Tomato, Rice And Italian Sausage Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, minced
1 small onion, diced
6 ripe tomatoes or 32 ounces canned tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 lbs mild Italian sausage
8 cups beef stock or 8 cups broth
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
fresh parsley, minced

Preparation

Saute bacon and onion together until lightly browned. Drain off fat.
In soup pot, add peeled and diced fresh tomatoes or break up canned tomatoes. Add sugar, then bacon/onion mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in separate pan cook sausage covered in water for 15 minutes. Drain, then cut into slices.
Place sausage in soup pot with bacon/tomato mixture. Add beef stock or broth and oregano, then bring to a rolling boil.
Stir in rice. Cook over medium heat uncovered until approximately 10 minutes until rice is tender, adding additional broth if needed.
Remove from heat then stir in parmesan cheese and butter. Salt and pepper to taste.
Put in serving bowls and sprinkle on minced fresh parsley. Additional parmesan cheese may also be sprinkled on.