Italian Sausage and Cannellini Bean Soup

Ingredients

• • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 large onion, diced

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 large peppers (red, orange, or yellow), chopped

  • 2-3 carrots, chopped

  • 1 pound hot italian sausage

  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced

  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

  • ¹/₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • ¹/₂ teaspoon salt

  • ¹/₂ teaspoon black pepper

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • ¹/₂ cup cream or half & half

  • 1 14oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes in their juice

  • 3 15 oz cans of Cannellini beans drained & rinsed (set aside beans from one can)

  • 1 ~5oz container baby spinach

  • ¹/₄ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a stockpot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, red pepper, and carrots and sauté until onions are tender.

Stir in the sausage and cook until it is no longer pink. Add the sage, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

Stir in the chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

With a fork, coarsely mash the beans from one can in a small bowl (use a potato masher if necessary). Add them to the soup mixture. Stir in the remaining two cans of beans, and the milk. Allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes.

Put fresh spinach into each bowl just before serving, then ladle soup over it. Sprinkle the soup with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.