying eggs)

Directions:

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.
2. Add the oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic and Italian sausage.
3. Cook until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes, stock, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta.
6. Boil until the pasta is al dente, stir in the chopped spinach, then remove from heat and let cool slightly while cooking the eggs. The spinach will wilt while the soup cools slightly.
7. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.
8. Melt the butter and then carefully crack the eggs into the skillet, trying to keep the whites from running together.
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Cook the eggs for about 1-2 minutes per side until the whites are set and the yolks are stil runny.
11. Ladle the stew into bowls, and then top with a fried egg.
12. Serve hot.