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A cozy, flavorful pizza-inspired tomato soup with Italian sausage, pepperoni, basil pesto, and optional pizza toppings, slow cooked to meld the flavors perfectly.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb ground Italian sausage, browned and drained
  • 1 cup pepperoni slices, chopped
  • 29 oz canned diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic, undrained (2 cans, 14.5 oz each)
  • 21 oz canned condensed tomato soup (2 cans, 10.5 oz each)
  • 2 cups milk
  • 6 tablespoons basil pesto
  • 1 small green pepper, washed and chopped (optional)
  • 1 cup onion, chopped (optional)
  • 4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
  • 2.25 oz can sliced black olives, drained (optional)
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese for garnish

Instructions

  1. Brown the Italian sausage in a skillet, breaking it up as it cooks.
  2. Drain excess fat from the browned sausage.
  3. Transfer the browned sausage to the crock pot.
  4. Place the undrained diced tomatoes in a mixing bowl and pulse with an immersion blender to desired texture (or pulse in a regular blender).
  5. Add the chopped pepperoni, blended tomatoes, condensed tomato soup, milk, and basil pesto to the crock pot with the sausage; add green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and olives if using.
  6. Stir until well combined.
  7. Cover and cook on LOW for 2–3 hours or on HIGH for 1–1½ hours, stirring once about halfway through.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, extra pesto, or a pinch of sugar to balance acidity.
  9. If the soup is too thick, thin with a splash of milk or low-sodium chicken broth; if too thin, uncover and simmer on HIGH for 10–15 minutes.

Notes

Make sure to brown and drain the sausage well to avoid greasiness., Blend diced tomatoes to desired smoothness, leaving some chunkiness if preferred., Stir halfway through cooking to prevent hot spots and milk scorching., Full-fat milk yields best creamy texture; for skim or plant-based milk, add cream or extra pesto., Use low-sodium canned tomatoes and soup if watching salt., Add shredded cheese just before serving or reheating to avoid breakdown or separation.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://livacooks.com/pesto-crock-pot-pizza-soup/